The Maine Office of Tourism (MOT) is seeking applications for its Special Event Grant to provide marketing funds to existing, well established events for the expansion and progression of marketing strategies to attract new audiences, increase overnight visitation and length of stay.
Donor Name: Maine Office of Tourism (MOT)
State: Maine
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/22/2023
Size of the Grant: $60,000
Grant Duration: 12 months
Details:
Special events strengthen Maine’s brand and image nationally and internationally, have a direct economic impact on the state economy and attract visitation to Maine’s shoulder season. Events must be aligned with and support the Office of Tourism Destination Management Plan and Stewardship Principles.
Funding Information
- Two Special Event Grants are awarded each fiscal year (one award per cycle) for a minimum amount of $30,000 and a maximum amount of $60,000.
- All contracts will be signed for a period of no more than twelve (12) months.
Eligible Projects
The following items are eligible projects:
- Paid Advertising – Print, Broadcast, Digital, Out-of-Home, Paid Social Media
- Public & Media Relations – Familiarization Tours, Media Events, Online Press Room
- Existing Website Upgrades – Mobilization, Content, Search Engine Optimization
- Asset Development – Photography/Video Acquisition
- Fulfillment – Brochures, Guides, Maps & Distribution
- Event Management/Administration – No more than 20% of total MTMPP funds can be used for administrative expenses. Administrative expenses may not be built into any other section of the grant and must be clearly explained in event budget
Eligibility Criteria
- Organizations applying for funding must be a Maine municipality, tribal government, or Maine-based 501C3 or C6 or L3C.
- Organizations must create an online account 14 days prior to the grant deadline. If you have previously registered for an account, you must log-in to update your account 14-days prior.
- Projects must be tourism focused by attracting individuals residing fifty miles or more from the destination.
- The grant project supports sustainable growth of Maine’s tourism economy as outlined in the MOT Destination Management Plan.
- Events applying for this grant may not occur within 90 days of the grant start date (January 1st, 2024).
- Organizations must be in good standing as of application deadline with the Secretary of State (not applicable for municipalities) A previous unsatisfactory grant history, for any reason, could immediately disqualify a grant application.
For more information, visit MOT.
