The Tourism Promotion Grant program has been established by Indiana Dunes Tourism to foster and fund festivals, projects, special events, sporting events, and programs that promote the development and growth of tourism in Porter County.
Donor Name: Indiana Dunes Tourism
State: Indiana
County: Porter County (IN)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 01/28/2022
Size of the Grant: $5,000
Grant Duration: 3 years
Details:
Purpose of program: Grants will be awarded to events and projects that bring in visitors from outside of Northwest Indiana (Lake, Porter, and LaPorte Counties), help visitors book hotel rooms, and have a positive economic impact on other businesses and attractions.
There are five (5) grant application categories, which include:
- Conventions, meetings, and seminars
- Festivals and special events
- Marketing
- Product development
- Sports sponsorships
Businesses and organizations can only apply for grant funding for the same festival, event, meeting, seminar, convention, and marketing projects for three years. After the third year, your festival, event or marketing project will no longer be eligible for funding. The purpose of the grant program is to get festivals, events and projects established so they can successfully sustain themselves in the future.
Businesses or organizations can apply for multiple grants; however, they cannot apply for the same product, festival, or marketing project. (Example: an organization might have four sporting events throughout the year, and can apply for all four events, however, know that it is unlikely that all would be funded).
Funding Information
This grant program is a 50% matching, reimbursable grant. For example, if you are approved for a $2,500 grant, you must spend $5,000 in qualified marketing to receive the $2,500. Also, you will only be reimbursed for your expenses after your event or project is completed.
The grant dollar amounts available per category are:
- Marketing: $2,500 (first year); $1,500 (second year); $1,000 (third year)
- Festivals and events: $2,500 (first year); $1,500 (second year); $1,000 (third year)
- Meetings, conventions, and seminars: $2,500 (first year); $1,500 (second year); $1,000 (third year)
- Sports sponsorship: $3,000 maximum
- Product development: $5,000 maximum
Eligibility Criteria
- Indiana Dunes Tourism intends the grant program to be used by Porter County organizations, cities, and towns, to bring in new business, to develop local events, festivals, and sporting events, and to encourage visitation from outside the county.
- Private sector grant applications will be considered if the marketing efforts target visitors from outside Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties. An effort to rebrand would not be eligible, however, a billboard would be considered.
For more information, visit Tourism Promotion Grant.
