Destination Hilliard, the City’s tourism destination marketing organization, is announcing its first-ever Tourist Attraction Grant (TAG) program to help create new events, programs, and tourist attractions that bring more visitors to the community.
Donor Name: City of Hilliard
State: Ohio
City: Hilliard
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/03/2022
Size of the Grant: $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 year
Details:
Destination Hilliard is launching a grant program designed to provide seed money to develop new initiatives that will bring visitors into their community to spend money in their local economy, to stay overnight in hotels within Hilliard City limits, to expand awareness of this community as a visitor destination, and to encourage Hilliard residents to take advantage of the tourism-industry amenities this community has to offer.
Destination Hilliard’s priority is to encourage economic vibrancy throughout the City of Hilliard through the development and promotion of special events, attractions, culture, history, recreation, parks, dining, retail, meeting and event space use, and overnight accommodations.
Funding Information
- Grants may cover up to 50% of the total eligible project costs, not to exceed $10,000.
Eligibility Criteria
Destination Hilliard Board of Directors (DH) will provide seed money grants for new programs that will be launched between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023. To be eligible, applicants must be:
- Either an existing for-profit business (or businesses) within the City of Hilliard OR registered non-profit (501C.3) agencies based within the City of Hilliard. Priority consideration will be given to small businesses and entities generally considered to be part of the tourism industry (e.g., retail, restaurants, tourist attractions, hotels, special events, etc.)
- Either new special events within the City of Hilliard designed to attract visitors to the community OR existing special events adding significant elements designed to attract new visitors to the community.
- Applicants also must be current on all municipal income tax obligations and property tax obligations, and without any outstanding City Code violations.
- Selection of grant recipients will be made without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, familial status, marital status, or military status.
- The grant recipient shall not be an entity owned or controlled by a Destination Hilliard employee, Board of Director member, or a family member thereof; a City of Hilliard employee; a City of Hilliard elected official; or an immediate family member of a City of Hilliard employee or elected official.
- Business owners applying for grants will be limited to one grant per calendar year, regardless of the number of different businesses or programs those individuals may be involved in (i.e., one business and one restaurant.)
- Non-profit organizations and collective groups of businesses working together to apply for grants that benefit a common cause are limited to receiving two grants per calendar year.
Eligible Projects
Destination Hilliard is open to creative ideas from their community for the kinds of programs, activities and initiatives that would be eligible for this seed money. Priority will be given to activities that include (but are not limited to):
- creative and exciting new ideas that have the potential to produce ongoing, recurring, or annual community events
- production of overnight hotel stays
- production of new employment opportunities
- generation of revenue for businesses within the city of Hilliard
- generation of positive regional media attention for the community
- development of permanent or temporary tourist attractions
- development or permanent or temporary public art
- celebrations of history and culture
- celebrations of diversity
- educational programs designed to attract visitors to Hilliard
- alignment with the general philosophies outlined in this document
- programs that aid in the distribution of grants to multiple geographic areas and interests in Hilliard
For more information, visit Tourism Attraction Grant.
