The City of Columbia is accepting applications for its 2026-2027 Hospitality Tax Grant Program.
Donor Name: City of Columbia
State: South Carolina
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/02/2026
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Hospitality Tax Grant offers a valuable opportunity for nonprofit organizations dedicated to enhancing visitor experiences and attracting tourists to Columbia. If your organization is a registered nonprofit with the South Carolina Secretary of State’s Office and actively contributes to the community, the program is eager to support your exciting projects and events.
The Committee will review and score each application based on the evaluation measures described below. Applications will be ranked based on the scores, and the committee will make funding recommendations. The Committee will submit its funding recommendations to City Council. City Council makes all funding decisions; however, City Council relies heavily on the recommendations of the Committee. Funding for all organizations or projects depends entirely on hospitality tax funds received by the City of Columbia.
Grant Period
July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027.
Uses of Funds
Expenses must be directly in support of one of the six (6) purposes of hospitality tax funding under S.C. Code 6-1-730:
- Tourism-related buildings, including, but not limited to: civic centers, coliseums, and aquariums; and/or
- Tourism-related cultural, recreational, and historic facilities; and/or
- Beach access and re-nourishment; and/or
- Highways, roads, streets, and bridges providing access to tourist destinations; and/or
- Advertising and promotions related to the development of tourism; and/or
- Water and sewer infrastructure to serve tourism-related demand
Eligible Expenses
To ensure your grant is processed in a timely manner, City of Columbia Hospitality Tax. grant funds must be used exclusively for tourism-related expenses within the following categories:
- Generally Eligible Expenses:
- Advertising/Marketing/Promotions: This includes expenses for printing and designing advertising materials, mailings for promotional purposes, and hiring a marketing firm instead of using in-house marketing staff.
- Security: Costs associated with security for events are eligible, including fencing and barricades.
- Entertainment: Only artist performance fees and speaker fees qualify as eligible expenses.
- Possibly Eligible Expenses: These will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis:
- marketing manager). However, funding for salaries will be assessed individually and cannot be requested for the full salary of the employee. Reimbursements will require submitted timesheets and proof of payment and will only cover the employer’s share of payroll costs.
Eligible Expenditures
The HTAX grant funds can be utilized to cover the following expenses:
- Advertising/Promotions/Marketing (including designing, printing, and postage for items mailed to attract tourists).
- Security/Emergency Services (Fire, Police, Fencing, Barricades, etc.).
- Entertainment/Speakers/Artist Performances fees.
- A portion of an employee’s salary may be eligible if hired to perform an approved function (e.g., marketing manager).
Eligibility Criteria
All required:
- Proof of non-profit status from SC Secretary of State.
- Proof of non-profit status from IRS.
- Organization/Project/Events is in the City of Columbia limits.
- Organization/Project/Events that promote the attraction of tourists.
- Current City of Columbia business license.
- Projects that will be completed during the fiscal year July 1st – June 30th.
- Events that are open to the public.
For more information, visit City of Columbia.
