Tourism & Event Grant, Longmont Economic Development

Purpose

The goal of this grant is to help build Longmont as a destination for visitors by generating incremental sales tax revenue through tourism, events and related activities. Grants are funded with revenue received through the City's portion of the Lodgers Tax.

Requirements to Apply

Programs must yield increases in tourism.
Programs must demonstrate a need for funds.
All events must be open to the public (they do not, however, have to be free.)

Applications Instructions

To apply for funds, read, complete and submit this application. It will be submitted to Doug Bene, Economic Development Manager. Applications will be processed on a rolling basis during the inaugural year of this program.

Grant Funding

An approximate budget of $30,000 will be available for this program depending upon available revenue generated from the Lodger's Tax. There is no limit to the maximum amount that can be requested by an applicant.

Events eligible for funding could include (but are not limited to)

Performances: music, theater, etc.
Sporting events
Cultural activities
Conventions

Events not eligible for funding

Those intended solely for the local community
Events taking place outside of Longmont
For-profit ventures
Lobbying, advocacy, or related activities
Events that have already occurred or requests that seek grant money for expenses already incurred

Who can apply for funding. Includes, but is not limited to

Community groups
Nonprofit entities
Individuals
Neighborhood groups
School clubs and youth groups (nonsectarian)

Who cannot apply for funding

For-profit organizations
Political parties
Religious groups

Priorities

The city of Longmont has a focus for how Lodgers' Tax funds will be spent, thus priority is given to projects that:

Generate overnight stays in Longmont hotels
Promote incremental visitation, bolstering Longmont's retail districts
Positively promote the City of Longmont in regional and national media
Seek multiple sources of support
Help create Longmont as a destination
Are unique to Longmont

Please note that even projects meeting all of these priorities are not guaranteed to receive money.

Criteria for Evaluating Applications

Proposals will be reviewed by a Grant Review Committee consisting of four people. Each member will assign a score of up to 25 points, based on the rubric below, and the scores of the committee will be totaled.

If a program earns at least 76 points out of 100, it may be considered for funds. Note, however, that receiving 76 points does not guarantee funding.

	Points Awarded	Points Possible
Program Summary		5
Community Goals		5
Audience		5
Marketing		5
Budget		5
Total		25

All fields are required

General Information
Organization:
Contact Person:
Contact Title:
Phone:
Email:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:

Event Title:
Event Date(s):
Event Location:
Source of Funding:
Amount Requested:
Date Of Request:

Questions

1. Program Summary - Please describe the event. Will it be free of charge? If not, what fee will be charged?

2. Community Goals - What is the purpose of this program? How will the program help meet community goals and strategies such as those identified in the Focus on Longmont and Economic Vitality Task Force reports? How will this program advertise and promote Longmont? What makes this program unique to Longmont?

3. Audience - How many people are expected to attend this program? If this program has been presented before, what will be the estimated increase in attendance as a result of this funding? What is the draw (regional/national/international) of this program? How many guests are expected from outside Longmont? How will you collect information about your audience at your event (i.e. number of attendees and home regions)?

4. Marketing - What is the overall marketing strategy for this event, including budget and geographical scope? What media/venues will be used for marketing? Please be specific (e.g., Newspaper advertisements: Longmont Times-Call, Denver Post). How will the effectiveness of this marketing strategy be assessed?

5. Budget - Please attach/upload a categorized budget for the program, and note where other sources of funding fit into the budget.

*How will this grant be leveraged in the overall budget?

Acknowledgement

By accepting the funds requested in this application, grantee agrees to use the funds for the direct support of the activity or event identified herein. Any expenditure of grant funds for any other purpose is a violation of the terms of this grant and will subject grantee to all available legal remedies. All grantees will be expected to complete a report within 30 days of the conclusion of the event to substantiate actual fund usage.

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