TOURISM GRANT PROGRAM

The Tourism Grant program is offered through Visit Jackson to enhance visitor and tourism promotional efforts and tourism product development for Jackson's events. This program assists entities with tourism marketing and promotion, tourism product development, attractions, special events, and festivals that will foster increased visitation from outside of the Jackson area while enhancing the visitor's experience, ultimately resulting in high local economic impact.

The purpose of this grant program is to provide funds for marketing, product development, and other qualified expenses directed towards increasing the number of overnight visitors to Jackson, MS, from outside of the area. Events must demonstrate the ability to generate a significant positive economic impact for the City of Jackson.

Funding is available to nonprofit & government organizations that promote inbound tourism through public venues. Qualified applicants must demonstrate the ability to generate a significant positive economic impact by attracting participants from outside Jackson to stay overnight in hotels and patronize Jackson restaurants.

The program is also designed to assist and enhance meetings, conferences, & conventions, trade shows, equine events, and sporting events that demonstrate the capability to generate a positive economic impact by attracting verifiable delegates or attendees from outside the Jackson area to stay overnight in Jackson hotels and patronize Jackson restaurants. Applicants must use Jackson venues and hotels to be eligible to receive Visit Jackson funding.

The Visit Jackson Grant program is offered to the Jackson Tourism Industry in the following categories:

• Attraction, Museum & Public Use Facilities Support
• Festival & Cultural Event Support (applications must be submitted at least 90 days prior to the start date of the event.)

Online Applications Accepted: October 1, 2021 - October 31, 2021

• Convention & Meeting Support
• Sports & Equine Event Support

Online Applications Accepted: October 1, 2021 - October 31, 2021

Every grant application will be considered on its own merit, and it is within the Grant Committee's authority to approve or deny any grant for any reason. More significant consideration and higher priority will be given to projects demonstrating the highest potential for causing significant economic impact, primarily through increasing restaurant revenue and hotel occupancy. Applicants must realize that even though an application received may qualify, limited funding may not allow all projects to receive assistance. There are no guarantees that any request will receive help. All decisions regarding awards are made at the sole discretion of the Visit Jackson Board of Directors.

Core Stipulations:

• Organizations may only apply for funding in one category, per event, per fiscal year. This does not prohibit an individual working for multiple organizations/entities/events from using for separate funding so long as there is no cross-over of funds.
• Additionally, organizations/projects that are awarded funding under the Greater Jackson Arts Council Grant Program, or the City of Jackson are not eligible to receive funding through Visit Jackson's Tourism Grant Program, nor are organizations/projects that have been awarded funding through Visit Jackson's Grant Program eligible to receive funding through the Greater Jackson Arts Council Grant Program.
• Failure to use funds specified in the contract may result in penalties up to and including a full refund of grant funds.
• Project applicants cannot transfer funds from one specific tourism project to another without a written request and addendum to the contract. All modification requests must be submitted and approved in advance.
• Organizations receiving a Tourism Grant must have a reciprocal link with Visit Jackson's logo on their website to www.VisitJackson.com. The consumer must be able to reach our website in one click.
• Any media placed through this grant program should be shared with Visit Jackson for promotional use.
• A final report is required for each grant and each year during the offering.
• Applicants who do not comply with all deadlines and procedures (including reporting) may be disqualified and ineligible to receive Tourism Grant Funds for three years.

Instructions: (See Online help for submitters)

• You will need to create a free Submittable account to submit to the application.
• You can save a draft of your work if you would like to finish filling out the form later.
• We will follow-up with you about your submission by email. Please be sure the email address you used to sign up for your Submittable account is one that you check regularly.