Iowa Tourism Grants

The Iowa Tourism Grant (ITG) Program promotes tourism in Iowa by funding tourism-related marketing initiatives, meetings and events that benefit both local economies and the state's economy. Applications are available annually, and preference will be given to those that support the overall marketing plan of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) in terms of its target audiences and messaging. The Administrative Rules that govern the program are in Iowa Administrative Code 261.42.

In FY23 we were thrilled to receive 69 eligible applications seeking over $549,200 in grant funding. A team of reviewers dedicated many hours to carefully reviewing and assessing each application to determine successful applicants and the amount of each grant award. Nearly $300,000 was distributed to 33 organizations around the state.

Read the press release
 

FY24 Iowa Tourism Grant Cycle

August 23, 2023 – Application opens
September 27, 2023 – Application closes at 4 p.m. CST
November 20, 2023 - All applicants notified of status

Eligibility

Applicants must be a tourism-related entity based in Iowa. This includes nonprofits, for-profits, cities, counties, and regional government and planning entities. 
Applicants may submit one application per funding cycle. The same project cannot receive funding from the ITG program two years in a row.

Funding

In FY24 ITG award ranges will be annouced after July 2023. A 25 percent cash match* is required. There was $300,000 available for the FY23 grant cycle.
All funds requested must be whole numbers between $2,500 to $10,000 and be in increments of $100. (i.e., $2,500; $2,600; $2,700; etc.)
*Cash match must be in the form of cash only. In-kind dollars or discounts do not count towards a cash match.

Eligible Expenses

All project expenses (grant request plus cash match) must directly relate to the implementation of a tourism-related marketing initiative, meeting or event and be incurred within the calendar year* (January 2023 - December 2023 for FY23 recipients).

*If expenses are due before January 1 for events held early in the year, those expenses are allowed in the budget and in quotes provided. It is preferred that payments to vendors be made after January 1, but this may not be possible. Grant reviewers will be made aware of this when scoring.

Required Uploads for Application

• Minority Impact Statement
• W-9 Form

Additional Information

• FY23 Iowa Tourism Grantees
• FY23 Guidelines
• FY23 Marketing Plan Overview
• FY23 FAQs
• FY23 Webinar Deck
• Rubric
• Evaluation Report

Logo Usage

Recipients of Iowa Tourism Grants must use the Travel Iowa language and logos to credit the Iowa Tourism Office for their cooperative efforts.