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 projects 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 September of 2023, the Iowa Tourism Office received FY24 Iowa Tourism Grant applications requesting over $686,200. Nearly $400,000 was awarded to organizations around the state to implement exciting tourism campaigns and projects. The Iowa Tourism Office has $300,000 available to award to partners to implement projects during the FY25 grant cycle between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. 

 

FY26 Iowa Tourism Grant Cycle

August 2025 – FY26 Applications open 

September 2025 – Applications close 

November 2025 – 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

$300,000 is available 

Awards may not be less than $2,500 or more than $10,000 

Awards will be made in increments of $100 (i.e. $2,500, $2,600, $2,700) 

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 2026 - December 2026 for FY26 recipients).

*If expenses are due before January 1 for events held early in the 2026 calendar 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.

Additional Information

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.

For more information, contact:

Lora Friest

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