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.FY25 Iowa Tourism Grant Cycle
August 26, 2024 – FY25 Applications will be made available
September 30, 2024 – Applications will close
November 2024 – 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 2025 - December 2025 for FY25 recipients).
*If expenses are due before January 1 for events held early in the 2025 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
- FY24 Iowa Tourism Grantees
- FY23 Iowa Tourism Grantees
- FY25 Guidelines
- FY25 Marketing Plan Overview
- FY25 FAQs
- 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.