SoIN Tourism seeks capital projects for grant funding
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SoIN Tourism is looking for proposals to receive funding through its Tourism Capital Development Fund.
The destination marketing organization for Clark and Floyd counties says it will award a total of up to $1 million to support transformative placemaking projects to make southern Indiana more visible.
“We also want these projects to contribute to the quality of life for our residents, because most of the things that visitors like residents like, too,” Executive Director Jim Epperson said.
Epperson told Inside INdiana Business the grants help local not-for-profits and government entities generate additional funding.
“One of the things that we like to see is leverage–that our funds aren’t the only thing paying for this project. The same same is true with other investors or granting sources,” he said. “So to have the tourism organization in a community as a direct, committed contributor also helps the folks that are trying to put these funding packages together for the projects convince others to jump in and fund also.”
The grants will range from $100,000 to $250,000 for projects that fit into six priority categories: small meetings and conferences; culinary and agritourism; sports events; riverfront, outdoor recreation and adventure travel; arts, heritage and cultural entertainment; and business and corporate travel.
“These six categories present the greatest growth opportunities for Clark and Floyd Counties,” Epperson said. “They either attract new travel market segments in which we are not currently competitive, or they complement SoIN’s well-established visitor experiences.”
The Tourism Capital Development Fund was established in 1984, when the Indiana General Assembly approved a 1% increase in the region’s inkeeper’s tax specifically earmarked for tourism-related capital projects.
Previous examples of projects that received funding include improvements to the Falls of the Ohio State Park’s Interpretive Center, the NoCo Arts & Cultural District in Jeffersonville, and the Vintage Fire Museum in Jeffersonville.
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The Falls of the Ohio State Park Interpretive Center (photo courtesy of SoIN Tourism)
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The NoCo Arts and Cultural District in Jeffersonville. (photo courtesy of SoIN Tourism)
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The Riverstage music venue in Jeffersonville. (photo courtesy of SoIN Tourism)
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The Vintage Fire Museum in Jeffersonville. (photo courtesy of SoIN Tourism)
Epperson said it has been critical for SoIN Tourism to have a seat at the table when it comes to these types of projects.
“Destinations always have to reinvent themselves, especially if you want return visitors,” he said. “There’s only so many times that you’re going to get people coming back to do the exact same thing over and over again. So experiences have to evolve and you have to introduce new things. It’s all part of keeping your product fresh, and so we want to foster that to the extent that we can.”
Applications for grant funding will be accepted from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, with the recipients being announced by the end of the year. You can find more information by clicking here.