The Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) offers several funding programs to assist the Virginia travel industry. Below is a summary of the current and future programs: [ See below + PM Funding Opportunities.pdf for easy printing ]
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Virginia Tourism Corporation Grant Programs
(VTC) Marketing Leverage Program
- Reimbursable grant program to leverage existing marketing funds. Requires a research-based and measurable marketing plan designed to drive tourism to Virginia
- Who is eligible: Virginia travel industry partners including small businesses, DMOs, private sector attractions, accommodations, museums, lodging and events
- Opens: Mid-February 2026
- Award Tiers:
- Tier One: 1:1 minimum cash match for award of up to $20,000
- Tier Two: 2:1 minimum cash match for award of up to $50,000
- How: Online application portal
- For information and questions, please email [email protected]
- Who is eligible: Official Virginia DMOs for marketing expenses that show positive and significant economic impact on tourism and must include marketing plans designed to drive visitation to Virginia
- Opens: Mid-February 2026
- Award tier: Up to $20,000 with minimum 50% cash or in-kind match
- How: Online application portal
- For information and questions, please email [email protected]
VA250 Marketing Leverage Program
- Reimbursable grant program to leverage existing marketing funds. Requires a targeted and research-based marketing plan designed to drive tourism against the backdrop of America’s 250th commemoration
- Marketing Focus: Destinations, programs, attractions, museums and events related to America’s 250th Commemoration and the quest for freedom
- Who is eligible: Officially recognized VA250 Committees, historic sites and museums. For information on how to become an officially recognized VA250 Committee, please visit www.VA250.org
- Match: If in a federally recognized Economic Development District required minimum match is 1:1 in-kind match; if not in a federally-recognized Economic Development District required minimum match is 1:1 cash match
- SPRING — Opens: March 25, 2025 Closes: April 24, 2025
FALL — Opens: September 16, 2025 Closes: October 23, 2025 - Max Award: $10,000
- How: Online application portal
- For information and questions, please email [email protected]
(VTC) MMLP Grant Program * DMOs please see below for the DMO MMLP Co-Op program
- Reimbursable grant program to leverage existing marketing funds. Requires a targeted and research-based marketing plan designed to drive tourism to Virginia.
- Marketing Focus: Small business and shoulder season (September to May) marketing
- Who is eligible: Small tourism-related business with 20 or fewer full-time equivalentemployeesincluding boutique retail, restaurants, food trucks, small attractions, craft breweries, distilleries, wineries, boutique lodging and B&Bs, and events focused on shoulder season visitation
- Additional eligibility: Chambers of Commerce, NGOs, such as PDCs and Main Street organizations, may apply but the application must support microbusinesses and/or shoulder season visitation with a robust marketing plan. If the Chamber, Main Street, or organization is an officially designated DMO appearing on this list www.vatc.org/dmolist then they may only apply in the VTC Vacation Starts with VA DMO MMLP Co-Op program.
- Open: June 10, 2025 Close: July 24, 2025
- Max Award: $5,000
- Match: 1:1 cash or in-kind
- How: Online application portal
- For information and questions, please email [email protected]
Note to DMO Partners: As VTC MMLP grant funding above is limited and has become more competitive, we created the Vacation Starts with VA DMO MMLP Co-Op program to allow for more DMOs to activate VTC’s flagship campaign and engage in early off-season marketing to drive visitation through late 2025. Depending on the award tier, DMOs may be able to activate pixel-driven retargeting as part of the 2026 DMO and MLP grant applications.
(VTC) Vacation Starts with VA DMO MMLP Co-Op Program
- Reimbursable grant program to leverage existing marketing funds. Requires a targeted and research-based marketing plan designed to drive tourism to Virginia using the Vacation Starts with VA Co-op and Toolkit.
- Marketing Focus: September to November 2025; must include hub and spoke with three small tourism-oriented businesses. Participation in this program may allow DMOs to activate retargeting in early 2026.
- Who is eligible: VTC Officially recognized DMOs appearing on this list: www.vatc.org/dmolist.
- Open: June 10, 2025 Close: June 26, 2025 * Please note the shorter application window
- Award Tiers:
- Tier 1: $1250
- Tier 2: $2,500
- Tier 3: $5,000
- Tier 4: $30,000
- Limited spots in Tiers 2, 3, and 4. Multi-DMO partnerships are encouraged at the higher tiers.
- We have funding for most DMOs to participate in Tier 1. Applications are competitive and applicants will select their preferred tier in the application. Depending on the number of applications, DMOs may be offered a lower tier.
- Match: 1:1 cash match
- How: Online application portal separate from the VTC MMLP Grant
- For information and questions, please email [email protected]
Virginia Special Events and Festivals Program
- Who is eligible: Virginia based special events and festivals for marketing and production of special events and festivals; special events and festivals must have at least two years of prior attendance since 2017 and must have a minimum attendance of 500 attendees Special events and festivals with less than 500 attendees should apply for the Marketing Leverage Program
- IMPORTANT NOTE: The early 2024 round was ONLY for festival and special events occurring between Jan 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. The Summer 2024 VTC Special Events and Festivals Program currently open is for festivals and special events that will occur between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025
- Impact of special events and/or festival must show positive and significant impact on tourism and marketing plan must be designed to drive visitation to Virginia. Only 50% of award may be spent on event production costs. Applications with plans to use production funding to expand festival capacity; add a stage, enhance visitor experience, add artisan markets, concessions, food trucks, or other revenue generating activities will score higher
- Award tiers:
- Tier One: 500-4,999 attendees; up to $5,000 award with minimum 50% cash or in-kind match
- Tier Two: 5,000-19,999 attendees; up to $10,000 award with minimum 50% cash or in-kind match
- Tier Three: 20,000+ attendees; up to $20,000 award with minimum 50% cash or in-kind match
- Open: July 22, 2025 Closes: September 11, 2025
- How: Online application portal
- For information and questions, please email [email protected]
DRIVE + Tourism│Workshop Grant Program
- What’s available: $10,000 up front grants to 10 DMOs
- Who is eligible: Virginia DMO’s only
- Open: Next round opening March 2025
- How: DMOs complete online application, and hold a VTC-led community workshop, requires 50% cash or in-kind match. Program utilizes competitive strategies and hub and spoke method for promotion and product development. Funds can be used towards marketing and enhancing tourism products outlined by the program guidelines. More information will be shared on program details early summer 2024.
- Contact: Caitlin Johnson [email protected] | Jacob Bower [email protected]
Tourism Development Financing Program (TDFP)
- What’s available: Gap financing towards the capital investment of new tourism product development
- Who is eligible: Economic Development Organizations
- When: Year-round; no time limitations
- How: An EDO proves a deficiency in local tourism product based on visitor demand, through current research from a locality’s Community Comprehensive, Tourism Development and Marketing Plans. A developer then proves their project fills the deficiency through pro forma and market study research. If certification is achieved, the state contributes a percentage of quarterly sales and use tax collected from the project
- Learn more at https://www.vatc.org/TDFP
- Please contact Wirt Confroy at [email protected] regarding these changes
Tourism Improvement Districts (TIDS)
- What’s available: A visitor fee collected by tourism businesses for tourism marketing and development
- Who is eligible: A newly formed TID Governing Board comprised of zone participating businesses
- When: Year-round; no time limitations
- How: Local lodging, dining, retail and tourism businesses petition the local government to create a TIDs plan. The plan defines zone geographic and usage parameters, and sources and uses of the funds. A newly formed governing board of participating businesses engages an administering nonprofit administrator to assist in the management of the program and funds
- Please contact [email protected] for more information
- Learn from VA’s first TID in action, via this expectional example > Richmond Region Tourism TID