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EDA Destination Planning and Development Grants

WASHINGTON TOURISM ALLIANCE

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Funding Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Grant Type

foundation

Overview

EDA Destination Planning and Development Grants

Funder: Washington State Department of Commerce (administered by State of Washington Tourism)

Total Program Funding: $3.5 million over 2 years

Geographic Scope: Washington State

Program Type: Competitive, needs-based grant program for tourism industry pandemic recovery

Program Overview:
Economic Development Administration (EDA) block grant funds administered to assist tourism industry pandemic recovery. Grants support destination planning and development across Washington's tourism sector.

Eligible Applicants:

  • Local, city, county, and tribal governments

  • Destination marketing organizations (DMOs)

  • Nonprofit organizations involved with travel and tourism

  • Rural communities

  • Indigenous communities

    • Focus Areas:

  • Research and data collection

  • Marketing production

  • Arts and culture initiatives

  • Sporting event incentives

  • Technical assistance for tourism-related projects

  • Rural Tourism Support program

  • Marketing production for Indigenous communities

  • Capacity building

  • Economic resilience projects

  • Small business support

  • Attraction creation and development

  • Shovel-ready project development

    • Award Characteristics:

  • Competitive, needs-based selection

  • Emphasis on underserved and rural communities

  • Focus on pandemic recovery and industry resilience

  • Support for tribal organizations prioritized

    • Selection Criteria:

  • State of Washington Tourism (SWT) selected based on:

    • - Commitment to state tourism industry recovery and development
    - Demonstrated Rural Tourism Support program
    - Previous technical assistance and sustainable tourism grant administration
    - Year-round industry education
    - Previous grant administration contracts with Department of Commerce

    Administration:

  • SWT responsible for grant promotion and education

  • Tracking and reporting of awards

  • Emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion in tourism projects

  • Outreach plan includes webinars, emails, and in-person presentations

    • Updates: Potential applicants can receive updates through SWT's industry newsletter

    Contact: State of Washington Tourism

    Website: industry.stateofwatourism.com

    How to Apply

    Application Process

    1. Stay informed:
    - Subscribe to State of Washington Tourism industry newsletter for updates
    - Monitor SWT website for official launch and application opening

    2. Attend outreach events:
    - SWT hosting webinars for interested applicants
    - In-person presentations available
    - Email-based information distribution

    3. Application requirements (details to be released):
    - Application will specify project objectives
    - Documentation of needs assessment
    - Detailed budget and timeline
    - Alignment with program focus areas
    - Demonstration of capacity to implement
    - For underserved/rural applicants: documentation of tourism dependence and economic need

    4. Evaluation:
    - Competitive, needs-based review
    - Priority given to:
    - Rural and underserved communities
    - Tribal organizations
    - Communities most impacted by pandemic
    - Projects advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in tourism

    5. Submission:
    - Details to be announced in SWT outreach
    - Likely online portal or email submission

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    Focus Areas & Funding Uses

    Fields of Work

    travel-tourismcommunity-developmentnonprofitsbipocnative-americans

    Categories

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