Grants & funding opportunities

Occupancy tax revenues are governed by North Carolina Session Law 2007-337 (House Bill 1013), which specifies how these funds must be used. By law, at least two-thirds of the funds must be used to promote travel and tourism, while the remaining funds may be used for tourism-related expenditures. The law further defines those two buckets of money as follows:

• Promote Travel & Tourism:
To advertise or market an area or activity, publish and distribute pamphlets and other materials, conduct market research, or engage in similar promotional activities that attract tourists or business travelers to the area.
• Tourism-Related Expenditures:
Expenditures that, in the judgement of the HCTDA, are designed to increase the use of lodging facilities, meeting facilities, and convention in the county by attracting tourists or business travelers to the county. The term includes tourism-related capital expenditures.

For more information about occupancy tax, click here.

It depends on your project.

• Legacy Event Sponsorship supports events that have been held in Haywood County for at least 10 consecutive years.
• Tourism Promotion Grant supports tourism marketing, events, and market research through three funding categories: Advertising, Events, and Market Research.
• Tourism Capital Grant supports capital projects that create or enhance tourism amenities and infrastructure with a lifespan of at least 10 years.

Funding is competitive and subject to available budget. While some programs do not have a maximum request amount, applicants may be awarded less than the amount requested based on available funding and the strength of all applications received.

• Legacy Event Sponsorship: No minimum request; maximum award is 25% of the total project budget.
• Tourism Promotion Grant: Minimum request of $2,000; no maximum request.
• Tourism Capital Grant: Projects must have a minimum total project budget of $100,000 and require a 1:1 funding match, resulting in a minimum grant request of $50,000; no maximum request.

Generally, no. Grant funds cannot be used for advertising that primarily promotes an individual business, as those expenses are considered part of normal business operations. Visit Haywood's role is to market Haywood County as a destination. Our grants support projects that complement—not duplicate or compete with—our destination marketing efforts and have the potential to increase overnight visitation.

Applicants are responsible for developing their own project or event ideas. To help applicants prepare competitive proposals, Visit Haywood offers free grant coaching sessions before each application deadline. Staff can answer questions about eligibility, program requirements, and application expectations, but they will not develop project ideas on an applicant's behalf.

No. To ensure a fair and consistent grant process for all applicants, all published deadlines are final and exceptions cannot be made.

Yes. Applicants may apply for multiple grant programs if each application is for a different project or purpose and meets the eligibility requirements of that program.

No. Grant funding is competitive each year and is based on available funding, the quality of applications received, and alignment with the program criteria.

Possibly. While many successful projects benefit both residents and visitors, all grant-funded projects must demonstrate a clear tourism benefit and the potential to increase overnight visitation to Haywood County. Projects that primarily serve local residents without a measurable tourism impact are generally not competitive for funding.

All current guidelines, applications, forms, and templates are available on the individual grant pages under the Active Grant Programs section of our website.

No. All applications must be submitted through our online application portal.

While each grant program has its own scoring criteria, applications are generally evaluated on:

• Alignment with the grant program goals and Destination Master Plan
• Tourism impact, including the potential to generate overnight visitation
• Project readiness, completeness, and overall quality of the application
• Financial feasibility, including a realistic project budget, secured funding sources, and the applicant's ability to successfully complete the project

No. All applications must include a complete, detailed project budget using the required template in order to be considered.

Matching funds are the applicant's financial contribution toward the project. Depending on the grant program, applicants may be required to provide a 50% or 100% match. Please refer to the specific grant guidelines for the matching requirements that apply to your project.

Submit one application for the entire project or event. Be sure to identify all participating partners and the communities where the project or event will take place.

Depending on your project, community support may be demonstrated through letters of support from municipalities, neighboring businesses, community organizations, or other project partners. Strong partnerships often strengthen an application.

Staff may request additional information or clarification during the review process. Applicants should not assume they will have an opportunity to revise their application, so it is important to submit a complete application by the deadline.

Visit Haywood's current target markets are listed on the Tourism Promotion Grant page. Grant-funded advertising is required to align with these target markets so that applicant campaigns build upon Visit Haywood's existing destination marketing efforts and maximize the impact of occupancy tax dollars.

Occupancy tax funds are intended to increase overnight visitation to Haywood County. As a result, at least 75% of grant-funded advertising must target audiences outside a 50-mile radius of Haywood County. For more information about what qualifies as local versus non-local advertising, visit this page.

Yes. After reviewing the resources available on the Tourism Promotion Grant page, you may contact Ashley and Amie for assistance with your marketing plan. To ensure staff have adequate time to assist all applicants, marketing plan support is not available during the two weeks immediately preceding the application deadline.

Minor adjustments are expected during implementation. However, significant changes to the approved marketing plan must be reviewed by Visit Haywood staff and may require HCTDA Board approval.

No. All grant funds are reimbursable and are paid only after the project is completed, all grant requirements have been met, and the required reimbursement documentation has been submitted.

No. Recognizing Visit Haywood, as outlined in your grant award letter, is a requirement for reimbursement.

All use of the Visit Haywood logo and branding in advertising or promotional materials must be submitted for approval before publication. Visit our Recognition Guidelines page for logo requirements and approved recognition options.

Grant awards are based on the application approved by the HCTDA Board of Directors. Any significant changes to the project - including the marketing plan, budget, timeline, or project scope - must be communicated to HCTDA staff before they are implemented. Significant changes will require HCTDA Board approval to remain eligible for reimbursement.

No. Grant funds are reimbursed after the project has been completed and all required reimbursement documentation has been submitted.