Large Scale Tourism Events Funding

Large Scale Tourism Events funding applications will be considered once per year. The deadline for submission of funding applications is February 1 of each year. Applications are accepted for festivals and sporting events that have a tourism draw of 100 kilometres or greater, resulting in at least 35% of attendance by visitors to our community. A Large Scale Tourism Event would provide a unique audience and/or participant experience, and can result in a significant economic and/or tourism benefit to Grande Prairie. Large Scale Tourism Events are generally a ticketed, multi-day event with an attendance of greater than 2000 people per day.

The purpose of this funding is to:

Attract people to our city
Encourage an exciting and vibrant range of events in our community
Grow tourism to Grande Prairie
Grow volunteerism within the city
Help promote a diverse culture, celebration of our heritage, and/or promotion of sport
Provide a safe community

Criteria and Guidelines:

The Event

Must be a large scale event with a unique audience or participant experience, applications may include festivals or sporting events
Is expected to have a tourism draw of at least 35% of attendees from a proximity of 100 km or greater from Grande Prairie
Is generally a ticketed, multi-day event with an expected or actual attendance of greater than 2000 people per day
Takes place in the City of Grande Prairie, or the County of Grande Prairie No. 1 at Evergreen Park, or Crosslink County Sportsplex
Must proceed regardless of weather conditions – event will be held “rain or shine” with a contingency plan
Aligns with Council’s Strategic Priorities, and complies with all relevant Bylaws, Policies, Procedures, and Legislation
Is ineligible for funding if the event is supported financially from Arts Development Festival Funding or Pursuit of Excellence Funding

The Applicant

Has demonstrated and provided a plan to minimize the impact on the environment
Has provided proof of the quality and sustainability of the event. This can be done through the submission of a business plan and budget.
Has provided a marketing plan which includes how the event is promoted locally and outside of the region. Wherever possible, recipients are required to acknowledge funding received from the Large Scale Tourism Events Fund, the City of Grande Prairie in related advertising or promotional materials
Has provided a social impact plan for the event
May also be eligible for gift-in-kind from the City and, where such contributions are made, they will be quantified and recorded separately and may be considered in determining the amount of cash contribution that the applicant will be eligible for under Policy 317
Must provide whether funding is used to leverage expected Provincial and Federal Funding, including Alberta Tourism
Must be a “non-profit organization”, as defined in Section 241(f) of the Municipal Government Act
Has provided supporting documents and reports, that successfully supports the ability of the applicant to complete the proposed project successfully

The Application

Demonstrates a requirement for annual funding
Indicates a financial need
Establishes reasonableness of the budget
Demonstrates evidence of significant positive expected economic benefit to the community, including statistics or measures on the potential tourism draw, such as a Sport Tourism Economic Assessment Model (STEAM) report for sporting events, or a similar economic impact assessment model for other events.

Other Evaluation Criteria:

No single grant will exceed 50% of the annual Large Scale Tourism Events budget.
Preference of funding will be for new (less than 5 years old), or expanded events.
For expanded events, the budget should be specific to the enhancement proposed for funding.

Reporting Requirements

Applicants who receive funding must provide a Statement of Accountability report as to how the funds were spent. Any unused funds must be returned within 60 days of the event. Please remember to include the following information in your final report within 60 days of the event:

Audited Financial statements following the event, which are subject to audit or review at the City’s discretion;
Final Report with evidence of significant positive economic benefit to the community, including any statistics or measures on the tourism draw; and
Any unexpended funds must be returned to the City.

Other existing grants with established application processes and criteria, administered by City departments, are not part of this procedure and will be evaluated on their own merits.

Please note that failure to provide accountability information may jeopardize the opportunity for any further funding.

Administration may recommend that a group’s funding be reduced or eliminated in the course of the funding term if significant concerns are observed in the following areas:

Management practices or governance instability, including consistent over-expenditure or under-expenditure of funds, staff or board turn-over in one (1) year and/or failure to follow formalized procedures regarding finances, personnel, event or board operations;
Fraud or misconduct, including misuse or misstatement of funds; unethical workplace practices and/or illegal activities;
Event operational concerns, including not responding to City Council priorities or changing trends; consistent, significant decrease in outcomes or shifting event focus without prior consultation with Administration; and
Violation of contracts between the City and the group/agency.

Submission Information

Please submit this form through the online application form.

Policy

Policy 317 - Funding for Large Scale Tourism Events.

Procedure

Procedure 317-1 - Funding for Large Scale Tourism Events Guidelines.

For more information, please contact

Administrative Coordinator
Sports Development, Wellness and Culture, City of Grande Prairie
PO Bag 4000 Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6V3
Phone: 780-538-0300 (311 inside city limits)
Email: grants@cityofgp.com

Large Scale Tourism Events Funding

Large Scale Tourism Events Funding