Competitive Grants Program

Ten percent of Travel Oregon’s budget is dedicated to a competitive grants program to support eligible applicants for projects that contribute to the development and improvement of local economies and communities throughout Oregon by means of the enhancement, expansion and promotion of the visitor industry.

Projects should support Travel Oregon’s vision of  ‘an Oregon that is a welcoming destination where tourism drives economic prosperity, benefits the natural environment and celebrates rich, diverse cultures.’

2024-2025 Competitive Grants Program

This program requires a letter of intent to be submitted and approved prior to accessing the online application. Letters of Intent will be accepted from Dec. 2, 2024-Jan. 15, 2025. Applications will be due Feb. 27, 2025. Grant recipients will be announced on June 17, 2025.

The 2024-2025 Competitive Grants Program is designed to address the following parts of Travel Oregon’s 2023-2025 Biennial Plan:

1. Reduce high visitation pressures and increase community livability by investing in the development of niche tourism product that is based on growing visitor demand and Oregon’s competitive advantage (e.g., outdoor recreation, culinary, agritourism, arts and culture).
2. Expand opportunities for residents and tourism stakeholders to actively engage and collaborate in destination management processes.
3. Align and support communications across the tourism industry to improve visitor behaviors and experiences with timely information, responsible recreation practices and respect for all communities.
4. Support the development of new and existing tourism-related facilities and products (e.g., visitor experiences, attractions, and public spaces) to better serve historically and currently underserved and under-resourced communities.
5. Increase demand by leveraging Oregon’s brand through engagement of broader audiences inclusive of Oregon’s diverse cultures, people and places.

GRANT PROGRAM PURPOSE

Grant funds are intended to support projects that align with Travel Oregon’s vision: Oregon is a welcoming destination where tourism drives economic prosperity, benefits the natural environment and celebrates rich, diverse cultures. In alignment with the objectives and strategies above, the 2024-2025 Competitive Grants Program will focus funding on projects that increase access and inclusion for historically and currently underserved or under-resourced communities as defined in the State of Oregon’s DEI Action Plan.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Eligible applicants include those listed below that are doing business in Oregon and can demonstrate direct work in support of improving the economic impacts of Oregon’s travel and tourism industry:

• Local governments
• Port districts
• Federally recognized tribes
• Non-profit entities registered with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office

If you are uncertain if you meet the eligible applicant criteria, reach out to Travel Oregon at grants@traveloregon.com.

PROJECT PREFERENCES
Projects should support Travel Oregon’s vision of  ”an Oregon that is a welcoming destination where tourism drives economic prosperity, benefits the natural environment and celebrates rich, diverse cultures.” Applicants must propose a project that focuses on either tourism infrastructure or tourism promotion that increases access and inclusion. Only one application may be submitted per entity, and only one proposal may be submitted per project (multiple entities may not request funding for the same project).

Though not a comprehensive list of preferred project types, the guidelines contain a list of ideas that are strongly aligned with this grant program.

TO GET STARTED

• Review the complete 2024-2025 Competitive Grant Guidelines.
• Access the letter of intent form between December 2, 2024 and January 15, 2025 here: https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=otc
• Applicants who have previously applied for a Travel Oregon Competitive Grant or an Oregon Wine Country License Plates Matching Grant may use their existing password to log in. Once logged into your applicant dashboard, you can access the letter of intent by selecting “Apply” in the top navigation. All other applicants will need to select “Create New Account” to begin.
• Upon approval of the Letter of Intent, Travel Oregon will email applicants with an invitation to complete the online application.

TIMELINE

• Dec. 2, 2024 (8 a.m. PT) | Letter of intent form available online
• Jan. 15, 2025 (5 p.m. PT) | Deadline to submit letter of intent form
• Feb. 27, 2025 (5 p.m. PT) | Deadline to submit application
• June 17, 2025 (5 p.m. PT) | Funding decisions announced
• Feb. 17, 2026 | Mid-Project Report due (includes updated project status and budget-to-date)
• Nov. 3, 2026 | Project completion deadline (grant funds spent)
• Nov. 17, 2026 | Accomplishment Report due (includes final budget and proof of spending)