C T O M A R K E T I N G M AT C H I N G

GRANT PROGRAM FY2020

Program OverviewThe mission of the Colorado Tourism Office is to: “Drive traveler spending through promotion and development of compelling, sustainable travel experiences throughout our four-corner state.”The Colorado Tourism Office’s Marketing Matching Grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations, municipalities or counties in the State of Colorado for the purpose of promoting the state or a region as a tourism destination and is intended to increase overnight stays and visitation from beyond 50 miles. The overall goal of the program is to increase traveler spending and economic benefit for Colorado through effective marketing

PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO PROPOSALS THAT: Support further development of a

Colorado travel region’s brand story orpositioning statement (as described inthe “Colorado Tourism Office: RegionalBranding Initiative” report adopted bythe Colorado Tourism Board on Sept. 26,2018).

Help deliver an integrated destinationexperience

Inspire destination stories founded upona common theme

Support creative consistency acrosscommunications and experiences

The maximum grant is $25,000. For every $1 the qualifying grantee allocates to the program, the Colorado Tourism Office will provide $1 in matching funds. Up to 20% of the match may be in-kind, which may include services such as staff time or donated services relevant to the grant project.

Eligibility RequirementsGRANTEE ELIGIBILITY Applicants must be either:

A nonprofit organization locatedand doing business in the State ofColorado operating tourism-relatedactivities of benefit to the entirestate or region, or

A Colorado city or countygovernment engaged in tourismpromotion or development.

Each submitting lead applicant islimited to one Marketing MatchingGrant project per fiscal year. Note:Lead applicants can be a partner ina separate grant application.

GRANT ENTITY INELIGIBILITYIneligible applicants include those listed below:

Entities that failed to fulfill ColoradoTourism Office grant awardrequirements within the past fiscalyear (includes: project completion,submission of required grant reporting,proper use of grant funds, lack ofacknowledgment, changes to proposalwithout approval)

For-profit organizations

Individual attractions and/or businesses

Organizations receiving a CTO eventsponsorship in the same fiscal year.

PROJECT ELIGIBILITYEligible projects must seek to advance a new marketing initiative. Grants will not be awarded to fund existing marketing efforts unless the funds are to be used to implement a new set of initiatives or outcomes or the program is being expanded into new markets or media.The list of eligible and ineligible uses of funds applies to both CTO grant funds and applicant’s matching funds.

ELIGIBLE USE OF FUNDS: Media placement

(Print, Digital, Out of Home, Television,Social and Radio)

Creative advertising production(Print, Digital, Out of Home, Video,Social and Radio)

Content development(written, video or audio)

Print collateral(Brochures, Guides, Maps)

Fulfillment costs

Website development/websitesearch engine optimization andmarketing

Earned media/public relations,familiarization tours, media eventsand influencer trips

Promotional items

Product development

International marketing opportunities

Tradeshow registration fees andbooth rentals (only 10% of CTO grantdollars are eligible for travel/lodging/per diem fees associated with atradeshow)

CTO MARKETING MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM FY2020

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INELIGIBLE USE OF FUNDS: Employee salaries, personnel costs,

and grant management costs

Agency commissions and fees

Office Supplies, items for resale

Gift cards

Lobbying

Educational conferences,advocacy program andmembership dues

Travel expenses, with the exceptionof expenses for familiarization toursor trade show attendance, asspecified above

Purchases or rentals of equipmentor supplies

Food or Alcoholic beverages

Gateway, way-finding, orinformational signage

ApplicationONLINE APPLICATION SUBMISSIONOnly online applications will be accepted. The application portal is available online at https://oedit.secure.force.com/oedit. The application can be found under the Tourism Programs tab. New users will need to register for an account, and all users are required to log in to the portal, update Accounts Profile and complete the online application. All narrative questions will be inputted into the online portal, and support materials will be uploaded into the online system. It is recommended that users prepare answers in a word processing document, check character count, and then cut and paste into the online application.

NOTE: It takes at least 48 hours for a new user account to be created in the OEDIT application portal. Do not wait until the deadline week to create an account.

You will be required to download two Excel documents (timeline and budget) and then submit the forms online as part of your supporting materials. Visit https://industry.colorado.com/grant-recipient-resources for forms and https://oedit. secure.force.com/oedit/ for the online application portal. Support materials submitted other than through the online application will not be accepted.

GRANT APPLICATION CATEGORIESAn organization must identify the grant category applicable to its proposal, whether: Statewide, Colorado Travel Region, Other Regional Partnership, or County/Local Destination Marketing Organization (DMO). The definition of each category is listed below.

STATEWIDEStatewide organizations, destination travel groups and tourism associations in Colorado currently involved in statewide tourism promotion and development.

COLORADO TRAVEL REGIONThis category is defined as a group of Colorado entities representing the entirety of a branded Colorado travel region, as described in the “Colorado Tourism Office: Regional Branding Initiative” report adopted by the Colorado Tourism Board on Sept. 26, 2018, and are currently engaged in Colorado tourism promotion or development.

OTHER REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP APPLICANTSThis category is defined as a group of Colorado communities or organizations, large or small, representing a portion of a branded Colorado travel region (or regions) and are currently engaged in Colorado tourism promotion or development.

COUNTY/LOCAL APPLICANTSThis category is defined as an individual county, local municipality, DMO or association currently engaged in Colorado tourism promotion or development.

PROJECT BUDGETThe grant project budget must be submitted using the Excel template provided. Grant recipients are required to keep the project budget updated throughout the lifetime of the grant. A final budget, including documents for expenses incurred, will be a required upload in the Final Report.

MATCHING FUNDSApplicants must demonstrate a 1:1 cash match. Letter(s) of commitment showing evidence of cash match are required. Matching dollars may not come from the State’s General Fund. Colorado Tourism Office funds may not be used as matching funds for any other grant application submitted by the recipient.

Applicants must submit corresponding financial and project documents which include a Budget & Financials Worksheet and Timeline Worksheet. (In order to be considered for the grant, all worksheets must be submitted.)

APPLICATION QUESTIONSThe questions below are only a reference and do not include all of the information that will be required from you in the application.

Project Title

Short description of project to be usedfor CTO PR

Describe the project for which funding isrequested (details should include goalsand objectives of your project).

How does this project enhanceor expand your current marketingprogram?

How does this project align with brandstory and positioning statement for theapplicant’s Colorado travel region?

What is your promotion or marketingplan for the project?

Who is the target audience?

Does your marketing plan proposalinclude new deliverables or initiatives?

If yes, describe which componentsare new.

If no, explain why you arerequesting funds for a currentprogram.

Detail the metrics you will use tomeasure/define success for yourproject?

Describe how the project will increasetraveler spending and economicbenefit to the state and/or yourdestination and travel region?

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REQUIRED APPLICATION SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS Certificate of Good Standing from the

Colorado Secretary of State. Find at: https://www.sos.state.co.us/biz/BusinessEntityCriteria.do

Budget & Financial Worksheets(downloaded Excel form) must accompany the application. A thorough breakdown of the budget is required and must state exactly where the CTO dollars will be applied in the project).

Proposed Timeline(downloaded Excel form)

Letter(s) of Commitment required showing 1:1 cash match

Project Support Letters.All grant applications must include letters of support.

Applicants must submit corresponding financial and project documents which include a Budget & Financials Worksheets and Timeline Worksheet. (In order to be considered for the grant, all worksheets must be submitted.)

Selection CriteriaApplications will be reviewed by a committee named by the CTO. Grants will be awarded based on overall scoring and availability of grant funding. Preference will be given to projects that support further development of a Colorado travel region’s brand story or positioning statement, as described in the “Colorado Tourism Office: Regional Branding Initiative” report adopted by the Colorado Tourism Board on Sept. 26, 2018.To learn more about the Regional Branding initiative, visit: https://industry.colorado.com/regional-branding

This is a competitive program and not all eligible applications will be funded. Applications will be scored on the following criteria:

Marketing Effectiveness: Objectives andDeliverables 35%

Creativity & Innovation 10%

Performance Measures 10%

Implementation Capacity: Planning &Management 10%

Expected Impact/ROI 35%

Applications should be clearly written and present a strong case for support. Reviewers will be instructed to share higher scores for applications that include the following elements:

Projects that further promote or developthe brand story of the applicant’s travelregion and/or contribute to a keystatewide marketing initiative.

Marketing plan that states clearobjectives and attainable deliverablestargeted toward attracting travel andtourism to Colorado or the proposedregion.

Applying entity with a track record ofeffective work, evident through strongsupport letters

Well-planned project timeline andbudget.

Project effectiveness plan with clear,appropriate and achievable outcomes.

Demonstration that project will achievegood return on investment by 1)promoting increased traveler spendingand 2) increasing economic benefit.

Project RequirementsACKNOWLEDGEMENT All advertising and promotional

materials (which includes all printed materials, films or videos, television commercials, broadcast programs, websites and trade show materials) that are funded in part by the matching grant program must include the official Colorado Tourism Office logo.

For digital advertising, please note the CTO logo is not required on banner ads, but should appear in the landing environment. Downloadable logo files are provided on the CTO’s Industry Partner microsite at : https://industry.colorado.com/grant-recipient-resources

Advertising and materials developed to promote a Colorado travel region are subject to review and input from the CTO for consistency with CTO’s regional branding work prior to publication or placement.

When appropriate, advertising andpromotional materials developedthrough CTO grant funding shouldinclude reference to the applicant’stravel region. Websites are required toincorporate reference to the applicabletravel region in SEO.

CHANGES TO PROPOSAL Any significant refinements,

clarifications, modifications orchanges to the proposal mustreceive prior approval from the CTO;otherwise, the organization may forfeitgrant funds provided by the CTO.Proposal Change Forms will not beaccepted 60 days or less from the endof the grant reporting period.

Organizations should complete andsubmit the Proposal Change Form ifthere are changes to the proposal.

INTERIM REPORTAn interim report and updated project budget must be submitted by March 25, 2020, at 4pm through the online grant portal at https://oedit.secure.force.com/oedit/.

FINAL REPORTA final written report and final budget is required and must be submitted within 30 days after the end of the grant cycle through the online grant portal at https://oedit.secure.force.com/oedit/.

PROJECT DATESProject activities may not begin until the contract has been executed and signed by the Office of Economic Development and International Trade – Colorado Tourism Office. All project activities using CTO funds must be completed and all funds expended and invoices submitted by the contract end date.

Contract Start Date: TBD

Contract End Date: 9/1/2020

Final Report Due: 10/1/2020

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TimelineJULY 1, 2019 AT 1:00PM:Online Grant Application Opens

AUGUST 16, 2019 AT 4:00 PM:Online Grant Application Due

OCTOBER 4, 2019:Large Grant Application Status Notification

MARCH 25, 2020 AT 4PM:Interim Report Due

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020:Project Complete

OCTOBER 1, 2020 AT 4PM:Grant Project Final Report Due

Grant Funds DisbursementAny grant funds not used as approved shall be returned to the Colorado Tourism Office pursuant to the grant contract. Projects must be completed within the approved grant timeline. Following approval and execution of contract, grant funds will be distributed. As in previous years, our goal is to provide grant funds upfront but this is subject to approval by the State Controller’s Office yearly, and CTO reserves the right to disburse funds on a reimbursement basis.

Project activities may not begin until the contract has been executed and signed by the Office of Economic Development and International Trade – Colorado Tourism Office. All project activities using CTO funds must be completed and all funds expended and invoices submitted by the contract date.

For additional questions, visit https://industry.colorado.com/grant-recipient-resources or contact: Elizabeth O’Rear at 303.892.3893 or elizabeth.orear@state.co.us

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