Attraction Development Grant FY26
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Overview
The Attraction Development Grant Program supports the creation of new or enhancing sustainable, market-driven travel experiences in Kansas. Its goal is to attract new visitors, influence travel decisions, and generate economic benefits through new jobs, capital investment, increased revenue, and higher visitation. Funding for the Attraction Development Grant Program is provided by Kansas Tourism and is outlined in state statutes K.S.A 32-1420, K.S.A 32-1421, and K.S.A 32-1422.
Purpose
The intent of the Attraction Development Grant Program is to provide strategic economic assistance to public, private entities and not-for profit groups that are developing new or enhancing existing tourism attractions in the state of Kansas. The type of projects we are looking to fund are those that will bring new out-for visitors to Kansas.
Goals
· Spur economic growth
· Develop destination-based assets
· Increase visitation to Kansas
· Enhance visitor experience
· Improve the quality of life in communities across the state
Eligible Applicants and Definitions
· Nonprofit Organizations - are defined as Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status or 501(c)(6) status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
· For-profit Organizations - are defined as a business that operates with the primary goal of generating profit for its owners or shareholders
· Government Organizations - are defined as State governments, County governments, City or township governments, or Special district governments
· Tribal Organizations - such as Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), Native American tribal governments (other than federally recognized)
· Public or private non-profit organization or association acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a State
Eligible Applicants’ Requirements
· The applicant organization must be in good standing in other Kansas Tourism programs such as Kansas Travel Guide listings, Co-op Marketing, and Grant Programs.
· If an existing attraction, applicants must have a listing on TravelKS.com
· All organizations who are not the primary Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) in their community shall include a letter of support from the local DMO
· Grants cannot be used in conjunction with any other open grants administered by Kansas Tourism for the same project.
Ineligible Applicants
Applicants that are not in good standing with Kansas Secretary of State.
Timeline
Grant Announcement: October 30
Application Period: October 30 – January 9
Submission Deadline: January 9 at 11:59 PM
Award Notification: February
Application Procedures
· The online application link can be found here: https://www.travelks.com/travel-industry/programs-and-resources/grants/attraction-development-grants/
· Questions and submission of additional documentation should be directed to Babette Dixon at Babette.Dixon1@ks.gov
· Applications that are incomplete or missing documentation will not be reviewed for rating or considered for funding.
Estimated Time to Complete Application:
· Less than 1 hour
Funding Availability
- Total Funding Available: $1,000,000
- Minimum Award Amount: NA
- Maximum Award Amount: NA
- Expected Number of Awards: 10-15
- Period of Performance: Maximum of 18 Months
Kansas Tourism expects to announce selected grantees in February. If selected, you may only incur eligible expenditures when the grant contract agreement is fully executed, and the period of performance date has started.
Eligible Projects & Costs
For the purpose of K.S.A. 2019 Supp. 32-1420 through 32-1422, and amendments thereto, “tourist attraction” means a site that is of significant interest to tourists as a historic, cultural, scientific, educational, recreational or architecturally unique site, or as a site of natural scenic beauty or an area naturally suited for outdoor recreation. These may include the following.
· New attraction construction
· Enhancement to an existing attraction
· New or enhanced attraction exhibits to improve a visitor experience
Ineligible Projects & Costs
The following are projects and costs that are non-fundable through the grant program:
· Casino or any establishment operating class 3 gaming
· Racetrack facilities
· Travel or trade shows
· Refinancing of debt
· General upkeep or improvements (improvements should be supported through the organization’s operating budget)
· Normal operating expenses (staff salaries, rent, phone, supplies, postage, photocopying or other expenses associated with the ongoing normal administrative functions)
· General marketing or promotion activities
· Community centers whose primary use is by local residents
· Projects not having sustainable, accountable ties to the tourism marketplace
· Grant administration fees
· Association memberships
· Fundraising
· Taxes, except sales tax on goods and services and payroll taxes
· Lobbyists, political contributions
· Bad debts, late payment fees, finance charges, or contingency funds
· Parking or traffic violations
· Out-of-state transportation and travel expenses. Kansas will be considered the home state for determining whether travel is out of state.
Match Requirement
· Attraction Development Grant funds can only provide up to 40% of the project costs.
· Applicant must provide a minimum of 60% of the project’s cost from leveraged assets.
· Leveraged assets may include bank loans, bonds, sponsorships, federal grants, cash, and in-kind contributions defined as donated goods or labor.
· In-kind contributions may not exceed 50% of the applicant’s leveraged assets.
· Bookkeeping and organizational salaries do not qualify as in-kind.
· Documentation of in-kind contributions must show basis for which donated goods or labor are valued.
Funding Priorities
· Applicants showing the project will increase out-of-state visitation will be given priority
Application and Submission Instructions The list of application questions, including supporting materials can be found at: https://www.travelks.com/travel-industry/programs-and-resources/grants/attraction-development-grants/
Required Attachments
Attachments and support materials must be uploaded into the application. Attachments and support materials will not be accepted by any other method. Required attachments are required for eligibility. The required attachments are:
1. A screenshot of Kansas Secretary of State Good Standing Status. Businesses and non-profit organizations are required to upload a screenshot of current status from the Business Search webpage and take a screenshot of your organization’s “general information page” This page will have both the current organization’s status and expiration date. https://www.sos.ks.gov/eforms/BusinessEntity/Search.aspx Applicants do not need to purchase a certificate of good standing. A screenshot of the general information page with the current status will suffice. Applicants that are government or tribal entities are exempt from submitting a screenshot of their good standing status and should leave blank.
2. A Tax Clearance Certificate from Kansas Department of Revenue. Certificate can be requested online through an application at https://www.kdor.ks.gov/apps/taxclearance/
3. A signed copy of the State Policy Regarding Sexual Harassment Acknowledgment Form. Blank form found here: https://www.travelks.com/travel-industry/programs-and-resources/grants/attraction-development-grants/
4. A signed copy of the Certification of Company Not Currently Engaged in the Procurement or Obtainment of Certain Equipment, Services, or Systems Form. Blank form found here: https://www.travelks.com/travel-industry/programs-and-resources/grants/attraction-development-grants/
5. If requesting more than $100,000 in grant funds, a signed copy of the Israeli Anti-Boycott Form is required. Blank form found here: https://www.travelks.com/travel-industry/programs-and-resources/grants/attraction-development-grants/
6. A signed W-9 for the organization. The W-9 must be signed and dated within the last 12 months. Blank form found here: https://www.travelks.com/travel-industry/programs-and-resources/grants/attraction-development-grants/
Budget Narrative A budget form is required to be submitted with your application. Use the provided budget template. Budget found here: https://www.travelks.com/travel-industry/programs-and-resources/grants/attraction-development-grants/
Submission Instructions
The day the application opens, a link will be provided at: https://www.travelks.com/travel-industry/programs-and-resources/grants/attraction-development-grants/
The application is submitted using Submittable. The applicant will need to create a Submittable account to submit the application.
Late Applications
To maintain a fair application process, the Kansas Tourism will not accept late grant applications.
Application Review Information
Kansas Tourism strives to review grants through an objective and unbiased process. Grants will be reviewed based on rubric criteria by a panel.
Scoring
The maximum number of points an application can earn is 100. Reviewers will individually score each application or each section that is assigned to them.
Selection Criteria
A committee will be selected to review all applications and make recommendations for grants.
The evaluation used to assess the Project’s economic impact on tourism development will depend primarily on adequate documentation of the following criteria:
1. Visitation – with priority place on increasing visitation from out-of-state and the increase in overnight stays
2. Economic Impact – Visitor Spending, Sales Tax Generation, Quality of Life, Job Creation or Retention
3. The unique quality of the project
4. Integration and collaboration with other regional tourism resources and/or other existing retail, entertainment, or destination experiences
5. Enhancement of the visitor experience in Kansas
6. Project Accountability - Third-party verification, wherever possible is recommended. A feasibility study is encouraged
a. Short and long-term marketing plan
b. The ability to be sustainable past project completion
c. The ability to maintain status as a significant travel decision driver
d. All of the above should be accountable and verifiable according to best industry or comparative practices
e. Methodologies should be transparent and detailed
7. Budget
a. Budget should be adequate for the completion of the Project
b. Documentation supporting project budget should be detailed and complete
c. Adequate verification of leverage funding
8. Availability to the traveler – with documentation indicating the regular scheduled days, hours and staffing that the attraction will be open to the public
9. Management Team - Documentation of a qualified management team for the grant process and for management of the attraction once completed. This should be included in the project description
10. Project Planning and Support
a. Timeline and Documentation of the project to ensure grant activities will be completed within the ADGP grant guidelines
b. Letters of DMO and Community support
Applicants may be asked to meet with the Tourism Division Director and Grant Program Manager in person or by phone to further discuss the project for which the funds would be used before a decision is made by the Review Committee.
Kansas Tourism may determine which grant applicants will receive state grant funds based on a number of factors, including:
• Grant reviewer scores
• Geographic distribution of grant applicants
• History of the grant applicant as a state grantee
• Applicant’s capacity to perform the work
All awards must be approved by the Secretary of Commerce.
Award Notification
Kansas Tourism strives to notify applicants of awards in a timely manner.
· Awardees will be notified by phone.
· Non-awardees will be notified by email.
Grant Performance Expectations
In addition to Applicant Eligibility, all grantees are expected to:
- Complete all proposal activities within the grant period
- Include only allowable expenses in the proposal budget
- Comply with all grant administration requirements:
· Provide the required information for grant award agreement
· Sign and return the grant award agreement to Commerce within 30 calendar days of receipt.
· Request approval for any changes to the grant award agreement.
· Complete a closeout report no later than 18 months after beginning date on agreement.
· Maintain complete and accurate grant records, including all documentation, for a minimum of three years after the end of the grant period.
· Comply with the requirements of the State of Kansas Policy Against Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation established by Executive Order 18-04.
· Use the appropriate credit line or approved logo to acknowledge grant funding in all publications. See grant contract for credit requirements.
Accountability and Reporting
The Grantee will submit semi-annual reports to Kansas Tourism every six months until the project is completed. The first semi-annual report is to be submitted no later than six months following the start date. Semi-annual reports must be submitted even if work on the project has not taken place during the reporting period. Failure to submit reports on a timely basis will result in a reduction in evaluation scoring for future requests for funding. The closeout form is due with the final payment reimbursement request.
Grant Payments
Kansas Tourism reserves the right to require non-complying grant recipients to pay back previously awarded money within one year of contract end date. For projects receiving funding to purchase and/or renovate buildings and/or real estate, if the property is sold within five (5) years of receiving the grant, the owner(s) will be required to refund a prorated amount of the grant to Kansas Tourism. The amount will be prorated based on date of sale.
Release of information
Information submitted to the Kansas Department of Commerce relating to the application may be subject to the Open Records Law (K.S.A. 45-215 et seq.). Confidentiality will not be guaranteed.
Contact Information
For more information about this grant, please contact:
Babette Dixon
Grants Manager
915 SW Harrison St., Suite 250
Topeka, KS 66612
Email: Babette.Dixon1@ks.gov
Phone: 785-496-0230