TIIP Grants and CTAP Applications available

The Montana Commerce Department Travel Montana program’s tourism project
grants and community assessment program are ready for applicants. Please
help us spread the word to tourism project sponsors and communities that
could benefit from an assessment of their tourism potential.

Below is a brief description of the two programs and links to their
application materials on Travel Montana’s Intranet Site.The application
deadline for both programs is August 1, 2003 by 5 p.m.:

2003 Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program (TIIP) Grants:
http://travelmontana.state.mt.us/OURPROGRAMS/TourismDevEd.htm

The Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program (TIIP) invests a portion of
Travel Montana’s tourism bed tax funding into new tourism-related
infrastructure products, enhancements of existing tourism facilities, and
the preservation of Montana’s historical and cultural treasures. Since its
creation in 1995, TIIP has invested more than $1.66 million in tourism bed
tax funds into 35 projects in 27 communities across Montana. This investment
has helped create over $21 million in new, improved or preserved
tourism-related facilities in Montana. The primary goal of the TIIP Grants
is to create or improve attractions and services that will entice visitors
to spend more time and money in Montana’s communities. The program also aims
to assist communities and organizations improve the quality of life for
Montanans.

Non-profit sponsors or communities are eligible to apply for TIIP funds. The
funds are awarded on an annual basis through a competitive application
process. Sponsors are required to invest a minimum of $1 for every $2 in
TIIP Grant funds received for their project. The minimum TIIP Grant is
$20,000. In recent years, Travel Montana has awarded $150,000-$200,000 per
year in TIIP Grant funds.

2003-2004 Community Tourism Assessment Program (CTAP):
http://travelmontana.state.mt.us/OURPROGRAMS/TourismDevEd.htm

Montana’s Community Tourism Assessment Program (CTAP) is an 8-month "self
help" process offered to three communities each year by Travel Montana with
facilitation assistance provided by MSU Extension and UM’s Institute for
Tourism and Recreation Research. Local community action committees use the
process and facilitation services to analyze local resident attitudes about
and interest in tourism, their community’s tourism potential, gaps in
visitor services, and the identification of affordable projects or actions
that could strengthen the role of tourism in the local economy.

Following completion of the CTAP process, the communities are eligible to
apply for CTAP Grant Funds to help in the development of a tourism-related
infrastructure project deemed a priority by the community. Since the
beginning of the program in 1991, $376,000 has been invested tourism-related
projects in 26 communities. The amount of funds available for the CTAP
Grants is dependent on funding available from Travel Montana’s tourism "bed
tax" revenues.