Jefferson County, Florida Tourism Development has a Special Event Grant Program where applicants could be awarded one of 4 grants, up to $500 per grant, with one grant issued per grant cycle:
- CYCLE 1 OCT. – DEC., 2024
- CYCLE 2 JAN. – MARCH, 2025
- CYCLE 3 APRIL – JUNE, 2025
- CYCLE 4 JULY – SEPT., 2025
The intent of the Special Event Grant Program is to provide funding assistance for events that attract visitors to Jefferson County impacting the commercial lodging industry, hotels/motels, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, vacation rentals, as well as restaurants, retail establishments and other businesses. To be considered for funding, the following criteria have been established.
- Each application must include a signed Certification and Compliance page.
- Events must take place in the current fiscal year for which they are applying for funding.
- The event must have the potential to bring or have a history of bringing out-of-town visitors.
- The event must use or promote only lodging establishments within Jefferson County.
The TDC allocates funds from its annual budget to a grant program for local groups and organizations that coordinate events with a demonstrated history of visitor impact or significant potential to draw visitors to the area. The Special Event Grant Fund is administered and scored by the TDC. The grants are awarded by the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).
A “Special Event” shall be defined as a new or existing organized concert, exhibition, festival or fair, which is conducted according to a prearranged schedule and in which general public interest is manifested. For the purpose of this grant program, the public interest should extend to Jefferson County residents and to those living outside Jefferson County who would consider visiting the destination and staying overnight to observe or participate.
Each application will be evaluated against established criteria. The number and extent of these grants will be dependent upon the availability of designated funds. Ideally, the funds allocated by the Jefferson County BOCC will eventually be returned through an increase in transient lodging sales and the tourist development tax generated from those sales.