Room Tax
Grant
SCPTA ROOM TAX GRANT INFORMATION AND APPLICATION
grant year 2026/spending year 2027
DEADLINES: All mail-in applications must be postmarked by October 17, 2025; hand-delivered applications must be submitted at the Susquehanna PROMOTION & tOURISM aGENCY OFFICE, 88 cHENANGO ST, MONTROSE, by 4 p.m. on October 17, 2025; all email or online applications and attachments must be completed/received at by 11:59 p.m., October 17, 2025. Applications MUST BE complete by the deadline to be considered for funding.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
The Susquehanna County Promotion & Tourism Agency offers 30% of Susquehanna County’s room tax money to go towards grants to help organizations promote and develop tourism in Susquehanna County. The Agency will review these applications as part of a pre-application process to ensure applicants meet the requirements. ALL completed, qualifying applications will then be forwarded to the Agency’s Grant Board and the Susquehanna County Commissioners for review. The Susquehanna County Commissioners determine the grant recipients and allocation amounts.
GENERAL CONDITIONS:
- An organization must:
- Be a bona fide, officially recognized not-for-profit organization 501(C)(3) or 501(C)(6) or a branch of local or county government.
- Have a least one year of audited financial reports.
- Have a proven positive record of advertising to bring patrons and audience members from outside of the county.
- All grants REQUIRE a 25% cash or in-kind match.
- Grant funds will not be provided for sectarian religious expenses.
- Grant funds will not be awarded for food or refreshments, travel, entertainment or operational expenses (payroll, insurance, utilities, etc.)
- Grant funds may be used to match federal and state funds, but are not considered private donations. They can only be used to match grants that are being used for projects that will directly impact tourism within the region.
- All publicity and promotional campaigns undertaken with grant funds MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
“Funded in part by the Susquehanna County Room Tax Fund through the Susquehanna County Promotion and Tourism Agency”
- Recipient MUST PROVIDE A DIRECT LINK from its respective website to the Susquehanna County Promotion and Tourism Agency website, https://visitsusqco.com/
- Recipient will have one year from the from the time of fund disbursement to spend grant funds/complete projects.
- Recipient must provide adequate proof that funds received were used for their intended purpose through:
- Submission of tear sheets
- Media billings or any other similar documentation
- Properly executed vouchers, invoices, cancelled checks and/or records detailing the nature and propriety of the charges
- Receipts
- Applicants must complete all sections of the application and submit all supporting documents to be considered for funding.
GRANT CATEGORIES:
- Special Event or Exhibit or Expansion/Improvement of Current Business/Attraction – must:
- Be open to the public.
- Be located in Susquehanna County.
- Promote tourism in the county.
- Be advertised outside of the County.
- Marketing & Promotional Projects – must:
- Directly correlate with increasing tourism within Susquehanna County.
- Target promotion outside of the County.
- Historical Preservation Project – must:
- Be used to improve, restore, or preserve existing historical sites/buildings that are relevant to the area’s culture, history, and sense of identity.
- Be an existing tourist draw or have the potential to add to the tourism attractions within the area.
- Not be a capital improvement project – i.e., sidewalks, sewers, etc.
- Not be a private residence or business.
- Wayfinding Aids:
- Consideration will be given to groups proposing to develop maps, signage or other tools which would be of assistance to visitors in the area and enhance enjoyment of a site.