Subject:
Title
Approval, re: FY 2021-2022 Sport Events Grant Program Funding, Guidelines, Application and Committee Score Sheet and approve two event date postponements from the FY20-21 grant cycle
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Fiscal Impact:
FY2021-2022: $250,000 with an estimated $50,000 in matching state funds for the grants to be awarded is budgeted in the Marketing fund #1441/293050.
Dept/Office:
Tourism Development Office
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested the Board of County Commissioners approve the Tourist Development Council FY 2021-2022 Sport Events Grant Program Guidelines, Application and Committee Score Sheet
It is also requested that the Board approve funding for the grant cycles for the FY 2021-2022 Sports & Events Grant Program applications which shall come before the Board for final funding approval as the grant application cycle commences, as well as make the necessary legislative findings (Section 125.0104(5)(a)3., Florida Statutes, and Section 102-119(3)a, (5)a, and (6)a. of the Brevard County Code of Ordinances).
Further, it is requested that the Director, Tourism Development Office (TDO) be authorized to negotiate and sign all necessary grant agreements and related documents to support the grants for applications that receive future approval as the grant cycle commences for FY21-22.
In addition, it is requested that the Director, TDO be authorized to negotiate and sign all necessary grant agreements and related documents for two events from the FY20-21 grant cycle which were previously approved, but postponed their event dates due to COVID-19. Those events are the Phoenix Cup Soccer Tournament and the Gateway2Space 5k footrace.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
The Sport Events Grant Program is for sports-related organizations to support and enhance athletic events seeking financial assistance for events held on Florida’s Space Coast. The grants are administered by the Sports Committee of the Tourist Development Council. The goal of the grant program is to assist the County in attracting and growing high quality sporting events in order to generate significant economic impact through participant spending. Reimbursement grants up to $20,000 are available to support events or bids that benefit Florida’s Space Coast. The Sports Committee at their March 3, 2021 meeting and the Tourist Development Council at their March 24, 2021, meeting recommended unanimously that the Board approve the recommended FY 2021-2022 Sports & Events Grant Program Guidelines, Application and Score Sheet. The attached PowerPoint highlights the major changes in the Guidelines from last year. A quick summary includes:
- Applicants must score a 70 or higher to be considered for a grant award. Previously there was no minimum requirement.
- All reporting requirements must be complied with and the grantee must be in good standing to apply for future grants. Funds are forfeited if reporting requirements are not fulfilled.
- If disqualified for failure to comply with reporting requirements, grantee must be reinstated by the Sports Committee to be in good standing.
- Grantee must provide necessary room night reports for audit purposes and TDO may use a formula to calculate room nights based on the number of participants.
- Non-Brevard participants won’t be counted, but they do not penalize the grantee.
- Insurance requirements were updated by Risk Management Dept.
- Grant awards may be reduced proportionally to total budget if all grant requests exceed the total budget for the program.
- Grants must meet 100% of projected room nights or grant award will be reduced proportionally to the percentage they are under the room night projection (previously they could still get 100%, even if they ended up at 80% of their projection).
- Devoting $50,000 to secure brand-new events.
In addition, the Board, during regular session on August 4, 2020, approved Sports Event Grants for $8,014 to the Phoenix Cup Soccer Tournament and $5,217.75 to the Gateway2Space 5k/10k race. Those events were impacted due to COVID-19 and event organizers were forced to postpone event dates. The Sports Committee at their March 3, 2021 meeting and the Tourist Development Council at their March 24, 2021, approved the new event dates of May 15-16, 2021 and September 18, 2021 respectively. in order to accommodate those two events, for which approval from the Board is necessary in order to make the grant contract revisions due to the date changes.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
Please return a memo of the Board’s action to Tourism Development Office and CAO.