Richmond Region Tourism Foundation to Offer Grants

The Richmond Region Tourism Foundation in Virginia will begin providing grants to further expand sports tourism in the area and help local sports organizations grow and enhance their tournaments and events.

The Sports Grant program aims to bring in visitors from outside the region, including teams, participants, spectators and families. Grant recipients can use the funds to boost their event marketing or enhance the visitor experience.

All local sports organizations are invited to apply for the grants. Applicable expenses include vendor sourcing, food truck scheduling, graphic design, visitor information, community connections, catering, event space and activities during the event. The program comes on the heels of a fiscal year 2024 that saw sports events booked through Richmond Region Tourism bringing $107 million to the region.

Applications will open on September 1 with a submission deadline of November 1. A review process will take place through December 6, during which a point system will be used to rate applications, including marketing strategy, hotel room nights, championship sanctioning, DEI initiatives and events that will operate for multiple years.

Successful applicants will be notified in December and the formal announcement of grant recipients will be made on February 8, 2025, at the RVA Sports Awards.