The MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau (MBVB) is encouraging organizations in Southborough (and 18 other towns) to apply for marketing grants.
These “mini-grants” could cover from $1,000 to $10,000 of promotional costs. One big catch, is the word “Visitors”. Marketing must support tourism by targeting “at least partially” visitors who travel from “more than 50 miles” away or stay overnight. Another catch is that the organizations must also spend their own money.
The grants are capped at covering up to 25% of a non-profit’s campaign or up to 10% of a for-profit’s campaign in fiscal year 2025. They can be used to promote visiting a business/location within the region or attracting them to attend an event.
A press release from MBVB promotes:
The MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau (MBVB) announced that their annual mini grant program is now accepting applications. Designed for marketing and advertising projects that will promote tourism in MetroWest, grants from $1,000 to $10,000 each are available. The MBVB will consider applications for projects devoted to marketing a MetroWest event, attraction, restaurant, shop, or cultural or recreational offering. The applicant does not need to be a 501(c)3 charitable organization, but must be based in one of the 19 towns that comprise MetroWest or be devoted to attracting potential visitors to those 19 towns.
Eligible projects include brochures and other printed collateral; print, TV, radio, outdoor or online advertising; and websites. Advertising in the Bureau’s co-op advertising program is also eligible. The marketing project must be targeted, at least partially, at potential visitors who live more than 50 miles from the event or business location. Non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for 25% of their campaign, up to $10,000. For-profit businesses are eligible to apply for 10% of their campaign, also up to $10,000. Grant applications can be submitted at www.bit.ly/FY25minigrant and will be reviewed on a rolling basis from now until December 1. Awarded grant funds must be spent prior to June 30, 2025. For questions, or to discuss your project idea prior to submitting an application, please contact MBVB Executive Director Stacey David at sdavid@metrowestvisitors.org.
For more details, click here. For more MBVB’s tourism website, click here.
(image cropped from MBVB grant application website)
