Central to the work of the Steuben County CVB is an effort to ensure that every visitor has an enjoyable experience. While Steuben County is a naturally welcoming community, Steuben County CVB’s primary reason for ensuring visitors enjoy their experience in Steuben County is because it benefits our residents. When people visit Steuben County, they spend money here, creating jobs for our families, generating incremental tax dollars, providing us economic opportunities, and supporting the amenities that enhance the quality of life for those of us lucky enough to call Steuben County our home. We use tourism in a sustainable and responsible manner to build a better life for the residents of Steuben County.

The Steuben County Destination Development Grant Program is a natural evolution of the Steuben County CVB’s work to provide a platform to foster future growth, sustainability, and development of Steuben County’s visitor economy.

Application Process (opens October 15th through November 15th)

2025 Funds Available - $100,000 (to be determined by Steuben County AIP Committee based off share rental occupancy tax collections) All applications will be reviewed and selected for funding through the following process.

1. All submitted applications will be reviewed and scored by a 5 member grants committee consisting of representatives from the Steuben County AIP Committee, SCCVB Board of Directors, and the SCCVB President.

2. The grants committee will then send the top scoring grants for review and vote by the SCCVB Board of Directors.

3. Applications that meet all requirements and are selected through the grants committee and voted on by the SCCVB Board of Directors will be sent to the Steuben County AIP Committee and County Legislature with recommendations for award of funds. The Steuben County AIP Committee will vote on the final grant awards.

Application Eligibility Requirements The priorities of the Steuben County Destination Development Grant Program are:

• Foster creative ideas that have meaningful impact on the people who live and work in Steuben County

• Have a direct impact on tourism promotion in Steuben County

• Impact across multiple municipal boundaries

• Encourage collaboration

• Leverage Additional resources

The more of these priorities addressed, the higher an application will score in the reviewing process.

Grant awards will vary, ranging from just a few thousand dollars to potentially up to $50,000 dependent on the funds available. We anticipate that the average grant awarded will be $25,000 but more modest requests are welcome and encouraged. Qualified applicants need to be a non-profit organization operating in Steuben County.

* All applicants are required to show a 50% cash or in-kind match for consideration of a grant award. Some exceptional circumstances will be considered at the discretion of the Steuben County AIP Committee.

The grants committee strongly encourages applicants to reach out for an informal assessment of their idea/concept prior to submission of a formal application.

Project categories include:

• Beautification

• Visitor services

• Wayfinding

• Outdoor recreation

• Accessibility

• Events

• Tourism experiences.

Accountability

If awarded, organizations are required to submit a closing report to the Steuben County Destination Development Grant Committee. The closing report must include proof of project completion including copies of paid invoices associated with the project. These reports will be compiled and then submitted to the AIP Committee for review and filing.

Funds are paid on a reimbursement basis. Organizations must first incur expenses with funds being disbursed upon completion of the grant project.



Grant Application link will be available October 15th through November 15th.