International Tourism Event Grant - Grant Guidance 2026-27 - Call 3 Opens 17 August 2026, Closes 11 September 2026 12 noon

Sep 22, 2026

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International Tourism Event Grant Grant Guidance 2026-27 sets out eligibility, assessment criteria, and application requirements for large-scale, out-of-state tourism and PR generating events for the Borough. Applicants must be community or voluntary organisations not seeking personal profit, demonstrate significance beyond Northern Ireland, attach mandatory documents including health and safety, risk assessment, marketing plan, and event plans, and provide evidence of PR secured and commercial bed nights from prior events. Funding covers specific eligible costs while excluding alcohol, equipment categories, and ineligible expenses.

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Grant Guidance 2026-27

Call dates and key instructions

Eligibility and objectives

Assessment criteria

Grant requirements and supporting documents

Eligible and ineligible costs

Community Grants Programme International Tourism Event Grant Grant Guidance 2026-27 Call 3-Opens: 17 August 2026 Closes: 11 September 2026, 12 noon Please read this grant guidance alongside the general Applicant Manual (Revenue Grants) | Grant Programme: International Tourism Event Fund | | | --- | --- | | Summary For large scale events with genuine appeal to the out-of-state visitor and which will generate significant out-of-state tourism revenue and PR for the Borough. | | | Award Up to £15,000 | | | Grant
Programme
Eligibility | Groups/projects must:
• Must be a community or Voluntary organisation (not for personal profit)
• Not already hold a successful Medium Grant (CD or GR), Large Event Fund Grant, or International Tourism Event Fund Grant in this year
• Generate significant out-of-state tourism revenue and PR | | Grant Programme Objectives | Your project should deliver all of the following objectives:
• Improving quality of life and wellbeing.
• Increasing community involvement and reducing isolation.
• Building skills and capacity
• Participation in heritage, culture, arts or sport.
• Bringing people from different community backgrounds together.
• Protecting the environment and promoting sustainability.
• Create significant economic impact.
• Generate significant positive PR value for the Borough and/or NI. | | How will applications be assessed? | | | Grant
Programme
Eligibility | Be community based/not for personal profit Y/N
Not already hold a successful Medium Grant (CD or GR), Large Event Fund Grant, or International Tourism Event Fund Grant in this year Y/N
Generate significant out-of-state tourism revenue and PR Y/N | | | | | Assessment Level of need demonstrated 0-5
Criteria Council funding % of total 0-5
Ability of group to deliver 0-5 Out of state attendance 0-5 Overall attendance 0-5 Demonstrate sense of place and uniqueness of event/Fit with Tourism Strategy 0-10 PR (inc Marketing Plan) See note ‘C’ below 0-15 Commercial bed nights, within Borough, generated (evidenced with supporting documentation eg. surveys) See note E below 0-9
Meet specific grant programme objectives 0-16 | | Grant Requirements: 1. Applicants must demonstrate in the application form that this event is of significance beyond Northern Ireland. 2. Events of significance to the local community only, or within the Borough but not beyond, should apply to ‘Community Events Fund’. Events of significance beyond the Borough but with little or no international significance should apply to ‘Large Event Fund’ 3. Domestic visitors are from within NI. International visitors are defined as outside of Northern Ireland. 4. Applicants must attach the following with the application through the ‘Supporting Documents’ section of the application form (see also d) and e) below): a. the organisation’s Health and Safety Policy b. A Risk Assessment. c. A Marketing Plan for the event d. A draft programme for the Event e. A detailed Event Plan (the previous year’s plan is acceptable) If you do not provide these at time of application submission your application will be deemed ineligible. For a sample template event plan, sample template marketing plan and sample template risk assessment please contact the grants team. 5. Evidence of PR secured from the previous year needs to be included as part of the supporting documentation and should include online, print, broadcast coverage secured in NI and internationally. 6. Evidence of actual beneficiaries of the event and commercial bed-nights generated within the Borough also needs to be provided. These should be from previous years’events. a. Applicants are asked to describe how their event relates to the Council’s Tourism Action Plan. There are five questions applicants are asked to answer, and it is highly recommended that applicants talk to a Council Officer in relation to completing these questions. b. App

FAQs

Who can apply for the International Tourism Event Grant 2026-27?

Community or voluntary organisations (not for personal profit) can apply, provided they do not already hold specified successful grants in the same year and can generate significant out-of-state tourism revenue and PR.

What documents must applicants submit with the application?

Applicants must submit a Health and Safety Policy, a Risk Assessment, a Marketing Plan, a draft programme, and a detailed Event Plan via the Supporting Documents section; missing these at submission makes the application ineligible.

How are applications assessed?

Assessment uses multiple criteria including level of need, council funding as a percentage of total, the group’s ability to deliver, out-of-state and overall attendance, evidence of place and event uniqueness, PR value (including the marketing plan), commercial bed nights evidence, and alignment with grant objectives.

Sep 22, 2026

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