The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (the “Department” or “DCEO”) is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) to provide grant funding for establishment of an incentive
grant program used by eligible entities to attract new out-of-state events to Illinois when competing with other states’ destinations.
Donor Name: Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
State: Illinois
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/01/2024
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 5 Years
Details:
The program can be developed at the local level and may include, but not limited to:

Event space/venue rental: Room rental, event staging – build, setup, trussing, lighting, pipe and draping, power and sound, security, traffic control. If the applicant is a venue that owns the facility and controls any assets outlined in this example those costs are not allowable.
Event rentals: Tables, seating, décor, tents, dinnerware, flatware, glassware, linens
Food/Beverage: Meals, beverages (excluding alcoholic beverages), service labor fees
Audio/Visual Support: Microphones, screens/projectors, other specialized equipment, internet access, service labor fees
Entertainment (as part of an otherwise planned event): Speakers, DJs, performing acts
Registration & Event Management: Event management technology software that handles online event registration; virtual, hybrid and onsite solutions and attendee engagement

Transportation: Shuttle service provided to move overnight guests to and from the event/venue space on a master account (individual guest receipts are not eligible). Shuttle service to pick up overnight guests at the airport and drop them off at the hotel and vice versa upon the conclusion of the meeting/event; this is for guests on a master account as individual guest receipts are not eligible.

Bid fees associated with attracting a new event to Illinois
Room night credits that are actualized, contracted, revenue-generating group room nights directly sourced by the bureau and must exceed 300 for outside the City of Chicago and 5000 for the City of Chicago

Performance Goals and Measures
Program goals or performance measures must include, but not limited to:

Estimated hotel room nights booked as a result of the events.
Economic impact of the events.
Attract or retain events to Illinois that would not have otherwise occurred in Illinois.

Funding Information

Total amount of funding expected to be awarded through this NOFO is $15,000,000.
Awards will range from $50,000 to $5,000,000.

Project Period
The period of performance is expected to be January 25th, 2024 through January 31st, 2029.
Eligibility Criteria
An entity must be registered in the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal, at the time of grant application. The portal will verify that the entity:

Has a valid FEIN number
Has a current SAM.gov registration, SAM.gov registrations must be marked as “public” to allow the GATA Grantee Portal to expedite the review of the federal information;
Has a valid UEI number
Is not on the Federal Excluded Parties List
Is in Good Standing with the Illinois Secretary of State
Is not on the Illinois Stop Payment list
Is not on the Department of Healthcare and Family Services Provider Sanctions list

Eligible Applicants include

Unit of local government
Local promotion group,
Not-for-profit organization;
For-profit organization;
Convention center authority

For more information, visit DCEO.