SC Sports Tourism
Advertising & Recruitment
(star)
2016 Grant Program
Guidelines
SC Sports Tourism Advertising & Recruitment Overview
The SC Sports Tourism Advertising & Recruitment (STAR) grant program is designed to assist
communities and eligible non-profit organizations in attracting and hosting large, new to the state
sporting events that will bring participants and visitors to South Carolina. Through STAR, the SC
Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT) will provide assistance to approved
applicants for eligible expenses associated with Event Bidding and Event Hosting. An approved
application for Event Bidding expenses will fund bid fees and costs associated with the
development of marketing materials for proposals for successfully-recruited sports events. An
approved application for Event Hosting costs will fund certain site and advertising costs associated
with hosting an awarded sports event. An applicant may choose to submit an Event Bidding and/or
an Event Hosing application, depending on the timeline parameters specified in these guidelines.
Grant Amount: $5,000 - $50,000
Note: - Total project cost must be $10,000 or above
- The maximum grant award may be waived at the discretion of the Director of SCPRT.
Cash Match: 1 to 1
Note: - The applicant may not use other State general appropriations funds as match.
- In-kind matches are not allowed.
Eligibility:
 The applicant must be a county or municipal government with the necessary capacity and
infrastructure to host the proposed event
 The local government may also apply on behalf of an eligible non-profit organization holding
a tax-exempt status from the IRS
 The applicant must provide evidence of a functioning organization and the capacity to
administer a grant
 The applicant cannot have any significant and unresolved issues with any grant program
administered by SCPRT
Fundability:
 The application must provide firm evidence that the required cash match is immediately
available for expenditure in carrying out the project activities
 All commitments of assistance cited in the application must be confirmed with appropriate
letters of commitment
Eligible Projects:

Successful bids for sporting events with tourism significance that will attract participants and
visitors from outside a 50 mile radius.
 Special priority will be given to events new to South Carolina.
 Events must be viable and demonstrate a history of positive economic impacts on
the previous host communities.

Hosting an awarded sports event with tourism significance that generates one or more of the
following:
 50 – 500+ room nights*
 50 – 500+ participants*
 $100,000 or more in economic impact
or
 Is an NCAA, NAIA Collegiate event or Professional Sports League event
*The number of projected room nights and participants will be evaluated and assessed based on
the amount of the grant request. The amount of a grant request should roughly correlate to the scale
of impact in terms of room nights and participation.
Ineligible Projects:



Recurring sports events which are held exclusively in South Carolina
Non-sports related competitive events
Camps, try-outs or other non-competitive sports-related events
Activities eligible for reimbursement:
Bid Projects  Bid fees or upfront financial commitments paid directly to the events holder
 Bid Package Presentations/Event-specific recruitment marketing materials
Hosting Projects  Non-public site fees or venue rentals
 Rental of furniture, fixtures or equipment
 Event-specific signage
 Event-specific printed marketing materials
 Event-specific paid advertising**
 Rights fees/sanction fees/license fees
** Events which receive funding for paid advertising purchases through a STAR grant are NOT
eligible to receive funding for paid advertising through the Tourism Advertising Grant (TAG)
program, regardless of which organization applies for grant funding or in which fiscal year the
application occurs.
Activities ineligible for reimbursement:
Bid Projects:
 Travel or travel related expenses
 Personnel expenses
 Trade show related expenses
 Other general purpose marketing expenses
Hosting Projects:
 General operating or administrative expenses
 Facility building/renovating/remodeling
 Permanent equipment
 Monetary or non-monetary awards (trophies, medals, etc.)
 Hospitality (food/drink/entertainment/gifts/complimentary tickets, etc.)
 Travel or travel related expenses
 Accommodations
 Concessions
 Clothing
 Professional Services (medical/security/media, etc.)
 Insurance
 Vehicles
Expected Outcomes:



An event that will attract visitors from outside a 50 mile radius to the community
An economic impact on the local community and/or county as projected in the application.
Increased exposure of South Carolina as a sports venue and tourism destination
Grantee Responsibilities
If grant funds are used to support or enhance an event, then 30 days prior to the event, the
organization must provide proof of insurance, which lists the South Carolina Department of Parks,
Recreation & Tourism as additional insured, with a minimum liability coverage of $1,000,000 per
occurrence.
Grantees shall acknowledge the Sports Tourism Advertising & Recruitment (STAR) grant
program and the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism in all promotional
materials, where applicable.
All Printed Marketing Materials and Paid Advertising Purchases that are funded through a STAR
Grant must have a visible SCPRT Logo with reciprocal link to SCPRT’s Home Page
(www.DiscoverSouthCarolina.com). The South Carolina tourism logo must conform to
specifications outlined in the South Carolina Logo Users Guide located on SCPRT’s website
(Click on SC Logo and Usage, then on Logo Requirements on Advertising.)
Application Evaluation Criteria
The following criteria and scoring will be used to select those Event Hosting applications
presenting an event that has a greater opportunity of being successful and having significant impact
upon the community, region and state. In responding to the questions in the grant application, the
applicant should take into account the nature and emphasis of the following evaluation categories
and criteria.
The sum of the scores for the categories will be the overall score for the application. The maximum
score an application can receive is 200. Applications must score at least 150 points to be
considered for funding.
Leveraging and Collaboration
o Other public and private organizations/groups committed to the development
of the project (5 points)
o Community support for the project (5 points)
0-10 Points
Feasibility
0-60 Points
o Proof of budget sufficient to carry out the project (20 points)
o Locality has the infrastructure and capacity to support the event (20 points)
o Activities can reasonably be expected to result in proposed economic outcomes (20 points)
Capacity
o Adequacy of staff resources for grant management (5 points)
o Past performance on other SCPRT grants (5 points)
0-10 Points
Documentation Requirements
0-60 Points
o Signed Contract/Letter of Intent with Event Organization/Rights Holder (20 points)
o Comprehensive event history, including destinations that have previously
hosted the event, room night pick-up, spectator draw, and visitor expenditures (20 points)
o Supporting documentation requirements, including itemized estimated budget
for hosting expenses, and/or media/marketing/PR plan for Event Advertising (20 points)
Economic Impact
o Projected room nights (15 points)
o Projected number of participants (15 points)
o Projected number of visitors (15 points)
o Project is an NCAA, NAIA or Professional Sports League event (15 points)
0-60 Points
The Application Process
The Application
Both STAR applications are available for downloading at www.SCPRT.com.
Event Bidding applications will be accepted year round. The applications must be submitted to
SCPRT within 180 days of the signed letter of intent from the Rights Holder recognizing a
partnership between the Rights Holder/Event Organization and the Host Destination.
Event Hosting applications will be accepted twice a year. There will be two grant cycles, one
occurring in the spring and one occurring in the fall of each fiscal year. Applications must be
received on or before the deadline specified for each grant cycle:
2016 Spring Grant Cycle: Opens February 15th, 2016. Applications due by March 7th, 2016.
2016 Fall Grant Cycle: TBD
No more than $250,000 in total grant funds will be awarded per cycle. Each applicant is limited
to $100,000 in total STAR funds (Event Bidding and Event Hosting) per fiscal year.
Applicants must submit 1 original and 1 copy of the application, including all relevant attachments
as specified in the application, to SCPRT prior to the applicable grant deadline. Incomplete
applications will be returned to the applicant. The application must also be submitted
electronically through Drop-Box by the same date. The applicant must request the Drop-Box
instructions and password from Amy Blinson, Program Manager, via e-mail at
ablinson@scprt.com.
If you have any questions, please contact Amy Blinson at 803-734-1658 or ablinson@scprt.com.
Submit applications to: South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism
Attn: Amy Blinson
1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 517
Columbia, SC 29201
The Review
The application will be reviewed by a committee appointed by SCPRT. SCPRT has the discretion
to disallow any budget item that it deems inappropriate for funding and/or stipulate partial funding
for any specific budget item. If certain budget items are disallowed or reduced, a budget change
notice will be sent with the grant award agreement. However, if the final project cost fluctuates
by more than 10% or $10,000 (whichever is less), the grantee must submit a new budget for
approval.
The Approval
The applications will be rated and ranked, and notification of awards will be made within 60
working days from the application due date. A grant award agreement will then be executed
between the applicant and SCPRT.
The Grant Award Agreement
If funding is approved, a grant award agreement will be issued to the applicant (grantee). The
agreement is to be signed by authorized representatives and returned to SCPRT within thirty (30)
days.
The date SCPRT approves the grant application becomes the effective date of the agreement. All
deadlines must be met based on the effective date of the agreement.
Grant Agreement Terms & Compliance
The grant award is a contract between SCPRT and the applicant. Both parties are expected to
comply with the specific terms of the agreement. If SCPRT, at any time, determines that the
grantee is not in compliance with the grant terms, it has the authority to terminate the agreement
and/or require the repayment of funds.
Project Scope
The grant will only reimburse costs for the specific event activities described in the approved
application and budget. Once final contracts are signed, copies should be sent to SCPRT. Copies
of change orders to contracts should also be sent to SCPRT. Requests for payment will not be
processed until signed contracts are provided and approved by SCPRT.
SCPRT will not reimburse for any hosting expenses incurred prior to review and approval of
applicant’s STAR grant application.
If at any time the project scope changes, the grantee should notify SCPRT in writing and should
clearly explain the need for the change. Substantial changes of scope will require the formal
approval of SCPRT.
Award Amount
SCPRT is not responsible for cost overruns and will only reimburse the grantee for approved
budget items up to the award amount.
Procurement
The grantee is required to follow the State’s procurement code. Paid advertising costs and bid fees
are exempt from procurement requirements.
Separate Accounting Fund
The grantee is required to maintain a separate fund within its accounting system to adequately
account for the STAR grant.
Requests for Payment
In order to receive payment, the grantee must submit a certified request for payment and supporting
documentation to SCPRT no more than once a month. This is a reimbursable grant, and the grantee
may be reimbursed up to 50% of the eligible expenses submitted. Generally, the grantee will
receive payment within 3-4 weeks of SCPRT’s receipt of request.
All expenses must be reported in the state’s fiscal year in which they occurred. All expenses
incurred prior to the June 30 fiscal year-end must be submitted to SCPRT no later than July 10. If
July 10 falls on a weekend, then the reimbursement request is due the Friday prior to the 10th.
Request for Payment packages are to be submitted to:
South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism
Attn: Amy Blinson
1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 517
Columbia, SC 29201
Audit Requirements
The grantee must include an examination and accounting of the expenditures of grant funds in its
first annual audit following the completion of the project.
The grantee is required to keep original invoices and supporting documentation available for
review for a period of three years.
All projects are subject to audit by the South Carolina Office of the State Auditor, SCPRT’s
Internal Auditor, and/or SCPRT staff.
Reimbursement Procedures
All expenses must be submitted to SCPRT in the state’s fiscal year in which they occurred. All
expenses incurred prior to the June 30 fiscal year-end must be submitted to SCPRT no later than
July 10. If July 10 falls on a weekend, the reimbursement request is due the prior Monday. SCPRT
will not reimburse any expenses that are not submitted by the deadline. For example, any expenses
incurred from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017 must be submitted by July 10 (or the prior Monday if
the 10th falls on a weekend) to be eligible for reimbursement.
The following documentation must be on file with SCPRT prior to any reimbursement request
being processed:
 Written authorization from SCPRT allowing the grantee to incur costs, if any work was
started prior to grant award
 An approved budget
 Signed contracts for any work related to the grant project
Grantees should submit reimbursement requests no more than monthly. The reimbursement
request should include the Reimbursement Request Form and all supporting documentation.
Supporting documentation includes copies of invoices and cancelled checks. Copies of both the
front and back of the cancelled check must be submitted to document proof of payment.
Proof of Performance (Paid Advertising Purchases)
 Attach original or PDF file of media tear sheets from newspaper/magazine advertisement
to the appropriate invoice and cancelled check. Publication name and issue date must be
clearly visible on the tear sheet (not handwritten). If this information is not printed on the
page your ad appears on, please also submit a copy of the publication cover.
 Submit a photograph of each posted billboard.
 Submit a screenshot of all online advertising in place on the website.
 Include a copy of the broadcast media affidavit for TV and radio commercials, as well as
the audio/video file or Youtube link.
 Delivery report for web based media including impressions delivered and clicks as well as
site engagement if available.
Only expenses that have been approved in the budget and have occurred during the grant period
are eligible for reimbursement. Expenses submitted will be reimbursed up to 50% of the total
eligible amount. If the required documentation is on file, and if the request for reimbursement is
submitted correctly, the grantee should expect payment within 3–4 weeks after receipt of the
request by SCPRT. However, if a request is submitted without proper documentation, it will be
held until the appropriate documentation is submitted.
Final Request for Reimbursement – Grant Closeout
Grantee must submit all reimbursement requests, along with required proper documentation, to
SCPRT no later than 60 days after the event ends. Any reimbursement requests submitted after
the 60 day period will not be processed and any remaining grant funds will be reverted to the grant
program.