Description
Washington’s Department of Commerce is offering competitive grants to support Washington communities in preparing for and capitalizing on tourism opportunities associated with the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The program funds destination‑planning, tourism‑readiness, community‑activation, and visitor‑engagement initiatives, with a total pool of roughly $700 k (up to $100 k earmarked for King County). Awardees must submit a detailed budget, five implementable projects, and plan at least nine FIFA‑licensed community events (six of which must be outside King County) during the performance period (Aug 21 2026 – May 28 2027). Applications are evaluated on significance, sufficiency, and compliance with mandatory certifications, and a 5 % scoring bonus is granted for firms that certify no mandatory arbitration clauses.
• Funding: up to $700,000 total (single award ≤ $700k; ~10 % reserved for King County).
• Scope: tourism‑marketing planning, market research, placemaking, event activation, partnership coordination, data collection & reporting.
• Eligibility: WA‑licensed entity (or will be), ≥ 3 years WA tourism experience, FIFA Public Viewing License, letter of support from FIFA host committee or affiliated partner, UEI, Statewide Vendor number, diverse‑business inclusion plan, workers‑rights certification.
• Deliverables: five detailed projects, nine community events (≥ 6 outside King County), budget, partnership agreements, reporting plan.
• Timeline: posting 6/3/2026 → pre‑bid call 6/10/2026 → Q&A close 6/16/2026 → application due 7/17/2026 → award ~8/21/2026 → performance 8/21/2026‑5/28/2027 (extendable).