The new location for this page is
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/business/

Tourism Anchor Institution Grant Program

This program is no longer accepting applications

The Montgomery County Tourism Anchor Institution Grant Program will provide financial assistance to non-profit and for-profit entities in Montgomery County that are tourist-oriented and have a mission that focuses on arts, culture, agriculture and/or recreation.

The local tourism industry has been extremely hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and projections point to a long recovery period. The survival of the County’s tourism anchor institutions – those facilities that attract a large number of visitors - is critical to maintaining the County’s leisure and hospitality industry and outstanding quality of life.

Please email  [email protected] if you have questions.

Because of limited County funds and overwhelming demand, Montgomery County is encouraging businesses throughout the County to explore other forms of Federal and State assistance that may be available. Resources to assist in this search include:

​The application period for this grant closed Sunday, December 13 at 5:00 p.m.


Prepare to apply

  1. Review the  Eligibility Requirements for the program.
  2. Be sure to use the correct legal name of the organization on your application. Note: misspellings or typographical errors in the legal name of the organization may result in delays in processing your application.
  3. Check the taxpayer identification number and be sure it matches the legal name of the organization.
  4. Locate a copy of your Articles of Organization or Articles of Incorporation to upload with your application.
  5. Be sure you are in "Good Standing" with the State of Maryland at the time of application.
Follow these steps to determine whether your business is in "Good Standing":
  1. Go to Maryland Business Express
  2. In the "Business Quick Links" section, select "Business Entity Search".
  3. Enter your business name and select "Search".
  4. Your business will be listed if you are registered.
  5. Select your business and check under the General Information tab to verify that your business is in Good Standing. It is not necessary to order a copy of your certificate of good standing.

Eligibility Requirements

A for-profit or non-profit organization is eligible to receive assistance from the Tourism Anchor Institution Grant Program if it:

  1. is tourist-oriented and has a mission that focuses on arts, culture, agriculture and/or recreation; 
  2. receives annual operating or capital financial support from the public sector (such support may include a subsidized ground or facility lease). NOTE: COVID-19 related grants and loans (PPP, MD State pandemic-related support, Montgomery County Public Health Emergency Grants, etc.) do not qualify as operating or capital financial support from the public sector;
  3. attracted a minimum of 25,000 visitors annually in both 2018 and 2019;
  4. under the Governor’s and County Executive’s Executive Orders, was mandated to close or substantially reduce operations due to public health concerns related to COVID 19; and
  5. experienced a reduction in revenue due to COVID-19.

Allowable Use of Grant Funds

Grantees are allowed to use funds for general operating purposes. Tourism Anchor Institution Grant Funds cannot be used for the same expenditures for which an organization used other Federal, State or County grant funds.

Required Documentation

The following documents will be required at the time of application:

  1. Signed, completed application form
  2. Articles of Organization or Incorporation
  3. Q2 2019 AND Q2 2020 Financial Statements
    • Itemize all Federal/State/County forms of COVID-related financial assistance on separate lines in your Q2 2020 financial statement.
  4. 2019 Annual Profit & Loss Statement (or equivalent) to validate annual operating budget
  5. Documentation confirming Annual Visitor numbers (i.e. brochure, annual report, webpage, etc. confirming visitation numbers as reported to the Maryland Arts Council, Montgomery County or other funding agency)

Please monitor this web page for updates on when applications will be due. 

Application Review Process

Executive staff will review all applications that are submitted to determine if grant eligibility requirements have been met.

Grant funds will be awarded to eligible applicants based on an organization’s Annual Operating Budget. See sample breakdown below:

SAMPLE Annual Operating Budget Categories:
            $25,000 - $100,000                                                    
            $100,001 - $250,000                                                  
            $250,001 - $500,000                                                  
            $500,001 - $1,000,000                                               
            $1,000,001 - $3,000,000                                            
            $3,000,001 +                                                              

Eligible applicants will be placed within the appropriate Operating Budget category. The average quarterly revenue loss (2Q 2019 vs. 2Q 2020) for all applicants within each category will determine the grant amount awarded to each eligible applicant within that group. The $5 million appropriated for the Tourism Anchor Institution Grant Program will be fully awarded across all applicants relative to the quarterly operating losses determined for each category.