The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism promotes the economic well-being of tourism across our state. The department oversees 47 state parks, markets SC as a tourist destination, and helps local communities develop recreational areas.

Though parts of SC are considered tourism destinations — like the beaches along our coast — the Undiscovered SC Program looks to develop under-utilized cities, counties, and communities that have untapped tourism potential because they lack the funds that would help them to become thriving tourist destinations.

💰 The goal of the grant

Help invest in publicly-owned tourism projects that will generate greater traffic that will lead to greater spending from visitors outside of a 50-mile radius.
Assist local governments to develop + maintain long-term projects that spur non-local travel.

💰 The grant

Let’s talk money. The grant amount falls between 50-200K, with the contingency of the project costing a minimum of 100K.
The grant is offered as a one-to-one cash match and those who apply must provide evidence that the cash match funds are available.

💰 Am I eligible for the grant?

Read through the full list of eligibility + procedures here, but here are some highlights:

The county or a municipal government must have a total Accommodations Tax distribution of $900K or less, according to the most recent data by the SC State Treasurer’s Office. Find your county’s data here.
You must have a plan for a specific project with timelines.
You must have evidence of an active + functioning organization.

For a sense of how this grant works, click here + here to see this grant in action around our state. Pre-applications + letters of intent must be submitted here + the deadline for the grant is Fri., Sept. 30 at 4 p.m.

Are you still interested in grants from SCPRT, but this one doesn’t feel really you? Check out all of the other grants its offers that may be a better fit for you or your organization.