OC TDT Application Review Committee (ARC) Capital Projects

About the OPPORTUNITY

Orange County’s Tourist Development Tax Grant Application Review Committee Opens Window to accept applications April 1 through April 30, 2024

WHAT:
Orange County’s Tourist Development Tax Application Review Committee (ARC) will open its FY-2024 through FY-2028 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2028) application funding window for capital grants in excess of $2 million and up to and including $15 million on April 1, and will accept applications through April 30, 2024.

The ARC reviews grant applications and makes recommendations to the Tourist Development Council, with the final decision being made by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners. The applications and supporting materials will be accepted through the United Arts Grants Portal.

To be considered, qualified applicants must meet the minimum requirements listed below. A complete list of requirements is included with the grant application.

The capital project grant request should be for a dollar amount in excess of $2 million and up to and including $15 million toward a project for the acquisition, construction, expansion, enlargement, renovation, and equipping of eligible facilities.
The requested project funding must be for one or more fiscal years from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2028.
The project must meet the statutory guidelines for the Tourist Development Tax.
The project must be located entirely within Orange County.

Through a new service agreement, training and application support for applicants will be available through United Arts. There are two initial grant application information sessions for interested organizations.

INFORMATION SESSIONS:

VIRTUAL
Monday, March 25, 2024
3:00-4:30 p.m. to be held virtually via Zoom.

IN-PERSON
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
10:00-11:30 a.m.
Orange County Administration Building
Commission Chambers
201 S. Rosalind Ave.
Orlando, Florida 32801

For more information regarding the information sessions, please visit the County Calendar.

In addition to attending an information session, applicants are encouraged to contact United Arts with questions prior to applying. United Arts Staff will be available for questions until April 29 at 5 p.m. and can be reached via email at Outreach@UnitedArtsCFL.org or by calling (407) 628-0333.

For technical assistance and ADA accommodations, contact United Arts at Outreach@UnitedArtsCFL.org or (407) 628-0333.

More information regarding the Committee is available at https://netapps.ocfl.net/arctdtgrants/tdtgrants.

Important Dates

Virtual Information Session: 3 pm to 4:30 pm - March 25
In-Person Information Session: 10 am - 11:30 am - March 27
Application Period: April 1, 2024 - April 30, 2024
Application Deadline: 11:59 pm April 30, 2024
Deadline for Application Questions: 5 pm April 29
Deadline for Grant Portal Support: 5 pm April 30

Acknowledgments

About Orange County Government: Orange County Government strives to serve its residents and guests with integrity, honesty, fairness, and professionalism. Located in Central Florida, Orange County includes 13 municipalities and is home to world-famous theme parks, one of the nation’s largest convention centers, and a thriving life science research park. Seven elected members comprise the Board of County Commissioners, including the Mayor, elected countywide. For more information, please visit www.OCFL.net or go to Orange County Government’s social media channels.

FAQS

Who serves on the TDT ARC board?

For the names of the ARC membership; please see the County website Advisory Board Listing - Orange County Government, Florida (ocfl.net), and select the Roster tab.

How can I access the TDT ARC grant on the United Arts website?

You can view the content that’s currently on the website, as we load more of the documents and links to reference. https://unitedartscfl.org/grants/oc-tdt-application-review-committee-capital-projects/

Who can I contact for support?

Email to Outreach@UnitedArtsCFL.org and the team of Elyse and Trudy (application questions, grant portal), Beatriz (Spanish language) and Amy (accessibility) will be able to assist.
Phone: 407.628.0333

Is there a “no lobbying” period?

Per the County Attorney of Orange County, there is not a black-out period or "no lobbying" period imposed on the members of the ARC (or applicants thereto).

Where can I find the virtual information session recording, the slide deck from the presentation and other key documents?

The information session recording and slide deck are posted on the website, with the questions list and guidelines. The recorded virtual information session and related documents can be found here: https://unitedartscfl.org/grants/oc-tdt-application-review-committee-capital-projects/, scroll down to find these under Documents.

Please note: If you did not register for the virtual session it will request that you register on Zoom to watch the video; this will only be requested once.

NOTE: You may want to bookmark this link for easy reference.

Where can I find a sample of a completed TDT ARC application?

You can view the successful application sample from Orlando Ballet. This is available on the Orange County TDT ARC webpage, item #3 (https://netapps.ocfl.net/arctdtgrants/tdtgrants).

Please NOTE: The sample application was prepared in 2018 (pre-Covid), for the Orlando Ballet's $4 million request; awarded. While the questions remain almost identical, the format of the application is different in this new grant cycle. The new application content will be requested, as directed, in the Application Question List (view this in Key Documents without starting an application), and/or within the application portal.

To get a preliminary staff review (or technical review), before the application deadline, what is the best way to send it to United Arts?

The easiest way would be to upload into the application on the portal. From there United Arts outreach team can access the application and leave responses for you in the form itself. You would not need to submit it separately, as we can access your draft application. Just let us know by email to: outreach@UnitedArtsCFL.org and call out which sections are most needed to review.

Remember the deadline to receive these requests is Tuesday, April 15, 5:00 p.m.