Businesses Can Receive Up to $20,000 from a Travel Industry Grant

GVEC encourages communities in our territory to apply for the newly launched Texas Travel Industry Recovery Grant Program (TTIR Program). Tourism has a positive impact on our economy, even when those tourists are local or coming from other areas of Texas. This grant can help our communities to support the local businesses who make our region a great place to visit. 

Businesses in the tourism, travel, and hospitality industry that were negatively impacted by COVID-19 can apply for a one-time grant of up to $20,000. TTIR Program funds, totaling $180 million, were received from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund, established under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021.

Applications will be accepted in phases through the TTIR Grant Program Portal following timelines sorted by industry groupings identified by NAICS codes. Only privately-owned for-profit and nonprofit entities which fall into the qualifying NAICS categories are eligible for TTIR Program funding. If funds remain after the first four phases, a fifth phase will revisit any unfunded applications to award the remaining funds. 

TTIR Program Application Timelines 

(Dates are subject to change; please check the Program Portal for updates):

• Category 1 – July 6 - August 7, 2022 
  • NAICS 312120, 312130, 312140, 5615, 561920, and 7212
  • Breweries, microbreweries; Wineries; Distilleries
  • Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services; Convention and Visitors Bureaus
  • Convention and Trade Show Organizers, Event and Meeting Planning Services
  • RV Parks and Recreational Camps; Campgrounds
• Category 2 – September 1 - 22, 2022 
  • NAICS 71
  • Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
• Category 3 – October 1 - 22, 2022 
  • NAICS 7211
  • Traveler Accommodation: Hotels and Motels, Bed and Breakfast
• Category 4 – November 1 -22, 2022 
  • NAICS 722
  • Food Services and Drinking Places
• Category 5 
  • If funds remain after the first four phases, a fifth phase will revisit any unfunded applications to award the remaining funds.

TTIR Program Eligibility and Application

Please refer to https://www.naics.com/search/ to determine whether your particular organization or business qualifies in one of the relevant NAICS codes.

Each application is evaluated and scored based on established criteria. Applications with tie scores will be further assessed for grant approval via timestamp data for submission order. 

Even if an entity received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding, it may still be eligible for funding through the TTIR Program. Businesses that have not received any or have received minimal federal aid due to COVID-19, including the PPP, Shuttered Venues Grant, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, or SBA Debt Relief, will be scored higher than businesses that have received more than minimal federal aid of this type.

The TTIR program application requires all applicants to submit supporting documents along with their application to demonstrate compliance with grant and eligibility requirements. For a list of those required documents and the application, please refer to the Program Portal.

TTIR Program Priority Groups

Priority groups, assuming the relevant entity meets all other eligibility requirements, include:  

• Businesses demonstrating the largest negative financial impact as determined by total Texas sales;  
• Businesses that have not received any or have received minimal federal aid due to COVID-19, including the Paycheck Protection Program, Shuttered Venues Grant, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, or SBA Debt Relief;  
• Veteran-owned businesses;  
• Businesses located in a Qualified Census Tract (QCT), Difficult Development Area (DDA), or nonmetropolitan (nonmetro) area as determined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB);  
• Small businesses (no more than 500 employees, or, if applicable, the size standard in number of employees established by the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for the industry in which the business concern or organization operates; or is a small business concern as defined in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)); and  
• For-profit entities, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), and Convention and Visitor Bureaus (CVBs).

TTIR Application Assistance

• Visit the TTIR Grant Program Portal To apply for a grant and learn about eligibility and grant application details, deadlines, and more.
• View the application video tutorial for a detailed walkthrough of the application process.
• Visit the FAQs for more information about priority groups, eligibility, and more. 
• Contact the TTIR staff at tourismrecoverygrant@gov.texas.gov for any other questions. 

TTIR Program Webinars

The Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office will host a series of webinars for specific industry groups to provide more information and answer questions on the program and application process.

Upcoming Webinars

Thursday, August 11 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., CT
Traveler Accommodation Webinar (NAICS 7211)
(Registration for this webinar opens August 2)

Thursday, September 1 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., CT
Food Services and Drinking Places Webinar (NAICS 722) 
(Registration for this webinar opens August 2)

Texas Travel and Tourism Industry Recovery

The Texas travel and tourism industry is vital to the state's economy, creating jobs and injecting dollars into local communities. In 2019, travelers spent $83 billion on travel in Texas. While the industry was greatly affected by the travel and in-person gathering limitations imposed by the pandemic, the industry is starting to see a strong return in Texas. 

According to Travel Texas stats for year-over-year change (updated in April 2022), direct travel spending is up 35.7 percent, industry employment is up 5.8 percent, earnings are up 7.0 percent, and related tax revenue is up 33.2 percent.

The intention of the TTIR Program is to aid the industry in its continued recovery and further expansion.

Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC)

As an electric cooperative, GVEC exists to support its members. We actively promote growth within our region and provide economic development support, in addition to infrastructure development. 

Learn more about our communities and the support we offer here.