Program Overview
Purpose
Award Levels
Deadlines
Applications
Eligibility Criteria
Match Requirement
Eligible Expenditures
Ineligible Expenditures
Core Stipulations
Audit and Compliance for Reimbursements
Modifications
Project Agreement
Program Overview
The Tourism Matching Advertising Partnership Program (MAPP) of the Cooperative Tourism Promotion Fund is a reimbursable partnership program that provides matching funds for innovative and effective direct advertising projects that increase visitation and travel expenditures in the State of West Virginia impacting the economic growth of the travel industry.
PURPOSE:
- To extend the advertising resources of the tourism industry through partnerships
- Support advertising strategies - both small and large - to increase tourism to the state of
West Virginia
- Provide incentive and opportunity for tourism industry growth
- Help communities achieve their vision to improve the local economy by strengthening West Virginia's tourism partnerships while extending the State's brand to position West Virginia as a preferred travel destination.
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AWARD LEVELS:
$10,000 +: Awards under this program shall be considered by the Commission and the total project cost will be at least $20,000.00 and the applicant's and partner's combined share of the project cost at least $10,000.00. The applicant and partner(s) must provide a minimum of 50 percent of the total project cost. Awards under this program shall be used by the applicant solely for advertising purposes. $10,000+ awards shall require the approval of the Tourism Commission. Applications must be received by established deadlines below. Eighty percent of the advertising contained in the application must be for areas outside the local market (outside a 50-mile radius or in a major out-of-state market).
Up to $7,500: Awards under this program shall not exceed $7,500 and no applicant shall receive more than two approved applications per fiscal year. The applicant and partner(s) must provide a minimum of 25 percent of the total project cost. Total awards under this program shall not exceed $2,000,000 in any fiscal year and shall be used by the applicant solely for advertising purposes. Small awards shall require the approval of the director of the Division. Applications must be received by the Division at least 45 days in advance of the beginning project date. No applicant who has received an award larger than $7,500 in any fiscal year may apply for a small award under this section during the same fiscal year: Provided, that a non-profit entity may apply for and receive small awards even if it has received large awards in the same fiscal year. Eighty percent of the advertising contained in the application must be for areas outside the local market (outside a 50-mile radius or in a major out-of-state market).
$5,000 Fairs and Festivals: Awards under this program shall be limited to Fairs and Festivals only, and approved applications shall not exceed $5,000.00 per applicant in any given quarter, as defined from time to time by the Division. The applicant must provide a minimum of 50 percent of the total project cost. Total awards under this program shall be used by the applicant solely for advertising purposes. Fairs and Festivals awards shall require the approval of the Director of the Division. Applications must be received by the Division at least 45 days in advance of the beginning project date.
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DEADLINES:
LARGE MAPP APPLICANTS (projects $20,000+):
Deadlines for submission of Large MAPP applications will be on the the 1st of the below deadline months, with review by the MAPP Committee and Tourism Commission on the same dates as below.
| Deadline |
Review by Tourism Commission |
February 1, 2013
by 5:00 p.m.
|
April 10 and 11, 2013
(project dates may not begin before April 12, 2013)
|
May 1, 2013
by 5:00 p.m. |
July 10 and 11, 2013
(project dates may not begin before July 12, 2013)
|
August 1, 2013
by 5:00 p.m. |
October, 2013 (exact date TBD)
(project dates may not begin until after meeting dates)
|
November 1, 2013
by 5:00 p.m. |
January, 2014 (exact date TBD)
(project dates may not begin until after meeting dates) |
Small $7,500 MAPP applications and $5,000 Fair and Festival applications ONLY.
All applications must be received at the Division of Tourism on the following deadline dates:
| Deadline |
Review by Tourism Commission |
February 15, 2013
by 5:00 p.m.
|
April 10 and 11, 2013
(project dates may not begin before April 12, 2013)
|
May 15, 2013
by 5:00 p.m. |
July 10 and 11, 2013
(project dates may not begin before July 12, 2013)
|
August 15, 2013
by 5:00 p.m. |
October, 2013 (exact date TBD)
(project dates may not begin until after meeting dates)
|
November 15, 2013
by 5:00 p.m. |
January, 2014 (exact date TBD)
(project dates may not begin until after meeting dates) |
Should we receive your application after the deadline date, your proposal will be returned to you for submission on the next available deadline.
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APPLICATIONS:
Applications must be TYPED. An applicant shall apply for MAPP funds on forms supplied by the Commission or on exact computer duplicates.
The applicant shall include a complete advertising or marketing plan, in sufficient detail to permit evaluation. The application shall include a complete media plan (Media Breakout Form) with advertising costs as well as a complete description of the project. The information shall be broken out by individual publications with ad size, specific broadcast stations, billboard locations, printing costs, production expenses and any other applicable charges. The application shall also include description as to how the partner(s) benefit from participation in the advertising plan and how said partner(s) complement the central advertising message directing tourists to a destination. The applicant must sign the application.
The Commission may request such additional information as it determines necessary to evaluate any application, including, but not limited to, financial and budgetary information related to the application or to the applicant or to any partners to the application.
Failure to provide the required application information, or failure to provide such additional information as the Commission reasonably requests by a specific date, in order to evaluate any application, may at the Commission's option, disqualify the entire application.
The Commission reserves the right to reject any application on the basis of the amount of funding sought; to request that the applicant revise an application to a lower or higher level of funding; or to award more or less than the full amount requested in the application.
If more than eighty-five percent of an applicant's funding is provided by a single partner, the application must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the Commission.
No application shall be considered by the Commission unless the total project cost is at least $20,000.00 and the applicant's and partners' combined share of the project cost is at least $10,000.00 as established in the legislative rule, unless the application is filed under the small awards program or under the fairs and festivals program.
Projects that encompass an area in West Virginia and a contiguous area in another state may be considered by the Commission. The applicant must be a tourism destination in West Virginia, the total project cost must be at least $20,000.00 and the applicant's and West Virginia partner's combined share of the project cost must be at least $10,000 as established in the legislative rule, unless the application is filed under the small awards program or under the fairs and festivals program, and the Commission may only match that portion of the project costs directly contributed by the West Virginia applicant and West Virginia partner(s), and only those costs that promote visitation to West Virginia. If a national company develops a campaign to promote West Virginia tourism, only the portion of the ads directly related to West Virginia tourism may be reimbursed from an approved award.
The applicant and all partners shall disclose in the application the following. Failure to disclose this information shall result in the cancellation of any award to the applicant organization previously approved by the Commission and the disqualification of the applicant and partner organizations and their representatives from future awards:
- Any financial benefit that will be received, if the application is approved, by any entity in which the applicant or partner organizations, its representatives or its employees have an ownership interest;
- Any other employees or representatives of the applicant or partner organizations may have with a vested interest that is not otherwise described as part of the project;
- If they are presently in compliance with all state, federal and local laws, including but not limited to, Hotel/Motel tax and payments for workers' compensation insurance and Unemployment Compensation;
- If they are presently involved in a bankruptcy proceeding, and who within their organization may be contacted for details of the bankruptcy proceeding. Involvement in bankruptcy proceedings is not automatic disqualification from the MAPProgram, but the Commission reserves the right to request additional information regarding any bankruptcy proceedings to insure the state's money is being awarded appropriately.
- Activities that are a part of the MAPP project may not precede the application’s approval date by the Commission.
- The period of service for all submitted invoices shall fall within the beginning and ending dates of the award as approved by the Commission.
- The Commission/Division reserves the right to determine the acceptability and value of all written, graphic and visual material as to its content and appropriateness for the general public and for the state’s effort to promote tourism.
- The Commission reserves the right to determine the acceptability of advertising to insure that it does not portray the State of West Virginia or foreseeably lead to the portrayal of the State of West Virginia in a derogatory or negative manner.
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ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
The Division shall review all applications for completeness and conformance to the legislative rule. If an application is deemed to be incomplete or not in conformance with the rule, the Division may return the application to the applicant for additional information or otherwise contact the applicant and request the information required. The Commission reserves the right to deny or to defer consideration of any incomplete application or of any application that fails to conform to the appropriate rule.
With the exception of applications received under the small awards program established in the legislative rule, or under the fairs and festivals program also established in the rule, final approval of applications must be upon a vote of the Commission. Eligible and complete applications shall be evaluated and given priority by a subcommittee, using the following criteria:
- The project demonstrates potential for a strong positive return on investment and is well researched.
- The project promotes a viable tourism destination, attraction or festival.
- The project is a part of the applicant's overall marketing plan.
- The project includes repeat marketing efforts and the results from those efforts justify repeat funding. Applications for projects that include repeat marketing efforts shall contain information demonstrating that such repeat marketing efforts are in addition to regular ongoing advertising activities.
- The geographic advertising markets appear reasonable and based upon research.
- The project demonstrates how it will increase visitation, length of stay and/or tourism expenditures from outside a 50-mile radius, or in a major out of state market.
- The project includes tracking and evaluation measures.
- The project will have a significant impact on the area's overall tourism efforts.
- The project involves partnerships that leverage additional public/private investment.
- The project supports advertising activities that are over and above regular ongoing advertising activities.
- The project contains a complete media breakout.
Awards will be made on a competitive basis, in accordance with criteria established above.
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MATCH REQUIREMENT:
Applicant and partners must be able to provide the total project cost. Reimbursement from the approved application is based on paid invoices submitted properly and in a timely manner to the Division. The match is up to 50% of qualified invoices reflecting approved advertising costs, except small awards, in which the match is up to 75%.
Cost overruns above the award amount shall be borne by the applicant unless the Commission grants prior approval in writing.
There shall be no changes in the project after the award unless prior written approval of the Commission is obtained by the applicant and may not materially change the project's objective or goal. The request for changes must be in compliance with the modification process listed below.
The match shall be a cash match. No in-kind services may be utilized for the match.
State funds from any source may not be used for the match, unless the project is a Fair and Festival award.
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ELIGIBLE EXPENDITURES:
MAPP funds may only be used to pay for eligible expenditures for direct advertising. Eligible expenses for direct advertising include, but are not limited to the following:
- The costs of advertising on television, radio, or other telecommunications media, in newspapers, magazines or other print media, direct mail advertising, and outdoor advertising or any combination thereof;
- The costs of purchasing and using mailing lists for direct mail promotions;
- The costs for United States postage used for direct mail only.
- The costs of printing travel related literature: Provided, That sixty percent (60%) of such literature is used as fulfillment for direct advertising within the approved application or approved request for modification of an approved application, and that all requests for printing are accompanied by three written bids, with written justification provided in the event that the lowest bid is not selected.
- Registration fees for consumer and trade shows: Provided, That the participation in such shows is for the purpose of attracting visitors to the state.
- Eighty percent (80%) of a project's direct advertising must be directed toward areas outside of the local market or in major out-of-state markets, except for direct advertising for a fair or festival authorized by subsection 7.3 of the legislative rule.
- Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 6.2 of the legislative rule, all direct advertising in the form of billboards must be directed toward areas outside of the local market or in major out- of-state markets, except billboards for a fair or festival award authorized by subsection 7.3 of the rule.
- All direct advertising in the form of billboards must have a creative concept or layout approved by the Division in order for any of its cost to be considered an eligible expenditure.
- Any direct advertising related to real estate must be for vacation rentals only. No direct advertising for real estate sales or realty agencies are permitted within cooperative advertising, unless such ads are specifically and clearly delineated as vacation rentals only.
- Direct advertising may be in the form of cooperative advertising which is advertising that represents a community, region, county, multi-county or statewide organization and may include tourism businesses or organizations that enhance the destination for which the application covers. Cooperative advertising must be entirely directed toward areas outside the local market or in major out-of-state markets. All cooperative advertising must have a creative concept approved by the Division in order for any of its cost to be considered an eligible expenditure.
- Eligible expenses may include production expenses for direct advertising in the media categories provided in this subsection. The total cost of such production expenses may not exceed fifteen (15%) of the total cost of the direct advertising and in no event may the total cost of such production expenses exceed $10,000, for any one of the following media categories:
Printed material, including the printing of direct mail and travel related literature;
Print media;
Television and radio;
Internet Media; and,
Billboards.
- Eligible expenses may include web site development, design, and upgrades to the applicant’s web site. The total cost of such production expenses may not exceed $22,500 per applicant, per year as defined by the Division. An itemized breakout of requested expenses must accompany the application or modification. Web site development, design and upgrades may not include any applicable ineligible expenditures as listed below and under the provisions of sections 6.5 and 6.9 of the legislative rule
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INELIGIBLE EXPENDITURES:
MAPP funds may not be used to pay for ineligible expenditures. Ineligible expenditures include, but are not limited to the following:
- Regular and ordinary business costs of the applicant including, but not limited to, supplies, personnel, phone, normal postage, distribution and shipping expenses or travel costs;
- Any costs associated with preparation of the MAPP application;
- Costs for the rental or purchase of real estate;
- Construction costs;
- Costs of political or lobbying activities of any kind;
- Membership fees or dues to any organization, or solicitation of membership to any organization through advertising within a MAPP program authorized by this rule;
- Costs associated with the start up of any business or publication even if the business or publication may be totally or partially devoted to the promotion of tourism in the state;
- The cost of purchase of audio/visual equipment;
- Costs of alcoholic beverages;
- Costs for any expenditure not identified in the application, unless the Commission grants prior approval in writing;
- Costs of any public relations or research expense;
- Costs for key rings, bumper stickers, mugs or any other similar promotional item;
- Event production expenses, including costs for audio equipment, awards, entertainment, portable restrooms, labor or refreshments;
- Costs relating to fundraising activities;
- Costs associated with retail advertising, except for destination shopping which is able to produce verification that said destination attracts a minimum of eighty-five (85%) of its visitors from outside the local market: Provided, That no retail advertising may include price point advertising;
- Costs of Tourist Oriented Directional Signs (TODS) and logo signs for gas, food, lodging and camping;
- Costs of sponsorships;
- Costs of items for resale;
- Costs for monthly or annual server/web host fees, web maintenance fees, and training;
- Costs for domain name registration, internal email addresses; or
- Costs associated with pay-per-click or paid search advertising, except for statewide tourism associations which represent entire segments of the tourism industry of the state, including, but not limited to the WV Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, WV Ski Areas, WV Professional River Outfitters, Mountain State Association of B&B’s, and only those associations as a whole.
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CORE STIPULATIONS:
- ALL projects receiving funding from the MAPP of the Cooperative Tourism Promotion Fund are required to visually/audibly display the brand identity - West Virginia, Wild And Wonderful - in approved advertising. Required artwork of the logo is on-line. View the Logo Standards Guide for visual ads, brochures, etc. Radio/audio ads are required to carry, "West Virginia, Wild And Wonderful," as an audio tag.
- The Tourism Commission/Division of Tourism reserves the right to determine the acceptability and value of all written, graphic and visual material as to its content and appropriateness for the general public and for the state’s effort to promote tourism.
- You must follow the Submission form included with your MAPP Application, and submit ALL required attachments with your initial submission.
- The beginning project date will be no earlier than the date of approval. No costs incurred before the date of approval will be paid and the period of services of all invoices must fall within the beginning and ending project dates specified on the project application.
- State funds and in-kind contributions do not qualify for any portion of an application's match.
- Approved MAPP recipients shall provide to the Division of Tourism final written tracking and evaluation.
- MAPP awards must be closed out within 90 days of the ending project date
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AUDIT AND COMPLIANCE FOR REIMBURSEMENTS:
Reimbursement may be requested upon completion of the approved project, or at monthly increments for extensive projects.
Reimbursement requests must be accompanied by a summary sheet, outlining each invoice contained in the request, as well as a letter specifying the amount of reimbursement expected from the invoices submitted. All reimbursement requests must contain complete supporting documentation to demonstrate proper use of the required brand identity, as well as proof of payment of submitted invoices.
Supporting documentation and proof of payment includes:
- Copies of paid invoices and corresponding checks.
- Media invoices (i.e., radio, television, internet or publication invoices) and appropriate broadcast affidavits, screen captures, or tear sheets).
- Copies of all partner checks are required at final reimbursement.
The state reserves the right to review/audit an applicant's and/or partner's records, including financial statements and supporting records, relating to the project. Records, including financial statements and supporting records, must be retained by the applicant and all partners for a minimum of three years after the close of the project.
The state may terminate any project agreement upon discovery of any violation of the terms of the agreement, these rules, or state or federal law by the applicant or by any partner to the application.
Approved award recipients shall provide to the Division final written evaluations, as determined by the Commission at the time of approval, of the advertising program supported by the application.
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MODIFICATIONS:
If the approved applicant determines that program changes are necessary to improve the overall effectiveness of the project, the approved applicant may submit a letter of request for program changes to the Division. The letter of request shall clearly be identified as a "MAPP Modification Request" and shall contain a description of the proposed changes, i.e. a narrative describing why the changes would improve the overall effectiveness of the project; the original award number; and the date and amount of the original award. Modification requests shall be reviewed using, but not limited to the following criteria:
The Division shall consider no more than six letters of modification per award.
Modification requests that involve the movement of media purchases may be approved at the discretion of the Division.
Project Extensions –
A modification request for an extension of the ending date of not greater than six months may be approved at the discretion of the Division, provided that said modification is submitted no later than thirty days prior to the ending project date.
Other modifications must be reviewed and approved by the Commission, or a designee of the Commission, with the exception of modification requests for increases in funding, which must be reviewed and approved by the Commission.
Modifications may be approved without the submission of a new project application but those requiring Commission approval must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the Commission meeting.
Increases in funding may not exceed the minimum match requirement for large awards ($10,000), or the maximum allowable match in the small awards ($7,500) or Fair and Festival awards ($5,000).
No modifications shall be approved after the ending project date.
Modifications for approved awards under 7.2 and 7.3 of the legislative rule shall be reviewed and approved by the Division.
ALL awards must be closed out within 90 days of the ending project date.
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PROJECT AGREEMENT:
Simultaneously with award, the Division shall enter into an agreement with the applicant, which includes, but is not limited to the following:
- A statement that the information provided within the application is true and correct, and that the applicant has read and understands the legislative rule;
- The award amount;
- A promise by the applicant and partners that no in-kind services have been used to match any portion of the award;
- An irrevocable promise of the applicant and partners to pay the approved expenses within the approved application, and subsequently request up to 50% reimbursement those expenses (75% for small awards);
- A promise by the applicant not to assign or transfer any of the rights, duties or obligations of the applicant without the written consent of the Commission, or, in the case of awards under 7.2 and 7.3 of the rule, the Division;
- A promise by the applicant not to amend the approved application without the written consent of the Commission/Division;
- A statement that the project must be completed by the ending project date, unless a written request for an extension is submitted no later than 30 days prior to the ending project date;
- A statement that the applicant and partners indemnify and hold harmless the State of West Virginia and the Tourism Commissioners for any liability arising from the agreement.
- A sworn statement from an authorized representative that the applicant has filed all reports for state awards received as required under 12.4.14 of the West Virginia Code.
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FOR ADDITONAL INFORMATION AND DETAILS SEE LEGISLATIVE RULE.