Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. The department
shall provide a standard application form for eligible applicants to apply for
MEIP funding.
B. The applicant
shall include in its application all information, documentation, and
certifications relevant to the eligibility requirements, the purposes and
objectives of the MEIP, economic impact data and other information that
supports a determination that the event will have a significant positive impact
in the state, and information that will be included in the grant agreement if a
grant is awarded.
C. At a minimum,
the applicant shall provide the department with a completed application, signed
by an authorized official, which shall include but is not limited to, the
following:
1. event information, including but
not limited to:
a. event name;
b. date or date range of the event;
c. description of the event and any
activities related to or associated with the event;
d. location of the event; and
e. documentation indicating the event meets
all minimum eligibility requirements, including but not limited to:
i. written endorsement from the endorsing
municipality or endorsing parish signed by a person authorized to bind the
municipality or parish; and
ii.
signed event support contract or letter, from the site selection organization
or the event producer or host that has selected the site in Louisiana, which
includes all the information necessary to establish that:
(a). the site was selected after holding a
bidding or invitation selection process; or
(b). that the site is a sole site for the
event.
2. economic impact information, including but
not limited to:
a. identification of the
designated area that will be impacted by the occurrence of the event;
b. an economic impact study, report or other
data sufficient to reasonably estimate the total incremental increase in sales
and use receipts and excise tax receipts in the designated area that will be
directly attributable to the event;
c. attendance and spending data for the event
and all activities related to or associated with the event, including:
i. projected attendance figures;
ii. a description of the methodology that
will be used for determining the total actual attendance;
iii. projected average spending per
attendee;
iv. other projected
direct spending related to the event; and
v. how the event will have a significant
positive impact in the state.
d. a certification from the person(s) who
prepared the economic, attendance, and spending studies, reports and data for
the application, attesting to the accuracy of the information
provided.
3. budget,
revenue, and expenditure information, including but not limited to:
a. the most current budget for the attracting
and hosting of the event, which shall include:
i. the amount of the requested funding from
the MEIP;
ii. line items for all
projected expenses, noting those expenses that are eligible expenses under the
MEIP and those the applicant proposes funding with the requested MEIP
grant;
iii. line items for revenue,
noting all revenue sources that are public entities;
iv. in-kind goods and
services.
4.
public value and positive impact;
a. In
compliance Article VII, Section 14 of the Louisiana Constitution, the applicant
shall include in its application a detailed proposal describing how the MEIP
award for the event will support the statewide development and implementation
of cultural, recreation, and/or tourism programs in Louisiana, specifically,
the marketing of Louisiana as a tourism destination. This information will be
included in the language of the grant agreement.
b. The applicant shall include proposed
activities and budget for marketing Louisiana as a tourism destination, and the
proposed activities must reflect a minimum value of the lesser of $750,000 or
10 percent of the grant award.
c.
The department explicitly recognizes the following non-exhaustive forms of
marketing as acceptable, if provided by the grant recipient upon notification
of the grant award and continued throughout the term of the grant agreement:
i. a 30-second commercial spot leading up to
and during the event, if broadcast;
ii. an advertisement printed in all
associated publicity of the event;
iii. a recognition during broadcast
interviews for the event;
iv. a
placement for the Louisiana Office of Tourism logo with click-through link to
https://www.ExploreLouisiana.com,
in materials or media promoting the event, such as:
(a). home page of the applicant's
website;
(b). home pages of the
official event website;
(c). print,
tv, or social media ad(s) marketing the event;
(d). email correspondence to target audiences
for the event; and
(e). billboards
promoting the event;
vi.
a set of passes to the event.
5. Information and documentation necessary to
draft the grant agreement, including but not limited to:
a. name and title of the official authorized
to execute the grant agreement;
b.
federal and state tax identification numbers; and
c. documentation the applicant is in good
standing with the office of the secretary of state and has authority to enter
into contracts with the state.
D. The department is not required to review
or act on an application that does not contain all information and
documentation contained in this Section.
E. The department may issue guidance to
establish, interpret, or clarify requirements for participation in the MEIP,
and compliance with any such guidance shall be required. Any such guidance
shall be consistent with all applicable statutes and this Chapter.
F. If the department requires additional
information from an applicant in order to review/approve the application, the
applicant will be notified via email and must respond within 10 business
days.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.
51:1260.
