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Orange County approves $5.16 million in cultural tourism grants to 39 organizations
Summary
The board unanimously approved $5,164,747 in Tourist Development Tax (TDT) funding for 39 cultural tourism grants for calendar year 2026. Staff and the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Council recommended awards after a public review process; the county projects $120 million in economic impact from the funded programs.
The Orange County Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 28 approved $5,164,747 in cultural tourism grants to 39 local nonprofit arts and cultural organizations.
The grants are funded from Tourist Development Tax revenues and are structured as dollar‑for‑dollar matching awards. The Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Council recommended the slate after multiple steps: a public “how to apply” workshop, a courtesy staff review for applicants, a public review panel where applicants answered questions, and a unanimous advisory council recommendation on Sept. 23.
Why it matters: The county’s arts investment supports events and festivals that attract visitors and hotel stays, and staff used Americans for the Arts economic modeling to estimate that the 39 projects could generate roughly $120 million in economic impact and support about 2,000 full‑time equivalent jobs.
Program details: Grants are tiered by request size; smaller applicants (requests up to $55,000) needed to meet a 70/100 eligibility floor, while larger applicants seeking the maximum award ($190,000) needed to score 80/100. The total requested by all applicants was higher than available funding; the advisory council’s evaluation criteria emphasized identity/innovation (25 points), quality (25), marketing/tourism (30) and implementation (20), and considered confirmed matching funds.
Notable items: Two organizations were new to the funded list this year: Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra and New Generation Theatrical. Staff highlighted outreach measures — recordings of application workshops, courtesy reviews and engagement with United Arts of Central Florida — that helped most applicants meet eligibility thresholds.
Board action: Commissioner Wilson moved approval and Commissioner Gomez Cordero seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
Ending: Grants are calendar‑year awards (project period begins Jan. 1, 2026). Staff said a public awards ceremony is planned for February 2026 to recognize grantees.
