Brevard tourism board adopts tighter grant rules, sets $5,000 minimum for marketing support

The Brevard County Tourism Development Council voted March 25 to adopt a package of revisions to its Marketing Support Program that tighten compliance requirements and change payment and reporting deadlines.

Peter, the tourism office director, told the council the updates reflect two years of program experience and clarified operational gaps. Among the changes adopted, the council set the eligible event period for the next funding round at Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027, and established a minimum $5,000 allocation for any marketing support campaign, staff said. “All marketing support campaign allocations are, a minimum of $5,000 to participate,” Peter said. The change is intended to reduce staff time spent on small campaigns that have limited impact.

The revisions add a clawback for year‑round grantees that cease operations more than 30 days during the fiscal year: the grantee must return funds within 30 days on a case‑by‑case basis, staff said. The council discussed exceptions for closures caused by an act of God (for example, a hurricane) and suggested a case‑by‑case…