Tribal Tourism Grant Program (TTGP)
🏛 Bureau of Indian Affairs
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 15, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for federally recognized Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations to expand and promote existing Tribal tourism operations. Eligible applicants include Tribes and Tribal Organizations as defined under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, including Tribal Consortia. Tribes may partner with for-profit or non-profit organizations to perform grant work.
The grant funds tourism promotion, marketing, and visitor experience enhancements—not creation of new tourism operations. Projects must address identified tourism challenges and align with Tribal economic development goals.
Award amounts range from $200,000 to $300,000, with a 24-month project period. No cost-sharing is required. Technical assistance is provided by the Office of Indian Economic Development and cooperative agreement partners.
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Program description
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Office of the Assistant Secretary–Indian Affairs (Indian Affairs), through the Office of Indian Economic Development (OIED), solicits proposals from eligible entities (see Eligibility Section) for tourism grants focused on increasing visitors to existing Tribal tourism operations through facilitation, promotion, and enhancing visibility. The Tribal Tourism Grant Program (TTGP) funding strives to achieve substantial community benefits by facilitating and strengthening Tribal tourism activities, enhancing visitor experiences, and increasing visibility and access to Tribal destinations. These efforts support economic development and contribute to improved community well-being. The TTGP is not to be used to create or establish new Tribal tourism operations (see Definitions).The competitively selected projects will benefit from technical assistance provided by the NATIVE Act Cooperative Agreement awardee, as well as the OIED. This approach will enable Tribes to enhance tourism experiences, strengthen destination positioning, and increase visitation. Projects should address clearly defined tourism challenges and opportunities and be aligned with the economic development goals and priorities of the Tribal community.The OIED will administer this grant program through the Division of Economic Development (DED) funded under a non-recurring appropriation budget. Congress appropriates funds on a year-to-year basis. While TTGP projects may extend over several years, the DED will not fund beyond the period of performance.The grant awards are for a project and budget period of 24 months. Neither the DOI nor Indian Affairs will be held responsible for proposal or application preparation costs. Publication of this announcement does not obligate DOI or Indian Affairs to award any specific grant or to obligate all or any part of available funds.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Federal application form)
- Project Narrative and scope of work
- Budget and budget justification
- Evidence of Tribal governance approval or authorization
- Tribal economic development plan or strategy (recommended)
- Tribal financial statements or audit
- Marketing and promotion plan details
Program contact
- 👤 Bureau of Indian Affairs
- 📧 jo.metcalfe@bia.gov
- 📞 7033906410
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 15.032 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$1,974,503
-
$1,031,748
-
$900,000
-
$900,000
-
$900,000
-
Taala Fund WA$900,000
-
$900,000
-
$900,000
-
$900,000
-
$900,000
Top States by Funding
- OK 16 awards $7.9M
- AK 11 awards $4.3M
- CA 13 awards $3.4M
- AZ 8 awards $3.2M
- WA 7 awards $3.2M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 15.032). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2018 | $2,911,529 | |
| 2019 | $3,560,075 | |
| 2020 | $21,439,800 | |
| 2021 | $28,699,155 | |
| 2022 | $10,413,311 | |
| 2023 | $22,634,133 | |
| 2024 | $24,595,455 | |
| 2025 est. | $16,854,303 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for the Tribal Tourism Grant?
Federally recognized Indian Tribes, Tribal Organizations, and Tribal Consortia are eligible. Applicants must be defined under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. Tribes can contract for-profit or non-profit entities to perform the work.
Can I use this grant to start a new tourism business?
No. This grant is only for existing Tribal tourism operations. Funding supports promotion, marketing, and visitor experience enhancements, not creation of new operations.
What is the typical funding amount and project timeline?
Awards range from $200,000 to $300,000 per grant. All projects have a fixed 24-month period of performance.
Is cost-sharing required?
No. This grant does not require matching funds or cost-sharing from the applicant.
When is the application deadline?
The application deadline is August 7, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling acceptance.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Focus on existing Tribal tourism assets and how your project will increase visitors and revenue. Clearly identify the tourism challenges you're addressing.
- Connect your proposal directly to your Tribe's economic development goals and community priorities. Show how tourism growth benefits your community beyond revenue.
- Plan for technical assistance from the Office of Indian Economic Development. Integrate their support into your project timeline and capacity-building strategy.
- Detail specific, measurable promotion and marketing activities with realistic timelines. Don't just describe general "visibility enhancement."
- Budget conservatively for the 24-month period. Remember that funding does not continue beyond the project end date.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Proposing to create or establish new tourism operations rather than enhance existing ones. Grant explicitly funds expansion and promotion of current operations only.
Failing to connect tourism activities to broader Tribal economic development goals and community benefits. Reviewers seek alignment with Tribal priorities, not isolated tourism projects.
Underestimating the complexity of reaching target visitor numbers or overcommitting to marketing outcomes without realistic implementation capacity or budget.
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