Guidance
Financial support is available up to the value of £20,000 to support cities in bidding for international business events.
Funding granted will assist in bid costs for an international business event that is not currently held in the UK, with the objective of boosting winning potential and helping secure new international business events.
Exceptional proposals, backed by a strong business case, requiring more than £20,000 per bid, may be considered on a case by case basis (subject to available funds).
Funds could be used to support the following, indicative activities:
- Site visits (this activity can be supported with a grant up to £6,000)
- Bid pitch, including costs for support and production of the pitch
- Production of bid booklet to distribute
- Translation costs of a bid
- Communications and digital activity, website, live streaming, social media, film, webinar, e-newsletters or other content to support the development of a bid
- Media/social media activity in support of the bid, such as industry/sector channels and networks relating specifically to the sector of the event being bid for
- Sales and marketing activity to increase awareness and encourage voters to favour the UK bidder
These serve as examples, further ideas to secure new international business event through this fund are welcome.
This strand of the programme has the objective of boosting winning potential and providing assistance to secure new international business events. Find out below how to apply for Candidate City Bid Support.
Eligibility
We welcome applications from Convention Bureau (CVBs) / Destination Management Organisations (DMOs), as well as venues who are partnering with CVBs/DMOs.
All applications will be assessed against the criteria outlined in the guidelines. If you do NOT fulfil the mandatory eligibility criteria, please do not apply as your application will not be progressed. Applications will be considered by a Panel of industry experts, to determine successful applicants. Applicants will be contacted if additional information is required to make a decision.
For criteria, funding conditions and the steps to receive financial support, please refer to the BID Guidelines
How to apply
- Read carefully the application guidelines, paying attention to the fund’s objectives and eligibility criteria. If you need clarification do not hesitate to get in touch.
- If you fulfil the mandatory eligibility criteria, please complete the BID Application Form and the following supporting documentation:
- Annex B: Subsidy Control declaration form
- BTA New Supplier request form – only applicable if your organisation has not received direct grant payments from VisitBritain before.
- Submit the application form and the supporting documentation to EventSupport@visitbritain.org, with the following reference in the subject line [BID/Event name]
If you are applying for financial support for multiple bids, you can submit a single application, providing that all bids fulfil the criteria, the activity and spend occurs in this financial year (up to 31 March 2023), and the maximum combined value is £20,000 (incl. VAT). You will need to provide a clear itemised breakdown of the requirements and proposed activity for each bid/ event in the application, and rank the bids in order of priority. Please note, there is no guarantee that all events or activity will be deemed appropriate or offered grant funding.
Please note, the assessment is a two-way process and it can take up to 6 weeks from application to receive a Grant Funding Agreement. Bear this in mind when considering your activity.
