Heritage Grants | AustinTexas.gov

Promotes tourism through the preservation, restoration of historic buildings, or planning, educational and marketing projects that enhance understanding or new perspective on well documented places/events.

In partnership with MJR Partners, the City of Austin Economic Development Department is reimagining its Cultural Funding Program for arts, heritage, and music with an intentional focus on equity and inclusion, while more effectively promoting tourism to Austin, as well as the city’s convention and hotel industries. The Heritage Preservation Grant Program is funded through Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) proceeds from Austin’s convention and hotel industries.

Update Regarding Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) Funded Cultural and Heritage Preservation Grant Contracts

Please use this link to read the recent memo issued to City Council (March 8th). This memo includes an update on the current and future financial outlook for Hotel Occupancy Tax revenues and information on the status of current HOT Funded contracts and future program planning. The Economic Development Department will provide the arts, cultural heritage, and music sectors information on budget as it relates to any future programming after Budget Forecasts have been received in April. In the meantime, Department staff will be working to catch up on contract administration/payments and working closely with contractors to make amendments to current contracts to allow as much flexibility as possible.

Helpful Recovery Resources:

City of Austin's ATXRecovers.com - A one-stop resource to help artists and musicians recover from the financial hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Austin COVID-19 Information
Economic Development Department’s Small Business Resources Directory - Database of local, state, federal, and community resources. Filter by “Disaster Relief” to find immediate support for creatives and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Heritage Grant Eligibility

Use of hotel occupancy taxes must directly enhance and promote tourism and the convention and hotel industry. Non-profit, government entities and commercial properties who own or lease historic designated properties -OR- are a historic property within a designated historic district are eligible to apply. Projects must be at, or in the immediate vicinity of, convention center facilities, or located in the areas that would be frequented by tourists.

Eligible Heritage Grants:

Heritage Capital Projects
Preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of historic buildings, sites or districts.

Site-Specific Heritage Tourism Projects
Planning, educational and marketing related projects that enhance the understanding of significant historic places/events or provide new insight or new perspectives on well documented places/events tied to a historic site.

Please Note: Owner-occupied properties are ineligible to apply.