FAQs - STAR Business & MOAB! Tourism Grants 2022

How much can an organization be awarded from the STAR Business Grant or the MOAB! Tourism Grant?

Applicants to the STAR Business Grant can apply for up to $100,000. Awards of $5,000 and above will require a 20% match, while awards below $5,000 will require a 10% match.

Application amounts for the MOAB! Tourism Grants have yet to be restricted; however, Grand County Economic Development intends to disburse about 11 awards of $5,000. Awards from the MOAB! Tourism Grant will require a 10% match.

To learn more about grant awards and match requirements, check out the grant proposals as approved by the county commission (found in the "Resources for Applicants" section).

Can my organization apply for both the STAR Business Grant and MOAB! Tourism Grant?

Yes, though Grand County Economic Development encourages applicants to apply for only one of the two grants. If an organization does apply for both grants, the organization must propose two separate projects.

Can these grants be combined with each other or other grants?

Grand County Economic Development does not allow Grand County grants to be combined. Awardees can combine a Grand County grant and a grant or grants from another source.

Can an organization apply for the same grant more than once?

No. If applicants have multiple projects that they would like funded, applicants must include them all in one submission. Applicants are encouraged to create a narrative explaining how these projects are related to their application.

Is my business/non-profit/organization eligible to apply for these grants?

To apply to the STAR Business Grant or the MOAB! Tourism Grant, an organization must meet Grand County Economic Development's definition of "locally-owned." This means either 1) the owner or primary operator of the organization resides in Grand County or the Spanish Valley region of San Juan County, or, 2) a majority of the organization's employees work in Grand County.

All established, "locally-owned" organizations are eligible to apply for the STAR Business Grant and the MOAB! Tourism Grant. The MOAB! Tourism Grant prioritizes "small" organizations; applicant organizations will be weighted based on their average workforce and workforce hours during peak visitation months.

How will grant funds be disbursed?

Upon approval of your project application, Grand County Economic Development will generate a grant agreement contract specific to your project to be approved by the Grand County Commission. Once this is done, the county will disburse 90% of your grant amount. The remaining 10% will be awarded once you have spent this initial grant disbursement and your total match funds.

What is the time frame that grant funds must be spent?

Grant recipients will have a year from the date they receive their initial disbursement to spend all grant and match funds.

My project aims to create one or more new positions at my organization. Are there wage requirements associated with using Grand County Economic Development grant funds to create these roles?

Grand County Economic Development requires that new positions created through the use of its grant funds be created at 110% of the county's average wage within that sector. For example, if your goal aims to create a new job and your associated industry is "Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation," you would need to create a job that pays $3,100.90 per month or more.

To learn more about your industry's average wage, visit the Department of Workforce Services Economic Data Viewer page. Select "All Industries," "Grand," and "2021" (the total year, not any quarter) to view your industry's average monthly wage in 2021 in Grand County. Please reach out to Grand County Economic Development with further questions.

Note that the creation of jobs at 110% of Grand County's average wage likely makes your organization eligible for Utah's REDI grant. If you are interested in applying to this grant as well, be sure to mention it during your SBDC consultation.

How are applications to the STAR Business Grant assessed?

Applicants can score up to 30 points across four criteria: Impact, Diversification, Feasibility and Duration, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Review the grant program proposal as approved by the county commission (located on this page under "Resources for Applicants") to learn more about these categories.

Prior to being assessed on these four criteria, applications must receive a "Yes" in the Basic Business Health review. To receive a "Yes," the grant evaluation committee must determine upon review that an organization is viable and established.

How are applications to the MOAB! Tourism Grant assessed?

Applicants can score up to 30 points across four criteria: Collaboration, Alignment with Sustainability and Community Goals, Return on Investment, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Review the grant program proposal as approved by the county commission (located on this page under "Resources for Applicants") to learn more about these categories.

Prior to being assessed on these four criteria, applications must receive a "Yes" in the Basic Business Health review. To receive a "Yes," the grant evaluation committee must determine upon review that an organization is viable and established.

Who will serve on the grant evaluation committee?

Applications will be assessed by a committee assembled by Grand County Economic Development and consisting of: one (1) Grand County commissioner, one (1) Moab City representative, one (1) Grand County community non-profit representative, one (1) Grand County community business representative, and one (1) State of Utah Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity representative.