FAQ for obtaining Accommodation Tax funding

Q. Why did the City of Brandon implement an Accommodation Tax?

A. The purpose of the accommodation tax is to generate revenue to support event acquisition, event retention, and/or capital repairs and upgrade initiatives in support of event acquisition and event retention within the City of Brandon. Brandon City Council recognized event hosting as a significant economic generator for Brandon and one that would benefit from increased investment. Through the establishment of the Accommodation Tax By-Law, City Council committed to investing all proceeds from the tax into growing existing events and attracting new events to Brandon.

New events typically take some time to develop a strong attendance, volunteer base and sponsors. These funds will be used to provide new events with time to build the necessary support for success. Existing events that are looking to expand but need some assistance to do so will also benefit from the available funding. Likewise recognizing that the event market is extremely competitive, the funds will be available to ensure Brandon is able to retain events that are actively being pursued by other communities. Last but not least, if capital improvements are the deciding factor between an event selecting Brandon or going elsewhere, this tax can also be used to fund capital additions or enhancements.

Q. How much do visitors to Brandon pay for the Accommodation Tax?

A. The accommodation tax is a flat fee of $3.00 per night per room plus GST. A flat fee was chosen over a percentage amount so that the amount is easily known and easy to calculate for guests regardless of the price paid for accommodation.

Q. How do I apply for Accommodation Tax funding for my event?

A. Application forms for Accommodation Tax funding are available online under the forms section on the overview page or can be obtained by contacting the Economic Development Brandon office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 204.729.2132 or toll free at 866.729.2132 or by stopping by the office located on the 2nd floor of City Hall at 410 9th Street. Application will be considered on an ongoing first come first serve basis by the City of Brandon through application to the Director of Economic Development. Applicants are required to submit the completed Application, no less than 90 days before the event.

All applications should be clearly written or typed using the same format as requested. The City of Brandon will review the application to verify that all information has been received. If there is missing information or documents, the City will notify the requesting organization of any additional needs. Once the application is complete, it will be reviewed utilizing existing evaluation matrix templates and a recommendation formulated by the Director of Economic Development for consideration by Brandon City Council during a regularly scheduled Council meeting.

The applicant or designate must be present at the Brandon City Council meeting when the funding recommendation is being considered. If funding is awarded by the Council, a contract will be drawn up and the organization is required to return two signed original funding contract documents prior to the event taking place. If the documents are not returned, that is considered a rejection of the funding offer.

Q. If I am approved for funding from the Accommodation Tax Reserve will I receive all the approved funding in advance of my event?

A. No, approved applicants will receive a 40% advance prior to the event and the remaining 60% once the final report has been received by the City of Brandon. The final report is due within 30 days of the event concluding.

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Q. I am organizing an event that is great for Brandon but does not generate overnight stays, am I eligible for funding?

A. No, only events that generate overnight stays are eligible for funding from the Accommodation Tax Reserve.

Q. What is the process for determining which events will receive Accommodation Tax funding?

A. Application proposals for use of the funds collected through the City of Brandon Accommodation Tax By-Law 7014 will be considered on an ongoing first come first serve basis by the City of Brandon through application to the Director of Economic Development. The recommendation developed by the Director of Economic Development is advisory only. Brandon City Council will make the final decision on which projects will be funded and the funding levels for approved projects. Funding preference should be given to not for profit organizations and events that do not run a deficit.

Q. How long does it take to receive approval for funding?

A. Approval will take anywhere from 4-12 weeks.

Q. I need to pay for my event’s significant costs up front, why is it that I will only receive partial funding for my event prior to its start?

A. The level of funding awarded to an event is based on key items such as the room nights generated by the event, number of hotels / motels utilized, and media exposure. This information is not available until the event concludes. By only advancing a portion of the allocated funding it ensures that the funding provided to an event is in keeping with the actual impact of the event.

Q. I have held an ongoing event in Brandon for a number of years now, how can I access Accommodation Tax funds to expand my event?

A. Funding for existing events will be considered via three different streams, the first being a request for assistance based on event viability, the second being a request based on a competing community offering a specific incentive that may jeopardize the event continuing to be held in Brandon and the third being enhancements to the event that will generate additional overnight stays. Please select the appropriate category when you complete the funding application.

Q. What criteria are used to determine which events will receive Accommodation Tax funding?

A. Applications will be evaluated using criteria set forth in the evaluation matrixes below. The Capital Funding Matrix is under development and this application will be updated once the matrix is complete.

Criteria for Accommodation Tax Funding Matrix

This matrix is typically suitable for the first time event applicant looking to bring to or create an event in Brandon.

Criteria for Competitive Bid Funding Matrix

This matrix is typically suitable for an event that has a history of being hosted in Brandon but is actively being recruited by another community who has provided the event host with a formal written incentive to attempt to lure them from Brandon.

Criteria for Event Viability Funding Matrix

This matrix is typically suitable for an event that has a history of being hosted in Brandon but is looking to expand the event in order to attract a new market segment to the event which will result in increased room nights.

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Q. Can my event apply for funding more than once?

A. Yes, but an organization cannot apply more than once for the same event parameters. The event must be expanding in a manner that will reach a new market segment and generate new rooms nights or have a serious offer to relocate the event to another community to be eligible for funding. See the example below:

The quilters’ conference held annually in Brandon received funding when they were first established. The event is four years old and they have decided to ramp up their marketing efforts which they believe will attract at least. To assist with the increased marketing the host group will be applying for funding. Under these parameters they would not eligible for funding as they are not expanding the scope of the conference.

Same conference but with a slightly different scenario: The quilters’ conference held annually in Brandon received funding when they were first established. The event is four years old. The host committee has realized that folks that quilt tend to scrap book as well so they are adding a scrapbooking stream to the conference that will feature experienced scrap bookers, new product demos and classes on specialty scrapbooking techniques. To assist with the conference growth the host group will be applying for funding. Under these parameters, provided they can demonstrate that scrap bookers will travel overnight for the event, they would be eligible for funding as they are adding an entirely new segment to their conference that will attract a totally different market.

Q. Our organization has been reviewing other events that we can attract to Brandon and feel that if we invest in a capital improvements or additions that we will be much better positioned to attract additional events. Would we be eligible for funding?

A. No. The only time funding will be approved for capital improvements or additions is when the capital improvements or additions are the deciding factor between an event selecting Brandon or going elsewhere.

Q. In the accommodation tax matrix there are a lot of points available for room nights generated. How does one qualify for the points?

A. The goal of the Accommodation Tax is to maximize the number of new overnight stays. Therefore events that generate a large number of room nights will receive a higher point score than an event that generates a small number of room nights. The Evaluation Committee has established internal thresholds to guide funding recommendations.

Q. My organization does not have all the information that is being requested in the application, can we still apply for funding?

A. Yes. Information in the Accommodation Tax Funding application will aid in evaluating proposed events based on maximizing exposure, profile and long range economic impact on the city. Thus it is in your best interest to supply as much information as possible.

Contact

For further information on obtaining Accommodation Tax funding for your event, please contact:

Economic Development Brandon

410 – 9th Street 
Brandon, MB R7A 6A2
(204) 729-2131 

For further information on tourism initiatives and on how to get assistance for your event, please contact: 

Brandon First
1-545 Conservation Drive
Brandon, MB R7A 7L8
Phone: (204) 729-2156 
Cell: (204) 724-2525 
Fax: (204) 729-2139