Opens in February

SCALE UP

EVENT

GRANT

Photo Credit: Snackfest

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Grow your event with Scale Up.

Funding, resources, and community.

The Events and Film Office and Travel Portland have teamed up to help event producers share Portland with the world.  

In partnership with Travel Portland, the Prosper Portland Office of Events & Film is proud to announce the Scale Up Grant Program, a competitive grant opportunity designed to provide funding and technical assistance for local Portland events positioned to grow and attract attendance beyond the Portland metro region.  

Grants are intended to advance the city’s economic and cultural revitalization, with an emphasis on supporting areas of Portland that have experienced significant declines in the number of businesses and employment, a high increase in office vacancies, and a substantial shift in visitor and employee foot traffic.  

GRANT OVERVIEW

  • Link to Eligibility and Selection Priorities 

  • Applications will reopen in February

  • Grant awards are up to $35,000 disbursed over three years. 

KEY DATES

  • TBD

    Application available for review and submission 

  • TBD

    Q & A session (recorded) 

  • TBD

    Applications close 

  • TBD

    Awardees notified 

PROGRAM INFORMATION

The Events and Film Office, in partnership with Travel Portland, provides grant funding to support the events community and further the Office’s strategic goals, including: 

  • Provide funding and technical assistance for local Portland events positioned to grow and attract attendance beyond the Portland metro region 

  • Advance the city’s economic and cultural revitalization, with an emphasis on supporting areas of Portland that have experienced high losses in the number of businesses and employment, a high increase in office vacancies, and a significant change in visitor and employee foot traffic. 

    • Grow mid-sized events to attract visitors from out of city and out of state   

    • 10% out of town attendance (visitors from 50+ miles outside Portland)  

    • Grow to min 5k+ attendance  

    • Support local industry and creative community  

    • Portland event producers have support to scale up their productions 

    1. Applications are screened for eligibility and completeness. 

    2. All eligible and complete applications are reviewed and scored by a selection committee 

    3. The top scoring applications advance for selection committee final review  

    4. The selection committee can recommend up to three applications for funding. Applications will be scored based on:  

      1. Alignment with the program goals 

      2. Completeness of responses  

      3. Likelihood the event will be delivered as submitted 

  • Awardees will be notified via email.  Awardee notification will take place in October.  

FUNDING

The typical grant is $35,000 disbursed over three years, but it can vary based on the budget of the event and estimated attendance. 

Funding can be used in the following ways:  

  • Planning   

  • Marketing  

  • Permitting   

  • Operations  

  • Event Accessibility  

Funding is determined based on eligibility and alignment with funding priorities.  

HOW TO APPLY

  1. Review eligibility and program priorities  

  2. Review application requirements

  3. Prepare responses, data required, and documentation using the application planning guide. Required data include:

    1. Attendance data from past events  

    2. Out-of-state event attendee data from past events  

    3. Event production cost  

  4. Event Budget (Using the provided template)

    1. Google Sheet Template

    2. Excel Template

  5. For questions about the application process, please get in touch with the grants team at OEFgrants@portlandeventsandfilm.com      

APPLICATION RESOURCES:  

Link to application planning guide. Please note that applications must be submitted online using the digital application form.

ELIGIBILTY CRITERIA

Events must take place between January 1, 2026, and June 30, 2026

Eligible events must meet the following criteria:  

  • have been held in Portland for at least two years (non-consecutive or consecutive years), and will continue to be held in Portland  

  • be open to the public  

  • be multi-day events (days can be non-consecutive), at least two days or longer  

  • have previous attendance numbers between 1,000 and 10,000 participants, and at least an average of 500 attendees per day  

  • Identify a specific need or problem that grant funding can address

ELIGIBILTY NOTE:  

This grant supports public events open to a broad community audience. Conferences, conventions, political*, or religious** events are ineligible.   

 *Political events are not eligible for grant funding.  For the purposes of these guidelines, a “political event” is an event where the primary or a significant purpose of the event is to:   

  • Solicit any money, influence, service or other thing of value or otherwise promote or oppose any political committee   

  • Promote or oppose the appointment, nomination or election of a person to a public office   

  • Promote or oppose the filing of an initiative, referendum or recall petition   

  • Promote or oppose the gathering of signatures on an initiative, referendum or recall petition   

  • Promote or oppose the adoption of a measure or the recall of a public office holder   

** Religious events are not eligible for grant funding.  For the purposes of these guidelines, a “religious event” is an event where the primary or a significant purpose of the event is to promote, support or engage in explicitly religious activities including, without limitation, activities that involve:   

  • Overt religious content such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytization   

  • Religious lectures, lessons and other religious education   

  • Distribution of religious publications, films and audio materials   

  • Restricting participation to persons on the basis of their religious beliefs   

An event will not be considered a “religious event” on the basis that the event sponsor is a religious organization, provided that the primary or a significant purpose of the event is not to promote, support or engage in explicitly religious activities.   

SELECTION CRITERIA

Applications are scored based on alignment with the following priorities:

  • Location Investment: Applicant prioritizes areas significantly impacted by business closures or relocations, high office vacancies, and shifts in visitor and employee foot traffic.

  • Creative Spirit: Event exemplifies Portland’s culture, spirit, creativity, and offers a unique experience.

  • Attendance: Event attracts between 1,000 and 10,000 attendees, and a minimum average of 500 attendees per day. With the capacity to grow, prioritizes all-ages access, and demonstrates potential for expansion.

  • Scaling opportunity: Applicant provides a clear plan for growth in attendance and out-of-state visitor participation.

  • Impact of Support: Event shows strong potential to benefit from funding and technical assistance.

How to apply

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

  • Funding for this program is provided by Travel Portland and the City of Portland and is dependent on tax revenue received by the City of Portland. As such, these funds are intended to go back to the community that has directly funded this initiative.

  • If your organization is producing multiple eligible events, you may apply for each event. Only one application per event will be considered. 

  • Yes, you can find the application questions in the “How to Apply” section of the grant webpage. We encourage you to review the application planning guide before submitting the application. You will be able to save your application as you go through the process.

  • Yes, you are eligible to apply to the Scale Up program even if you have received funding before. Prior funding from City organizations or Travel Portland will not affect your eligibility, however, prioritization will be given to events that are not currently receiving funding for this event from the City of Portland.  

  • Applications will be considered for both free and fee-based events.  
     

  • All events must take place in the city of Portland and may take place in private businesses or public spaces within those limits. 

  • Please review the selection criteria listed above.

  • All recipients will be required to provide a post-event impact report (template provided to all recipients), including a final budget, post-event summary, post-event attendee surveys, and media; and to participate in periodic meetings. We will provide training opportunities for event producers who require assistance in completing their post-event impact report.  

  • Each grant provides up to $35,000 total over three years. We’ll work with the grantees to decide how to split the payments in a way that best supports the event goals.

  • Yes. Applicants must be either a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit or a business located in Portland. You’ll also need to make sure your registration is current with both the State of Oregon and the City of Portland.

  • Grant funds must be used to support the presentation and growth of your event. Eligible expenses may include, but are not limited to: permits (such as street closures or park rentals), contractor payments (artists, musicians, vendors, producers), equipment rentals or purchases, marketing materials, and food or beverages for attendees or contractors. Funds cannot be used for controlled substances.

To request a language accommodation, please contact the grant team at OEFgrants@portlandeventsandfilm.com