Events Funding Application

The Events Panel invites applications for contributions towards the cost of new events (or events that reach new audiences).

You can download the application form here: Visit Isle of Wight events funding application

Thank you for your interest in applying for events support funding from Visit Isle of Wight and the Wight BID fund.

Please complete the Visit Isle of Wight events funding application with as much detail as possible, and email back to info@visitwight.org

If you wish to discuss your application with Visit Isle of Wight prior to completing your application, then please email info@visitwight.org

  1. The Events Criteria – how your event will be assessed

A panel of events professionals made up of WIGHT BID levy payers will consider your application and judge it against a set of criteria: Below are the main questions we will be considering when we receive your application. You should ensure that your application meets at least one of these challenges:

  • NEW, OR EXTRA VISITORS TO THE ISLAND
  • EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF STAY AND ENCOURAGING EVENT VISITORS TO EXPLORE MORE OF THE ISLAND WHILST THEY’RE HERE
  • ATTRACTING VISITORS OUTSIDE THE PEAK PERIODS
  1. Will our financial support for this event lead to additional visitors coming to the Isle of Wight specifically because of your event or festival?
  2. Does your event offer the Island an opportunity to attract additional visitors during the “shoulder periods” (eg: outside of most of the school holiday periods)? Your event application is more likely to succeed if it is taking place during a shoulder period, and if it is on a different day to other established events and festivals on the Island.
  3. Does your event encourage people visiting the Island to stay longer and explore more of the Island whilst they’re here. Extending the length of stay of all visitors is one of the main aims of the Wight BID fund
  4. How far does your event go to attract new visitors to the Island? Events that open up the Island to new visitors or market segments that don’t currently visit us are more likely to succeed (EG: IWPride 2017 received funding support because it set out to attract new visitors to the Island).
  5. This is a competitive application process; therefore, the events panel will be considering the strength of your proposal against others we may have received. It is therefore important that you provide as much background information and detail about your event as possible, so that if we must choose between two strong applications, we have all the detail we need.

We recommend that you read the four themes of the Wight BID Fund prior to making your application. You can download a copy of the document here: https://visitwightpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/VIOW-BID-2021-26-Proposal-1.pdf (See pages 8 – 10 for theme details).