| State economic development agency | Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) |
| State SBIR/STTR phase-zero match | Virginia Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) + CIT GAP Funds |
| Formal small-business set-aside program | Federal-only |
| Signature grant programs cataloged | 2 programs |
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) is the state's lead economic-development agency, structured as a public-private partnership. Major programs include the Commonwealth's Development Opportunity Fund (COF) closing fund, the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP) workforce training, the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, and the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) through the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) supporting SBIR/STTR alignment.
Primary site: Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP)
The Governor's discretionary closing-assistance fund. Used for project-specific needs (infrastructure, site preparation, training) on major economic-development projects in active site-selection.
Customized recruitment, training development, and post-hire onboarding for qualifying VA projects, delivered through partnership with Virginia Community College System. Functions as substantial in-kind grant.
The state primarily relies on federal small-business certifications (SBA 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB/EDWOSB, SDVOSB/VOSB) for set-aside eligibility. State agency procurement may apply these certifications where federal funds pass through, but no state-administered formal small-business set-aside program operates beyond the standard MBE/WBE/DBE registries.
Virginia's Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF), administered through CIT (now part of Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation), has historically included SBIR/STTR-aligned program lines providing matching or supplemental grants to VA small businesses. CIT GAP Funds operate alongside as equity investments.
Match amount: CRCF awards historically up to $100,000+ per project across program lines
Program page: Virginia Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) + CIT GAP Funds
Virginia state-administered grant programs typically use program-specific application portals on individual agency sites rather than a single statewide grants portal. Federal pass-through funds (HUD CDBG, EDA, USDA Rural Development) route through Grants.gov for the federal half, then through the state sub-recipient process. Always confirm the application URL on the agency page for the specific program before drafting.
Federal grants reach businesses in Virginia through several pass-through channels: HUD CDBG-State dollars administered by Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) that sub-grant to localities for economic development; EDA public-works and economic-adjustment grants flowing through regional EDA offices; USDA Rural Development Business and Industry loan guarantees and Rural Business Development Grants for rural-county operations; and SBA programs (7(a), 504, Microloan, CDFI) accessed via local lenders. Business eligibility for each channel depends on entity size, location (rural vs urban), and use-of-funds.
CDBG state administrator: Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) (CDBG-state administrator)
EDA regional contact: US EDA regional office
State programs cover one half of the picture. Federal grants flow through 26 federal agencies via Grants.gov; the eligibility floor often overlaps with state programs. Use the GrantProbe Grant Finder to filter federal grants by entity type, sector, and award size, and read our federal grants for startups primer for the framework behind every match.
Virginia's economic development agency administers several grant and incentive programs for businesses, but most flagship programs require either an existing operation, a defined hiring commitment, or capital investment milestones. Pure pre-revenue startups should usually pair federal SBIR/STTR (where R&D-eligible) with state innovation match programs (if available) and CDFI lending. See the signature programs section above for the named Virginia programs and their eligibility thresholds.
Yes. Virginia operates Virginia Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) + CIT GAP Funds, which provides CRCF awards historically up to $100,000+ per project across program lines to small businesses receiving federal SBIR/STTR awards. See the SBIR/STTR match section above for eligibility, application timing, and program contact.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program flows from HUD to Virginia's state agency (Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) (CDBG-state administrator)), which sub-grants to localities. Businesses do not apply directly to the state for CDBG dollars; they apply to participating cities or counties for economic development sub-awards (job creation, blight remediation, low-to-moderate-income workforce). Contact your local economic development office for current sub-awards.
Virginia uses Grants.gov + program-specific portals. See the application portal section above for the portal URL and pattern. Most state-administered programs require pre-registration with a state vendor identification number before an application can be submitted.