| State economic development agency | West Virginia Department of Economic Development |
| State SBIR/STTR match or Phase 0 grant | State program (see below) |
| State small-business or supplier-diversity certification | State program (see below) |
| Signature grant programs cataloged | 1 programs |
The West Virginia Department of Economic Development is the state's lead economic-development agency. Major programs include the Economic Opportunity Tax Credit, the Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit, the Governor's Guaranteed Workforce Program training grants, and CDBG-state pass-throughs administered by the Development Office.
Primary site: West Virginia Department of Economic Development
State customized training grant for WV employers, administered through the Department of Economic Development in partnership with WV community/technical college system.
West Virginia runs its own certification or preference program for state contracting. Certification can open state set-asides, participation goals or preferences; federal SBA certifications (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB) cover federal contracts.
West Virginia supports SBIR/STTR applicants through the WV SBIR/STTR Matching Funds (Entrepreneurship and Innovation Investment Fund). Check the program page for current rounds and eligibility; the federal award itself is still applied for through the agencies listed at SBIR.gov.
Match amount: Phase 0 $2,500 year-round; Phase I/II match subject to fund balance; January and July windows
Program page: WV SBIR/STTR Matching Funds (Entrepreneurship and Innovation Investment Fund)
West Virginia programs take applications one by one on the administering agency's site; there is no single statewide grants application system. Confirm the application link on each program page before drafting.
Portal: Program-by-program applications
Federal grants reach businesses in West Virginia through several pass-through channels: HUD CDBG-State dollars administered by West Virginia Department of Economic Development that sub-grant to localities for economic development; EDA public-works and economic-adjustment grants, awarded through regional EDA offices to local governments, economic development districts and nonprofits; USDA Rural Development Business and Industry loan guarantees for rural businesses, plus Rural Business Development Grants that go to towns, tribes and nonprofits (not to businesses directly) to support local small businesses; and SBA loan programs (7(a), 504, Microloan) accessed via local lenders, alongside Treasury-certified CDFI lenders. Business eligibility for each channel depends on entity size, location (rural vs urban), and use-of-funds.
CDBG state administrator: West Virginia Department of Economic Development (CDBG-state administrator)
EDA regional contact: US EDA regional office
State programs cover one half of the picture. Federal grant opportunities are listed on Grants.gov; the eligibility floor often overlaps with state programs. Use the GrantProbe Grant Map to search open federal opportunities by keyword, category and agency, and read our federal grants for startups primer for the framework behind every match.
Need help beyond business grants? The West Virginia section of the GrantProbe State Assistance Finder links the official rental, LIHEAP, SNAP, Medicaid and small-business programs for West Virginia.
West 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 West Virginia's SBIR/STTR support program (see above) and CDFI lending. See the signature programs section above for the named West Virginia programs and their eligibility thresholds.
Yes. West Virginia supports SBIR/STTR applicants through the WV SBIR/STTR Matching Funds (Entrepreneurship and Innovation Investment Fund): Phase 0 $2,500 year-round; Phase I/II match subject to fund balance; January and July windows. See the program page for current rounds.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program flows from HUD to West Virginia's state agency (West Virginia Department of Economic Development (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.
There is no single statewide grants application system; West Virginia programs take applications on the administering agency's site. Confirm the link on each program page.