Apply for Funding
GO Virginia is a statewide economic development program that brings together businesses, local governments, and regional partners to build stronger, more diverse regional economies. Funding is available for projects that demonstrate regional cooperation and long‑term strategies that support target industry clusters.
Region 2 is allocated approximately $1.5 million each fiscal year to fund projects that support our target industry clusters. The GO Virginia Region 2 Council is responsible for prioritizing and advancing proposed projects to the GO Virginia State Board for funding.
If you are interested in applying for funding, reach out to GOVA Region 2 staff and share your project idea. Staff will review eligibility, the appropriate application, timeline, and offer suggestions to develop a strong proposal for submission. Submit your Expression of Interest today!
Key Elegibility Requirements
All GO Virginia projects must:
- Align with the Region 2 Growth & Diversification Plan priorities
- Support one of the four Region 2 target industry clusters
- Address a gap or demand from target industry companies
- Demonstrate regional collaboration
- Include meaningful participation from at least 2 local government entities
- 2:1 match committed. For every $2 requested from GOVA, the applicant must have $1 of (non-state) matching funds committed
*For implementation grants, 20% of the match requirement must be from local government
*match may be cash or in-kind or a combination of both - Be sustainable after GOVA funding
*implementation grants only - Deliver tangible economic outcomes
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include local government entities, nonprofit organizations, regional economic development organizations, regional chambers of commerce, planning district commissions, colleges, and universities.
• Nonprofits are not eligible to apply for funding for any project that primarily or directly benefits an affiliated for-profit entity.
Proposals for funding must demonstrate how they will support one or more of the four target industry clusters. These clusters are identified as having the greatest potential for sustainable, scalable growth in the region.
Life Sciences &
Biotechnology
IT, Engineering Services, & Emerging
Technology
Manufacturing for Transportation, Energy, & Autonomy
Advanced Materials
Manufacturing
Investment Strategies
GO Virginia projects must align with one of these four priority investment strategies:
Building talent pipelines aligned with business needs that increase the pool of qualified workers in one or more target industry clusters:
- Projects supporting either the Life Sciences & Biotechnology or Manufacturing for Transportation, Energy & Autonomy clusters should also align with the 2024 Region 2 Talent Pathways Initiative Report.
- Projects must respond directly to documented employer demand. Qualitative and quantitative data should be included in the application to support how the project will address the unmet/emerging needs of the identified priority industry cluster(s).
- Projects may focus on
- Aligning programs with employer needs
- Talent development or retention
- Addressing skills gaps identified by regional employers
- Preparing workers for sustainable, high-paying jobs in target industry clusters - Applicants should secure partnerships with regional private sector employers. These partnerships may be demonstrated through financial or resource commitments and/or pledges to hire graduates, host interns, or sponsor apprentices.
- Workforce Development Core Grant Outcomes: These are the metrics tracked by GO Virginia. Implementation projects must demonstrate a clear, measurable path to one or more of these:
# of people trained
# of job placements
# of businesses served
# of new interns placed
# of new apprenticeships created
# of new programs implemented
# of credentials awarded
# of students that completed a dual enrollment program
*please refer to the GO Virginia Core Grant Outcomes template for the program definition of each outcome
Supporting site development and infrastructure projects that help regions develop a competitive portfolio of sites suitable for new or expanding businesses in target sectors.
- Sites typically must be a minimum of 25 contiguous acres. Waivers are considered for regionally significant sites within established industrial parks
- Sites planning grants should provide clear recommendations to move a site closer to readiness for business investment. Activities may include:
- Identifying/evaluating potential sites
- Site characterization
- Creating agreements between partners to share costs and benefits of future site development - Sites implementation grants must help prepare a site for future business use in alignment with target industry clusters. Activities may include:
- Advance sites to higher VBRSP tiers
- Due diligence, including engineering studies, environmental reviews, utility and infrastructure assessments
- Infrastructure enhancements, including improvements to utility, telecommunications, stormwater, and internal transportation systems - Funding may NOT be used for: new construction, demolition, capital improvements, site remediation, property acquisition
- Site Development & Infrastructure Core Grant Outcomes: These are the metrics tracked by GO Virginia. Implementation projects must demonstrate a clear, measurable path to one or more of these:
# acres advanced to a higher tier per the VBRSP
# acres impacted/developed (for sites not advancing to a higher tier)
# increased locality engagement in establishing a Regional Industrial Facility Authority (RIFA) and/or revenue sharing agreement
# linear feet of water infrastructure
# linear feet of gas infrastructure installed
# linear feet of sewer infrastructure
# miles of middle-mile broadband completed
Helping the region build a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem- the network of programs, partnerships, and resources that enable startups and innovative businesses to launch, grow, and thrive
- Ecosystems are strengthened by combining infrastructure (accelerators, incubators, shared workspaces) and support systems (mentorship, access to capital, commercialization assistance) that entrepreneurs need to succeed.
- Eligible activities include:
- Startup support infrastructure
- Business accelerators and pre-accelerators
- Business incubators
- Mentorship
- Entrepreneur-in-Residence programs
- Workshops & training
- Ideation & proof of concept support
- Innovation hubs - Entrepreneurship & Innovation Core Grant Outcomes: These are the metrics tracked by GO Virginia. Implementation projects must demonstrate a clear, measurable path to one or more of these:
# jobs created
# existing businesses expanded
# new businesses created
# businesses served
# new mentors providing business assistance
Total funds raised by businesses served
# new products released to production
# patents filed
# patents awarded
Helping existing regional industries grow and compete at a larger scale
- These projects focus on second-stage companies and emerging industry subclusters that are positioned for growth, commercialization, expanded production, and market expansion.
- Eligible activities include:
- Business accelerators
- Second-stage growth programs
- Research & Development partnerships
- Supply chain & industry network initiatives
- Cluster intelligence & transition Strategies (planning)
- Cluster pivot strategies - Cluster Scale-Up Core Grant Outcomes: These are the metrics tracked by GO Virginia. Implementation projects must demonstrate a clear, measurable path to one or more of these:
# jobs created
# businesses attracted
# existing businesses expanded
#businesses served
Total funds raised by businesses served
Grant Types
These grants fund early-stage activities such as feasibility studies, strategy development, and pilot programs
- Up to $100,000 per project
- 1 year grant period
- Meaningful participation from at least 2 local government entities is required
- Must demonstrate a line of sight to implementation
- Site development planning activities may be funded using a separate application form.
These grants fund projects that are ready to launch, scale, and deliver measurable economic outcomes
- 2 year grant period
- 20% of the 2:1 match requirement must be from local government entities. Meaningful participation from at least 2 local government entities is required.
- Site development and infrastructure implementation activities may be funded using a separate application form.
Competitive grants are funded from the Statewide Competitive Fund rather than the Region 2 Per Capita Fund. These grants are designed for projects that involve two or more GOVA regions or go beyond what a single region’s annual allocation can support. These projects should demonstrate extraordinary economic opportunity
Multi Region Competitive Projects
- Multi region projects must include meaningful participation from at least 2 local government entities from each participating region
- 20% of the 2:1 match requirement must be from local government entities.
- May apply to planning or implementation projects
Single Region Competitive Projects
- Only available for implementation projects
- Funding available only if the request exceeds the available funding in the region’s annual allocation
- Must demonstrate it presents an extraordinary economic opportunity
Competitive Planning Grants
- 1 year grant period
- Up to $250,000 in funding
- Must demonstrate a clear line of sight to a future multi-region implementation project
- Evaluated using the GO Virginia Competitive Planning Application Rubric
Competitive Implementation Grants
- 2 year grant period
- Must present an extraordinary economic opportunity to the applicable regions
- Evaluated using the GO Virginia Competitive Implementation Application Rubric
What makes a strong GOVA proposal?
What makes a strong GOVA proposal?
GO Virginia targets building regional economies by supporting industry growth through regional collaboration and job creation. A proposal stands out when it:
- Engages a diverse stakeholder group - the more collaboration you can demonstrate, the stronger the proposal will be.
- Results in job creation/placement - not all projects have jobs as a direct outcome, but this is the strongest outcome for the program.
- Engages with industry - quantity and quality count! More employers and more meaningful engagement make a project stand out. Beyond a letter of support, bringing employers into the project activities demonstrates industry demand for and support of the project.
- Has strong match sources - cash is the strongest form of match. Begin making match requests early in the process. This step takes time and is often the reason applicants have to postpone applying to the next cycle or decrease their GOVA request.
Application Evaluation
GO Virginia proposals are evaluated on four criteria:
1. Economic Impact: Alignment with the Region 2 Growth & Diversification Plan; overall potential to deliver tangible economic results.
Strong proposals demonstrate:
- Activities will address a documented gap or demand from target industry cluster(s)
- Include private sector investment
- Economic impact based on committed core grant outcomes
- Adds value and does not duplicate existing efforts or programs in the service area
2. Regional Collaboration: Level and quality of participation by local governments and regional partners; type and amount of match committed to the project
Strong proposals demonstrate:
- Active collaboration from a diverse stakeholder group- educational institutions, workforce partners, economic development organizations, and private sector stakeholders
- Financial and in-kind match contributions from a diverse group of partners
3. Project Readiness: Preparedness to launch and manage the project successfully
Strong proposals demonstrate:
- A clear, achievable plan with timelines and defined quarterly milestones
- Well-defined roles and responsibilities among partners
- Prerequisite activities have been completed or underway
- Realistic assessment of potential barriers or risks with plans to address them
- Capacity to carry out project and grant management activities
4. Sustainability: A clear and realistic plan to sustain impact after the GOVA grant period, including sources of sustainable funding.
Strong proposals demonstrate:
- Identification of long-term funding sources, business models, or partnership to support sustainability
- A defined strategy for continuing operations beyond the grant period
- A plan for how the project’s benefits will be maintained, scaled, or replicated in the region
*Planning grants are not designed to be sustainable. Instead, these proposals must demonstrate a clear line of sight to the implementation phase.
*Competitive grants are evaluated using a scoring rubric with a cut score of 75/100.