Wilkes EDC Entrepreneur Grant Program

The 2026 WeddingPro Grant Program is a $500,000 investment designed to support wedding small businesses through financial grants, advertising support, mentorship, and education. Each business will be elligible to receive grants between $10,000 and $50,000 as well as one year of free advertising on The Knot and WeddingWire. The program is open to US-based wedding professionals who operate a small business and earn a meaningful portion of their income from weddings.

The Virginia AFID Infrastructure Grant Program provides Virginia political subdivisions with competitive reimbursement grants of up to $50,000 per project to fund community infrastructure development projects that support local food production and sustainable agriculture. Administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) through the Governor's Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund (AFID), the program is designed to build community-level infrastructure that primarily benefits smaller, newer, or limited-resource farmers, ranchers, food entrepreneurs, and startup food enterprises. Grants are awarded through semi-annual funding rounds (a fall round with awards typically announced by December 31 and a spring round with awards typically announced by June 30). Grantees have two years from the award announcement to complete their project, with a possible one-year extension. Priority project types include locally owned processing facilities such as commercial kitchens, packaging and labeling facilities, and animal slaughtering facilities, along with farmers markets, food hubs, and other agricultural aggregation facilities. Additional consideration is given to projects that benefit multiple small-scale agricultural producers and to projects located in economically distressed communities. Eligible costs include building construction and renovation, contractual services and installation costs, special-purpose equipment (such as canners, hulling processors, packing and labeling equipment, and delivery vehicles), and salaries and wages proportional to the project. Purchases of land or new buildings, marketing costs, general-purpose equipment, and educational expenses are not eligible. Applications must be made by a Virginia political subdivision (counties, cities, towns, Industrial and Economic Development Authorities, or Planning District Commissions), and applications may be submitted on behalf of more than one locality, provided each applicant contributes matching funds and a single political subdivision serves as the lead applicant and grant administrator. The program generally requires a dollar-for-dollar (1:1) match, though Economically Distressed Localities and projects benefiting multiple small-scale agricultural producers qualify for a reduced 2:1 match. Up to 50 percent of the required match may be provided in-kind or through other matching funds, including federal grants, nonprofit contributions, and funds from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission. Applicants may hold multiple active AFID Infrastructure Program grants but are eligible for only one grant award per grant round and must be in good standing with any prior AFID awards.

The Job Creation Fund provides financial incentives to new and expanding businesses that meet certain job creation and capital investment targets. Companies deemed eligible to participate may receive up to $1 million for creating or retaining high-paying jobs and for constructing or renovating facilities or making other property improvements. In some cases, companies may receive awards of up to $2 million.

The Live Your Dream Awards provide monetary assistance to women who provide the primary source of financial support for their families. It is the cornerstone program of Soroptimist International of the Americas, LiveYourDream.org's sponsoring organization. Each year, more than $3 million in education grants are awarded to over 2,300 women, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles including poverty, domestic violence, the death of a spouse and/or substance abuse.

A matching grant program to support small, locally-owned, and operated businesses in the City of Virginia Beach. Façade improvement grants (FIG) are reimbursements for significant exterior improvements for small, locally owned, and operated businesses located in any commercial or industrial-zoned area within the City of Virginia Beach. Funding is not an entitlement and is available on a competitive, first-come, first-served basis until funds for the fiscal year are awarded. The program will match small business owners', or those who lease to small businesses, investments up to $10,000,for exterior building, site, and outdoor dining improvements. Grants are performance-based and will be authorized by VBDA after successful completion and evaluation of the improvements. Paid invoices and receipts must be submitted.