Grant Year 2026
Applications for the upcoming grant year, Grant Year 2026 (GY26), are due April 1, 2027. The EZ Application Submission Portal will be open for submitting GY26 applications from January 1, 2027 to April 1, 2027.
For the Job Creation Grant, zone investors that created grant-eligible jobs anytime in calendar year 2026 (January 1, 2026-December 31,2026) that meet the other requirements are eligible for GY26.
For the Real Property Investment Grant, zone investors that received final placed-in-service documentation for qualified real property investments in calendar year 2026 (January 1, 2026-December 31,2026) are eligible for GY26.
GY26 Hot-to-Qualify Webinars will be held in January 2027. Once the webinars are complete, the updated presentations and recordings will be uploaded. The only regulatory changes that are in effect for GY26 are the increases in wage rates listed in the table below.
| All businesses | 175% of VMW* | $21.72/hour | $800/grant-eligible position |
| All businesses | 150% of VMW* | $18.62/hour | $500/grant-eligible position |
| High unemployment areas and SWaM-certified businesses | 125% of VMW* | $15.51/hour | $500.grant-eligible position |
*Virginia Minimum Wage (VMW) | |||
