Click here for a list of both state and federal broadband funding opportunities.
Virginia Broadband Funding
Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI)
Source: Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
Eligible Applicant: A unit of government (Towns, Cities, Counties, EDA/IDA, Broadband/Wireless Authorities, Planning District Commissions, etc.) with a private sector provider(s) as a co-applicant.
Description: To provide financial assistance to supplement construction costs by private sector providers to extend services to areas that are presently unserved. Unserved areas are defined as having broadband speeds of 10 Mbps download and 1Mbps upload or less. In addition, a proposed project area is considered eligible if less than 10% of serviceable units are served from any other service provider as of the date of the application for the proposed project areas.
There is $19 million available in grants for the FY2020. The grant round closes on September 3, 2019.
Last Mile Broadband Grant Program
Source: Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission (TRRC)
Eligible Applicant: A unit of government within the Tobacco Region (Towns, Cities, Counties, EDA/IDA, Broadband/Wireless Authorities, Planning District Commissions, etc.), with a private sector provider(s) as a co-applicant.
Description: The objective of Last-Mile funding is to provide one-time financial assistance to supplement construction costs by private sector broadband service providers, in partnership with local units of government, to extend greater than 10/1 Mbps service to areas that presently are unserved by any broadband provider.
Community Development Block Grant Planning Grant (CDBG)
Source: Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
Eligible Applicant: Units of local government in non-entitlement localities.
Description: Funds available for 3 areas: planning grants, local innovation grants, implementation and economic development, and large scale local level projects ~ 700K.
Economic Development Grant Program
Source: Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission (TRRC)
Eligible Applicant: Public or incorporated non-profit private organizations located in and/or providing economic revitalization programs, services, or facilities in the tobacco region.
Description: The purpose of the Commission’s Economic Development Grant Program is to promote economic growth and development in tobacco-dependent communities in an equitable manner throughout the Southwest region of the Commonwealth in order to assist such communities in reducing their dependency on tobacco and tobacco-related business.
Virginia Pooled Financing Program
Source: Virginia Resources Authority (VRA)
Eligible Applicant: Local governments
Description: VRA provides financing for essential projects. All VRA’s authorized project areas are eligible for financing in the Virginia Pooled Financing Program (VPFP). Since inception in 2003, over 100 local governments in Virginia have utilized this program to finance or refinance over $2 billion in infrastructure projects.
Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID)
Source: Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS)
Eligible Applicant: Political subdivision or alliance of subdivisions.
Description: Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund is a discretionary, performance-based economic development incentive specifically for agriculture and forestry value-added or processing projects. Broadband projects are eligible; there has not been any broadband-related projects approved for AFID funding yet, however.