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Gov. Northam announces $2,618,150 in GO Virginia grants

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virginiaGovernor Ralph Northam announced Wednesday nine regional projects funded through GO Virginia (Growth and Opportunity for Virginia). Key members of the Governor’s Cabinet, the General Assembly, and the business community approved $2,618,150 in GO Virginia regional per capita grant funds for projects across the Commonwealth.

These grants are for projects that each region identified as vital to their efforts to diversify the regional economy, strengthen their workforce, and support collaborative programs between localities, public entities, and private businesses.

“GO Virginia’s framework is unique in that it is empowering regional business leaders, local governments, and local educators to work together for the good of Virginia’s economy,” said Governor Northam. “These projects will strengthen our workforce and support our ongoing efforts to create opportunity in every corner of Virginia. GO Virginia will play an important role in developing the next generation of leaders and innovators from across the Commonwealth.”

“GO Virginia’s momentum continues as nine more projects were approved today,” said GO Virginia Board Chairman John O. “Dubby” Wynne. “It is exciting to see more regional collaboration for economic development in nearly every corner of our Commonwealth. With this second round of projects approved, GO Virginia continues to make progress in addressing our state’s economic challenges and in lifting up our communities. We look forward to carrying out this important work to boost Virginia’s economy and create more higher-paying jobs over the next months and years.”

The GO Virginia Per Capita grant funds will be used to implement projects that align with the regions’ Growth and Diversification Plans. These plans provide an honest assessment of the economic, workforce, and structural barriers in the region as well as the existing regional economic drivers and potential growth sectors in each region. Projects that address these challenges and opportunities are the first step toward the creation of higher paying jobs in the regions.

The regional per capita funding is awarded on a rolling basis by the State GO Virginia Board based on the regional application processes. All regions will be eligible for the statewide competitive grants that are expected to be awarded in April of 2018.

Six of the nine GO Virginia Regions submitted applications in this round of per capita funding. The nine projects approved today will leverage $4.3 million in non-state sources to assist with economic diversification throughout the Commonwealth. Local governments have committed $2.6 million toward these nine projects.

2018 Round 2 Regional Per Capita Grant Awards

GO VA Region and Localities within region involved in project award Project Name GO VA Per Capita Award
Project Description
Region 2- Town of Amherst, City of Lynchburg, Counties of Appomattox, Bedford, Floyd Talent Collaborative $300,000 This project addresses the skills and interest gaps in middle and high-skill occupations in manufacturing, healthcare, and information technology through an awareness campaign and the establishment of a training program.

 

Region 2- Cities of Roanoke and Radford, the Counties of Roanoke, Montgomery, Pulaski, Giles, Bland and Craig Project Hollyleaf Site Grading $150,000 This project improves a 20-acre industrial parcel in the New River Valley Commerce Park in order to upgrade the site from a Tier 4 to Tier 5 Business Ready Site Certification through VEDP.
Region 2- Cities of Roanoke and Salem and Roanoke County Wood Haven Road Water and Sewer Infrastructure Enhancement $200,150 This project improves the site readiness and marketability of an industrial site near the intersection of Routes 81 and 581 that will accommodate a 52-acre pad and a 20-acre pad.

 

Region 3- Counties of Charlotte, Halifax, Mecklenburg, and Pittsylvania, and the City of Danville Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO-TEC) $648,000 This project will expand existing curriculum offered by six higher education partners, to build a regional training system of scale for careers in IT and focused areas of advanced manufacturing.

 

 

 

Region 4- City of Richmond and Richmond Region Planning District Commission VCU Pharmaceutical Accelerator $500,000 This project will lead to the creation of an advanced manufacturing cluster in Region 4 by commercializing advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing processes and equipment developed through the Medicines for All (M4ALL) program at VCU.

 

Region 4- Counties of Greensville and Prince George CCAM Apprentice Academy Pilot Programs $430,000 This project addresses the growing need for workforce development through the implementation of two pilot mechatronics training programs for the CCAM Apprentice Academy.

 

Region 5- Cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, and Portsmouth 757 Seed Fund $140,000 This project will establish the administrative structure for a new fund to provide seed-stage investments to Virginia’s most compelling innovation-based, high-growth companies.

 

Region 5- Cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Williamsburg, and York and James City County Hampton Roads Unmanned Systems Park $150,000 This project facilitates the initial steps needed to establish the Hampton Roads Regional Unmanned Systems Facility (HRUSF) in York County
Region 8- Cities of Lexington and Buena Vista, and Rockbridge County Rockbridge Area Advanced Manufacturing Program (RAAMP) $100,000 This project aims to address the demand for welders throughout the Shenandoah Valley, by increasing enrollment and student access to training opportunities in welding.

 

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