RICHMOND –Several Hampton Roads localities have been awarded grants through the Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) program.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced March 24 more than $8.1 million was awarded to 17 projects, all of which involve creating talent pipelines and stimulating economic growth.
“GO Virginia allows us to invest in key projects that address regionally identified opportunities while fostering collaboration for economic growth between the private and public sectors,” Youngkin said in a press release. “These projects exemplify the innovative partnerships that GO Virginia was designed to promote and will advance Virginia’s position in critical industries such as life science and energy, as well as leverage emerging opportunities in semiconductor manufacturing.”
GO Virginia was started in 2017 with the goal of encouraging regional economic growth through partnerships that involve workforce development and site development. In that time, it has awarded more than $100 million to almost 260 projects, creating 26,000 new jobs and training 13,000 students in high-demand fields. It also has provided thousands of internships and apprenticeships, as well as awarding 3,600 workforce credentials.
“As we grow Virginia’s economy, the workforce must grow with it, and GO Virginia continues to inspire innovative solutions and regional collaboration,” Caren Merrick, the state’s Secretary of Commerce and Trade, said in the release. “These 17 projects will support and grow industry sectors and talent pipelines that are instrumental to growing our economy.”
Here are the projects involving Hampton Roads communities:
Demonstration Site for Clean Energy Transition to Green Hydrogen ($1,497,452), involving Newport News along with Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach.
Talent Pathways Planning Initiative Application ($250,000), involving Gloucester, Hampton, James City County, Newport News, Poquoson, Williamsburg, York County, Chesapeake, Franklin, Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Southampton, and Virginia Beach.
Young Entrepreneurs Program ($98,000), involving Gloucester, King George County, and Colonial Beach.
In addition to the $8.1 million in funding, the projects will leverage an additional $5.6 million in local and non-state funding. To learn more about the GO Virginia program, visit dhcd.virginia.gov/gova. To see the complete list of grant winners, visit https://dhcd.virginia.gov/march-2023-go-virginia-grant-awards.