Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Grant (EID Grant)

Applicants must meet the definition of a qualified company, which is defined as a business entity that meets the following criteria:

• Locates or expands a facility within the Commonwealth.
• Creates at least 25 new, permanent full-time positions at a facility within Virginia from commencement of the project through the first full year of operation or during the year when the expansion occurs.
• Is involved in maritime commerce or exports or imports manufactured goods through The Port of Virginia.
• Is engaged in one or more of the following: distribution, freight forwarding, freight handling, goods processing, manufacturing, warehousing, crossdocking, transloading, or wholesaling of goods exported and imported through The Port of Virginia; shipbuilding and ship repair; dredging; marine construction; or offshore energy exploration and extraction.
• Pays a minimum entry-level wage rate per hour of at least 1.2 times the federal minimum wage or the Virginia minimum wage, as required by the Virginia Minimum Wage Act (§ 40.1-28.8 et seq.), whichever is higher.

A qualified company that has received an EID Grant may be eligible for a second EID Grant if it meets all of the following three criteria:

• Locates or expands an additional facility in a separate location, as determined by the Virginia Port Authority, within the Commonwealth.
• Creates at least 300 new, permanent full-time positions at the additional facility over and above those agreed upon in the company's original MOU with the Virginia Port Authority.
• Increases cargo volumes through The Port of Virginia by at least 5% from the additional facility, not including any volume increase resulting from the original grant.

An otherwise qualified company that claims employees for the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit or International Trade Facility Tax Credit or a grant form the International Trade Facility grant program may not receive an EID Grant for those previously claimed jobs.

Beginning January 1, 2025, the POV Grant will be known as the EID Grant Program. Updated details and guidelines will be published as they are made available.

Port of Virginia EID Grant Program Guidelines

EID Grant Memorandum of Understanding

Code of Virginia 

How are awards calculated?

The amount of the grant is calculated by the following formula:

• 25–49 new jobs: $1,000 per job
• 50–74 new jobs: $1,500 per job
• 75–99 new jobs: $2,000 per job
• 100+ new jobs: $3,000 per job

EID Grants are subject to the availability of funds and appropriations.

How does a company apply?

An eligible qualified company must pre-apply to the Virginia Port Authority between September 1 and October 31st of the year preceding the general application date by submitting a pre-application form found on the Port of Virginia webpage: portofvirginia.com.  

No later than December 31 of the pre-application year, an applicant will be notified of either pre-approval or renunciation of their pre-application.    

Companies receiving pre-approval should submit their general grant application by March 31st in the year immediately following the location or expansion of a facility within the Commonwealth; or the calendar year of which eligibility has been established and pre-application made.

What is a new job?

A new job is a job of indefinite duration, created by the company as a result of operations within the Commonwealth. It requires a minimum of 35 hours of a qualified full-time employee’s time per week for the entire normal year of the company’s operations. A normal year consists of at least 48 weeks, or a position of indefinite duration that requires a minimum of 35 hours of a qualified full-time employee’s time per week for the portion of the taxable year in which the qualified full-time employee was initially hired for the company’s facility within Virginia.

What positions do not qualify as new jobs?

Seasonal or temporary positions, or jobs created when a position is shifted from an existing location in the Commonwealth to the company’s new facility, do not count as new, permanent full-time positions.

Other positions that are ancillary to the principal activities performed by the employees at the qualified company's location within the Commonwealth do not count as new jobs.

Building and grounds maintenance at the company’s location within the Commonwealth of Virginia do not count as new jobs.

How long must the jobs be maintained at the facility?

The new jobs created in the EID Grant must be maintained without interruption during the three years immediately following receipt of the full amount or first portion of the EID Grant.

What happens if the company does not maintain the jobs at the facility during the three-year performance period?

If, for any of the three years immediately following receipt of the EID Grant, the company does not maintain the new jobs, the company will be required to repay all or a portion of the EID Grant based upon a repayment formula outlined in the MOU.