Last verified: October 14, 2026.
Roanoke County will reimburse up to $15,000 of new equipment for small local businesses until November 15, 2026. Virginia's open grants right now are county programs, not statewide ones. Each one is tied to a place and usually needs a match.
Grants are only one option. See every way to fund your business.
New to grants? Start with the small business grants hub and how to apply for a small business grant.
Local and state sources in Virginia
| Source | What it offers | Status on October 14, 2026 | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke County Economic Development Authority | BEAP equipment grants | Open; see program below | https://yesroanoke.com/BEAP |
| Mecklenburg County Economic Development | Business growth and other local grants | Open; see program below | https://investinmeckva.com/business-growth-grant/ |
| Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity | Certification and small business resources | See official page | https://www.sbsd.virginia.gov/ |
Most Virginia grants want you to put in a dollar too.
Programs open now, verified today
Roanoke County BEAP Equipment Grant
- Amount: reimbursement of up to 50% of equipment costs: up to $15,000 for businesses with 2 to 49 full-time-equivalent employees, up to $20,000 for 50 or more. A 1:1 match is required.
- Who qualifies: for-profit businesses at a permanent commercial or industrial location in Roanoke County or the Town of Vinton, open locally at least one year, with at least two full-time employees, licensed and current on local taxes.
- Deadline: applications close Sunday, November 15, 2026.
- Official page: https://yesroanoke.com/BEAP
Mecklenburg County Business Growth Grant
- Amount: up to $50,000 of 1:1 matching funds for a one-time expense. Four grants will be awarded.
- Who qualifies: small, locally owned businesses in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, with 5 to 50 full- or part-time employees. Local franchisees without corporate support can apply. Nonprofits cannot.
- Deadline: the official page lists November 30 as the close date without a year; see official page.
- Official page: https://investinmeckva.com/business-growth-grant/
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Grant (nationwide)
- Amount: $10,000 grants. Verizon says 10 businesses are picked each month from June to December 2026.
- Who qualifies: owners 18 or older of a for-profit business in the U.S., Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Finish two free courses or events on Digital Ready to unlock the application.
- Deadline: courses and events must be done by Monday, December 7, 2026.
- Official page: https://digitalready.verizonwireless.com/funding/details
Tips: free help in Virginia
Virginia SBDC offices help with quotes, budgets and applications. Find an SBDC, SCORE mentor or Women's Business Center with the SBA local assistance locator.
How to apply without missing a step
- Confirm your address is inside the program area before anything else.
- Read who qualifies: employee counts, years open and revenue limits knock out most applicants.
- Gather your business license, recent tax return, quotes or photos the page asks for.
- Note the time zone and hour on every deadline, then submit a day early.
Example
Here's a hypothetical. Luis owns Blue Ridge Bindery (a made-up business) in Vinton with three full-time workers. A new paper cutter would cut his job times in half. He gets a written quote, confirms he can pay his half up front, and applies for BEAP. He waits for approval before he buys anything.
Scam red flags
- Grants.gov says applying for a federal grant is completely free.
- Nobody legitimate asks for a fee to release a grant you won.
- The SBA only emails from addresses ending in @SBA.gov.
- Report it to the FTC at reportfraud.FTC.gov. See Grants.gov on grant fraud and our grant fee scams guide.
Next steps if no grant fits
See small business grants open now, or use the full funding guide linked near the top of this page.
Related: grants by business type: women-owned, minority-owned, startups, veteran-owned, sole proprietors and rural businesses.
Sources
All checked October 14, 2026.
- Roanoke County BEAP: https://yesroanoke.com/BEAP
- Mecklenburg County Business Growth Grant: https://investinmeckva.com/business-growth-grant/
- Virginia SBSD: https://www.sbsd.virginia.gov/
- Verizon Digital Ready: https://digitalready.verizonwireless.com/funding/details
- SBA, Grants: https://www.sba.gov/loans/additional-funding-opportunities/grants/
- Grants.gov, Grant fraud: https://www.grants.gov/learn-grants/grant-fraud
- FTC: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/