Virginia Talent Accelerator Program
Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP)
Free (state-funded)
VA trains your new hires free — elite site-selection perk
Virginia's Talent Accelerator Program (TAP) provides free, fully customized recruitment and workforce training services to companies creating significant new jobs in Virginia. VEDP designs the recruitment pipeline, builds training curricula from scratch, and delivers instruction — at zero cost to the employer. TAP is activated during site selection as part of Virginia's competitive incentive package for major job-creating investments.
- Funding type
- Program
- Level
- State
- Amount
- Free customized recruitment and training services — state absorbs all costs. Typical program value: $500,000–$5M+ in equivalent consulting, curriculum development, and instructor delivery costs.
- Realistic amount
- In-kind services valued at $500K–$3M+ depending on project scale. No cash transferred to employer.
- Deadline
- Engagement required during site selection — contact VEDP before facility decision is made.
- Status
- active
- States
- VA
- Payment model
- subsidized services
Who qualifies
- Company must be creating significant new jobs in Virginia (threshold varies by project scale; typically 50+ jobs for TAP activation)
- Jobs must be full-time positions with competitive wages
- Company must be in a qualifying industry — technology, manufacturing, life sciences, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and similar tradeable sectors
- TAP is activated during site selection — engagement must begin before a facility commitment is made
- Company must collaborate with VEDP talent team on recruitment and training design
- Training scope is tailored to the employer's specific hiring timeline and job roles
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Customized training curriculum design and development
- Instructor delivery and training program administration
- Recruitment pipeline design and talent sourcing support
- Pre-hire assessments and screening development
- On-site training delivery at employer facility or Virginia community college
Ineligible expenses
- Training for existing Virginia employees not in newly created positions
- Cash reimbursement to employer (TAP is in-kind services only)
- Companies not creating net new jobs in Virginia
- Post-hire training for roles that existed prior to TAP engagement
- Training for facilities not located in Virginia
How to apply
-
1
Engage VEDP during site selection
Contact VEDP or be connected via regional economic development authority while Virginia is still a candidate location. VEDP will assess TAP eligibility based on job count, wages, and industry.
~2 hrs
-
2
VEDP talent needs assessment
VEDP's talent team conducts a deep-dive assessment of job roles, required skills, local labor market conditions, and existing talent pipelines. This informs both the recruitment strategy and training curriculum.
~8 hrs
-
3
Customized curriculum and recruitment design
VEDP builds a customized training curriculum and recruitment pipeline — including job posting strategies, screening criteria, pre-hire assessments, and onboarding training modules — specifically for the company's Virginia jobs.
~4 hrs
-
4
Training delivery and ongoing support
VEDP delivers training at the company's facility or nearby Virginia community college. Ongoing support continues through the hiring ramp-up phase. Follow-on training cohorts can be activated as hiring scales.
~2 hrs
TAP is most powerful when activated during site selection — it's a major competitive differentiator for Virginia vs other states. Companies already committed to VA can still access training support through Virginia's Community College System (VCCS) Workforce Services.
Deadline & timing
TAP is activated by VEDP during the competitive site selection process. Companies considering Virginia for a new facility or major expansion should contact VEDP at the earliest stage of site selection to trigger TAP activation. Post-decision engagement significantly reduces the program's value proposition.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.