301-27-036 Invitation to Submit Pre-Proposals for Virginia Wine Board

The Virginia Wine Board is soliciting pre-proposals for research, education, and marketing projects supporting Virginia's wine and cider industry under the Wine Vision strategy, with pre-proposals due November 10, 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern.

The VWB prioritizes four project categories: Viticultural & Enological Research (with extension or demonstration components), Financial Sustainability & Industry Data, Technical Education & Workforce Development (preferably in-person and regional), and Marketing that supplements existing VWB initiatives. The Board will not fund product development, new business enterprises, individual business financing, legislative or lobbying efforts, or general marketing support. At least one-third of VWB funds must support viticulture and enological research under Virginia Code 3.2-3005. The VWB accepts applications from public and private organizations within and outside Virginia; organizations may submit multiple pre-proposals, and existing projects seeking additional funding must also apply.

Pre-proposals must include project lead and organization information, project type and category, title, budget, one-sentence summary, objectives, beneficiaries, and anticipated industry impact, submitted through a Google Form. Cost-sharing or matching is encouraged but not required. Evaluation at the pre-proposal stage focuses on impact (addressing VWB priorities and relevance to beneficiaries) and budget reasonableness. The VWB Board Members and Technical Committee Chair will evaluate and vote during the December 3, 2026 board meeting, with applicants notified by email within two weeks. Selected applicants will be invited to submit full proposals by February 10, 2027. The award period runs June 1, 2027 through May 31, 2028. An optional informational webinar for first-time applicants is scheduled for October 19, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET. Questions should be directed to Jennifer Reichert, VWB Grant and Budget Manager, at VWBGrants@stonywater.com or 703-375-9004.