Virginia Tourism Corporation will be opening the Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program that is open to small tourism-oriented businesses and organizations, such as Towns that are not official DMOs and not on this list (www.vatc.org/dmolist), Main Streets and Chambers of Commerce, with less than 20 full-time employees who are interested in off-season marketing. The grant application will open on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 9 a.m. and close on Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 5 p.m.
Applications that are submitted late, are missing documentation, and/or are ineligible will not be scored and will be disqualified.
The VTC Grants Division will be offering webinars on select dates in June and July to give an overview of the programs, marketing resources, and how you can write a successful application. Please scroll down to sign up for a webinar date. All webinars are hosted on Zoom.
New in 2026!
It is VTC’s goal to provide statewide support and to drive statewide visitation through our grant programs. There are new documentation and reporting requirements. Please attend a live webinar or watch the recording BEFORE applying. And after careful review, we have adjusted eligibility in some programs
- Applicants who received a VTC Spring 2026 Marketing Leverage Program award may not apply for the Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program.
- Applicants who received a VTC Fall 2026 Special Events & Festivals Program award for a 2026 event may not apply to the Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program for the same event.
- Applicants must carefully review program requirements, award tiers and match requirements before applying. This program is focused on driving visitation to small TOURISM-ORIENTED businesses such as B&Bs and small lodging partners, restaurants, boutique retail, and outfitters.
For questions about your prior award status and eligibility, please contact Staci Martin, Grants Director, at smartin@virginia.org.
VTC Grant Webinar Registration
Recent Recordings
Password for each is “vtcorientation”