Prince William County Commits Million Dollar Fund for IGNITE Startup Grant

The IGNITE Startup Grant applications open today with a $1 million dollar fund offered to high-growth companies looking to expand or locate in Prince William County. The award-winning IGNITE entrepreneurial program is leveraging ARPA funds to provide greater opportunities for funding, education, and networking during pivotal years for scaling startups and high-growth businesses.

"Prince William County has the makers of Northern Virginia. We have entrepreneurs who invent, tinker, fabricate, and manufacture in a low-cost ecosystem," said Christina Winn, executive director at PWCDED. "This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs and innovators who have a compelling product or idea that can be tested and executed in the market. If you've got a great idea, we want you to apply."

Offered at the $25K, $50K, and $100K levels depending on the applicant's qualifications, grant applications are rolling throughout 2023 and will close December 1, or when funds are depleted.

"High-growth companies can drive innovation and moreover, increase new jobs and employment in our community," said Ann B. Wheeler, Chair, Prince William Board of County Supervisors. "The pilot program was extremely successful with more than 100 applications. An evaluation of the initial winning companies found they will add an estimated 223 jobs and an estimated $12.8 million in capital investment in Prince William County."

Created and piloted with CARES Act funds from December 2020 to March 2022, the initial IGNITE grant recipients represent cutting-edge ideas and products in healthcare, biosciences, virtual reality technology, and cybersecurity.

Previous winners include (in alpha order):

• Bacchus Therapeutics
• BCMstrategy
• Cyret Technologies
• Impruvon Health
• ISOThrive
• Jeeva Informatics
• SylLab Systems
• TRAXyL
• Virongy Biosciences
• Viva Vita
• ZeoVation

Criteria for the new grant applications include ensuring applicants are outside the NOVA EDA (Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax City, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fauquier, Loudoun, Manassas, and Manassas Park).

Start your grant application today at pwcded.org/ignite.

About the Prince William County Department of Economic Development

The Prince William County Department of Economic Development offers services to support and promote existing business expansion and attract new businesses to Prince William County. For more information, the Department of Economic Development can be reached via email at [email protected], via phone at 703-792-5500, or via fax at 703-792-5502. Learn more about the Department at pwcded.org.