Incentives and Loans


Tobacco Region Opportunity Fund (TROF)

The purpose of the TROF program is to help make localities in the Tobacco Region more attractive to potential business expansion or attraction projects. It accomplishes this goal by providing performance-
based monetary grants and loans to localities for the purposes of supporting specific projects.

Projects are evaluated based on job creation, workforce participation rate, community affluence, prevailing community wage, and newly-created taxable assets.

In all circumstances, the Commission favors businesses that are in traded sectors and bring new capital into the Tobacco Region rather than contribute to the velocity of money within the Tobacco Region. In
general, this precludes retail and food-service projects, as well as local provision of services and non-competitive projects.

Additional information on TROF policies and procedures, the application process and template grant and loan agreements can be found to the right.

 

Tobacco Commission Community and Business Lending (CBL) Program

February 6, 2023: CBL loan applications are not currently being accepted. The Commission is in the process of re-evaluating its CBL loan program with the goal of ensuring the program is effectively meeting the needs of our footprint communities.  

This does not impact complete applications that have previously been submitted. 

The Commission remains interested in providing flexible access to capital for our partners while also contributing to the long-term viability of our programming for the benefit of Southern and Southwest Virginia.  

Other Programs

Southwest and Southern Virginia Programs

Education