The eligibility requirements differ for each Challenge, but generally:

• Your company will be required to meet the definition of a small business, as defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration and found under 13 CFR Section 121.201, or qualify as a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity.
• Your company must be able to test/pilot your solution in Southwest Virginia
• You must be prepared to deploy your solution and spend all of the revenue-based loan or grant by a predetermined date stated with each Challenge
• Your technology has to be past the prototype stage or already have customers using your technology
• If you are accepted as a finalist, you will be required to submit further documentation such as technical details of your solution, a work plan, and financial projections within 14 calendar days of being notified of you finalist status
• Finalists will be also required to obtain a DUNS number and register on Sam.gov

For detailed information, please read the Applicant Guidelines posted on the Challenge webpage.

Yes, you can partner with a larger company as long as your project proposed to the Challenge is led by you as a small business.

RISE offers one-stop-shop resources and a living testbed to innovators in the coastal resilience sector. Winners receive wrap-around support including:

• Non-equity funding in the form of a grant or loan
• Customized business accelerator curriculum
• Technical, government, and business mentors
• Assistance with securing real-world pilot and test sites in the Southwest Virginia region
• PR and media visibility
• Technical assistance with government regulatory compliance
• Ongoing support throughout the duration of your project
• Introductions to leaders, experts, and other stakeholders in Southwest Virginia
• Introductions to potential investors
• The only ecosystem (40+ previous Challenge winners) of coastal resilience entrepreneurs in the U.S.

Applicants can apply for non-equity funding up to a predetermined amount for each Challenge. RISE Resilience Innovation Fund awards come in two forms: 1) Revenue Based Loan and 2) Grant. Grant awards may be combined with the Revenue Based Loan. The award type and amount is determined by the RISE Executive Director based on the scoring and recommendations of the RIF Investment Committee.

Grants

Grants are awarded for the costs of product development, project setup in Southwest Virginia, and Southwest Virginia-focused use case discovery and development. All grant funds must be fully expended by a predetermined date set with each Challenge.

Payments made to the awardee under the grant are made on a reimbursement basis for eligible costs.

Our grant has come from a variety of sources aligned with each Challenge, including funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Community Development, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, and GO Virginia.

We look for startups, small businesses (as defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration) and nonprofit entities that are at the post prototype stage. Please see the definitions below:

Prototype: An entity building and testing its product, service, or business model. Typically described as “Pre-Seed” if For Profit. Pilot: An enterprise deploying a tested product, service, or business model in at least one community. Hybrids and For Profits would typically be in a “Seed” round and generating revenue (whether or not they are cash flow positive). Growth: An entity with an established product, service, or business model rolled out, which is poised for further growth in multiple communities or countries. Organizations at this stage should have a clear path to sustainability. For Profits at this stage would be “Seed” or “Series A.” Scale: A sustainable entity working in several communities or countries and that is looking to scale significantly, focusing on increased efficiency. For Profits in this stage would be “Series A” or “Series B.”

Eligibility extends to U.S.-based companies and registered nonprofit organizations.

Businesses that are accepted into our program need to deploy their solution in western Virginia, either themselves or by hiring or partnering with a local entity to deploy your solution. We only select projects that can provide a demonstrable benefit to our testing ground in the Greater Northwest, Southwest and Roanoke Valley regions, while being scalable to other communities. 

The project can be implemented in a smaller target area with a view to scaling with additional funding. The actual location can be decided by the winner and the PDC’s. The project funded in this Challenge will be a proof of concept.

The funding will be in the form of a grant, a revenue based loan, or a combination of the two. This is the approach that has been used in the past.

None yet since none of the costs (or solutions) are known. There needs to be a discussion with the Commonwealth on what they are willing to support. However the premise behind the State giving RISE funds to run this Challenge I s that they wanted us to find solutions and they know that the PDCs are limited in resources.

We will not know until May 5.

I am sure there are riverine flooding issues in Georgia per the FEMA map (southwest/northwest Georgia), For our Challenge the work must be done in Virginia.

That would be for the team to ascertain if needed. We have no relationships with the local weather services.

No. Submissions are due May 5 2pm. EST. If you have other specific questions please send them and we will answer.

Arcgis and Arcgis pro to publish REST services. We utilize an online interactive gis platform to display our data for public use.

Wise county does not promote flood insurance.

Wise County follows the County ordinances and FEMA guidelines for flood mitigation. There have been no FMA grants in the past three years. The last grant award was in the Town of Wise in 2019 for 16 acquisitions.

There is a list in the applicant guidelines that will tell you what can be covered/not be covered.

The info was from press reports only. I would imagine NWS has some archived data.

It could be included in either one. Please make sure it is clearly indicated.

Yes. June 20, 2026.

Yes. Letters of Support may be submitted.

No. Preference is to keep them separate and to make sure the Work Plan/Approach is developed to support the Technical Approach and Economic Impact. Also the Work Plan/Approach may be subject to amendment during Phase 2 if company is selected.