Creating Inclusive Communities Grant Program

The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD), the Commonwealth’s federally designated Developmental Disabilities (DD) Council, is issuing a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 2026 “Creating Inclusive Communities” grant program. VBPD’s mission centers on enhancing independence, choice, and full participation in community life for people with developmental and other disabilities. Through this RFP, the Board seeks to advance systemic change and capacity building that aligns with its FFY 2025 assessment of access to Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), particularly within the special education transition process. Awards will begin as early as July 15, 2026, and are designed to fund projects that advance inclusive employment outcomes across Virginia. This grant opportunity focuses specifically on supporting initiatives that reduce barriers to employment for Virginians with developmental disabilities. Proposed projects should be innovative, culturally and linguistically competent, and capable of achieving systemic impact. Preferred project types include the development of student-led enterprises within schools—such as coffee carts, cafes, or school stores—that offer real-world work experience to enhance job readiness. Additionally, applicants may propose models for interagency coordination among entities like the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), school divisions, Community Services Boards (CSBs), and workforce boards. The overarching objective is to increase access to meaningful employment pathways and ensure students with disabilities are well-prepared for competitive, integrated employment. Applicants must ensure that at least 60% of direct beneficiaries are individuals with developmental disabilities. Projects that are simply continuations of existing services, supplanting other funds, or implemented in restrictive or segregated environments are not eligible. Capital projects are also ineligible. Instead, the Board is seeking proposals that demonstrate sustainability and alignment with its strategic State Plan, which includes goals around inclusive education, cultural competence, and community participation. The selected proposals must show a clear strategy for embedding cultural and linguistic competence within organizational practices, not merely as a program element. Up to $200,000 is available for one or more selected projects. Award amounts may be partial, and the Board reserves the right to make no awards depending on proposal quality or budget limitations. Projects may span 18 to 24 months, though other durations may be considered. A 25% match is required, which can be cash or in-kind but may not come from federal sources. Organizations with a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (ICR) may include indirect costs, and those without may elect a 10% de minimis rate. VBPD encourages applicants to use indirect costs toward meeting the match requirement to maximize direct impact from grant funds. Proposals must be submitted through the DD Suite platform by 4:00 p.m. ET on April 17, 2026. The application process includes submission of a detailed narrative (max 20 double-spaced pages), work plan, budget and justification, timeline, applicant profile, and evaluation plan. Proposals will be scored by a Grant Review Team (GRT), with priority given to alignment with the Board’s goals, systems change potential, and sustainability. Awards will be announced by June 10, 2026. Technical assistance is available up to March 27, 2026. Successful applicants must collect data aligned with federal performance measures and submit quarterly and final reports. Storytelling—highlighting real-life impacts of the program on individuals with DD—is required in reporting. Data must include demographic metrics such as race/ethnicity, geography, and gender for DD participants. Proposals should also outline measurable outputs and outcomes for each work plan item. Applicants with limited evaluation capacity are encouraged to allocate 10–15% of their budgets to external evaluation support. All funded projects must demonstrate organizational capacity to collect and report data that illustrates systemic impact.

Applicants are advised to propose sustainable, inclusive models aligned with the 2025 assessment and 5-Year State Plan. Focus on capacity building, evaluation, and innovation.