Rural Health Innovation Grants
Rural Health Innovation Grants support organizations delivering technology-enabled projects for rural Virginia youth to improve health behaviors, health literacy, and connections to wellness resources.
Funder: Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth
Due Dates: December 7, 2026, 5 p.m. ET (Questions) | December 17, 2026, 5 p.m. ET (Application)
Funding Amounts: $300,000–$1.5 million per award, from contract start through August 31, 2027
Summary: Supports technology-enabled projects that measurably improve rural Virginia youths’ health behaviors, health literacy, or connections to health and wellness resources.
Key Information: Funding is reimbursement-only: organizations must pay project costs before requesting reimbursement.
Description
The Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY) administers this competitive program under Virginia’s Rural Health Transformation Program, through the Live Well Together initiative. It supports technology-enabled approaches serving youth in 76 eligible rural Virginia localities. Projects may address nutrition, physical activity, health education, tobacco and nicotine prevention and cessation, substance use prevention, and chronic disease prevention and management.
Funding can implement, expand, or scale evidence-based or evidence-informed approaches, including existing digital tools combined with in-person education or coaching. Technology must meaningfully support the intervention—not merely scheduling, recordkeeping, or device distribution. Projects must connect directly or indirectly to preventing or reducing youth tobacco and nicotine use, substance use, or childhood obesity. Success is measured by health impact rather than technology adoption alone.
