Grants from the Fund shall be made solely for (i) the fee simple purchase of, or (ii) purchase of protective interests (i.e. easements) in any Virginia battlefield property listed in the following reports issued by the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program:

• Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields (1993, as amended); or
• Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the United States (2007, as amended).

Applications are evaluated and ranked in accordance with Virginia Code § 10.1-2202.4 and the eligibility and evaluation criteria contained in the grant manual.  Such factors include proximity of a battlefield parcel to already protected lands, threats to the historic setting and character of the battlefield property, and the potential for education, recreation, research, or heritage tourism associated with the project.

Conveyance of a perpetual historic preservation and open-space easement to the Virginia Board of Historic Resources is required.  Please contact Wendy Musumeci, VBPF Grant Program Administrator, for additional information.

Fiscal Year 2026 (Calendar Year 2025) Grant Round

The application period for the VBPF 2025 grant round will open on June 2, 2025 and up to $6.55 million in funds are available. The 2025 Grant Manual contains important information about program requirements, the application and evaluation process, and funds disbursement. A Scoring and Review Criteria document outlines how projects will be evaluated, scored, and ranked.

New for 2025: The Virginia Department of Historic Resources has implemented a new online grant management system called WebGrants for all its grant programs. This web-based system will enable DHR to more efficiently publish grant opportunities, administer projects, and process claims. All applications for the VBPF 2025 Grant Round must be submitted through the WebGrants portal. We recommend using the Microsoft Word or PDF version of the VBPF 2025 application form to review and prepare your application in advance of completing it through WebGrants. Make sure you have all required maps, photos, and other required attachments available and ready before you begin completing the application form in WebGrants.

To submit an application form for the VBPF 2025 Grant Round, you must first register in WebGrants, available at https://vadhr.webgrantscloud.com/logout.do. Registrants must be approved by staff, so please allow up to 48 hours for this process to be completed.

Applications are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 1, 2025.

For additional information about the VBPF, please view the recording of DHR’s May 2, 2023 virtual grant workshop. This one-hour webinar included an overview of the VBPF program, scoring criteria, and detailed information about the application form.