Fire-Up Altavista Applications Now Open

Altavista, VA – The Spark Innovation Center and Altavista On Track are excited to announce the opening of applications for Fire-Up Altavista, a Community Business Launch (CBL) program aimed at supporting aspiring and existing entrepreneurs within Downtown Altavista. This initiative focuses on filling vacant storefronts by providing training and mentorship, along with the opportunity to secure start-up grant funding through a competitive business plan pitch competition.

Participants in Fire-Up Altavista will undergo an eight-week business development training program facilitated by the Small Business Development Center – Lynchburg Region. The curriculum covers essential business topics, including sales and marketing, legal structure, compliance, operations, and finance. Throughout this course, participants will develop a business plan, which will be evaluated by a panel of expert judges who may grant start-up funds to promising businesses.

Applications are open to both new and existing businesses located within the Downtown Revitalization Overlay District, which spans from Bedford Avenue to Charlotte Avenue in the commercial areas of Main and 7th Street, and also includes portions of Pittsylvania Avenue. Participants will be selected in mid-February, with the program scheduled to begin at the end of March.

The launch of the Community Business Launch program has been made possible thanks to a $50,000 grant awarded to Altavista On Track by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). In 2025, the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission awarded the Town of Altavista $106,000 to support three years of the Fire-Up Altavista program. Campbell County’s Office of Economic Development will also contribute matching funds through its Start Small Campbell program which offers cash grants to cultivate new businesses in Campbell County.

"We are very excited to kickoff Fire-Up Altavista,” stated Reggie Bennett, Mayor of Altavista. "These funds are to establish new businesses and help existing ones to expand. The Town has numerous development projects underway, and these start-up grants are coming at an ideal time.”

For more information or to apply, please contact Autumn Evans, Business and Community Engagement Coordinator, at hello@sparkinnovationcenter.com or by phone at (434) 608-0401. Interested parties can also visit the Spark Innovation Center's website at www.sparkinnovationcenter.com  to access the application.