Greater Richmond Partnership

What Greater Richmond Partnership does

The Greater Richmond Partnership (GRP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public-private partnership founded in 1994 and headquartered at 800 E. Canal Street, Suite 925, Richmond, Virginia. It serves as the lead regional economic development organization for the City of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, and Henrico, providing no-cost site location assistance and comprehensive relocation services to domestic and foreign companies considering expansion or relocation into the Greater Richmond region. Its service portfolio includes custom market and workforce research, real estate tours, introductions to government officials and community leaders, employee recruitment support, and a dedicated international concierge offering visa guidance and cross-border relocation assistance for foreign entrants into the U.S. market.

GRP does not sell proprietary technology products. Its core operational platform is a service-and-research stack built around a regional data dashboard with 28 indicators across five categories, supplemented by industry-specific publications and site-selector-facing data assets. The organization employs 11-50 staff across business development, marketing and communications, strategy, and research functions, with leadership including President + CEO Jennifer Wakefield, EVP of Business Development Jose Romano, VP of Marketing + Communications Michael C. Ivey, VP of Strategy Angela Oakes, Senior Director of Research Joe Kane (joined 2025 from Brookings Institution), and Director of Marketing Christopher Hollomon (joined 2025). In 2025 the organization completed Google AI Essentials certification for all staff and integrated AI tools into marketing, research, and business development workflows, earning Business Facilities' 2026 EDO Award for AI Usage in Business Attraction.

Revenue is generated exclusively through a hybrid non-profit funding model combining private-sector corporate investor contributions and public-sector appropriations from the four partner jurisdictions. Named corporate investors include Altria, Dominion Energy, Capital One, CarMax, Markel Group, Allianz Partners, Bank of America, Accenture, Amazon, Truist, Bon Secours, CoStar Group, Hunton Andrews Kurth, McGuireWoods, and others; public partners include the City of Richmond, Chesterfield County, Hanover County, and Henrico County. Measurable five-year outcomes include $5.5 billion in capital investment and 7,200 jobs across 34 announced projects. The region GRP markets supports 12 Fortune 1000 headquarters (8th nationally), nearly 200 international firms from approximately 30 countries, and four major subsea fiber cables (Dunant, MAREA, BRUSA, SAEx).

Name

Greater Richmond Partnership

Legal name

Greater Richmond Partnership

Website

https://grpva.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Greater Richmond Partnership is a 501(c)(3) non-profit regional economic development organization providing no-cost site location assistance and relocation services to companies expanding to the Greater Richmond, Virginia region. Founded in 1994, it serves the City of Richmond and three surrounding counties, funded by corporate investors and public-sector partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Economic development
• Site selection assistance
• Business attraction services
• International relocation
• Regional market research

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Investor Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit public-private partnership, GRP is funded by private sector investors from the business community. The organization's investor page lists major corporate investors including Accenture, Altria, Bank of America, Capital One, CarMax, Dominion Energy, and others who contribute financially to support economic development efforts.
2. Public-Private Partnership Funding: GRP collaborates with public sector partners including the City of Richmond, Chesterfield County, Hanover County, and Henrico County to secure funding for economic development initiatives including infrastructure projects such as air service development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Greater Richmond Partnership provides no-cost site location assistance, custom research, real estate tours, introductions to government officials, and relocation services to domestic and foreign companies considering relocation or expansion to the Greater Richmond region. The organization also runs international concierge services that help foreign companies navigate U.S. entry via visa guidance and start-up services, supported by a regional data dashboard with 28 economic indicators.

Product overview

The Greater Richmond Partnership (GRP) is an economic development organization, not a technology product company. It does not offer a unified software product or platform. Its services consist of site location assistance, custom research, real estate tours, introductions to government officials, relocation services for employees, and startup services. While the organization has developed a regional data dashboard and adopted AI tools internally for research and business attraction purposes, these are internal organizational capabilities rather than commercial product offerings sold to customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Site Location Assistance No-cost end-to-end site selection support for expanding domestic companies, including real estate tours, demographic and workforce analysis, incentives guidance, and introductions to government officials and community leaders.
• International Concierge Services Specialized no-cost service for foreign companies entering the U.S. market, providing relocation assistance, visa requirements guidance, custom research on workforce and business costs, and start-up services for newly arrived operations.
• Custom Research Services Bespoke research deliverables on workforce, business costs, transportation, suppliers, taxes, and incentives, produced by GRP's research team to support site selection decisions.
• Regional Data Dashboard An interactive online dashboard surfacing 28 regional indicators across five categories of economic data, used by site selectors, investors, and regional partners to evaluate Greater Richmond.
• Real Estate Tours and Listings Curated on-the-ground real estate tours of available properties and sites, paired with an online property search portal to help companies shortlist locations within Greater Richmond.
• Employee Recruitment and Start-Up Services Workforce and start-up support for newly locating or expanding companies, including recruitment assistance and relocation coordination for incoming employees.

Quantifiable outcome

• $5.5 billion in capital investment and 7,200 jobs across 34 GRP-announced projects over five years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Richmond International Airport (RIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRichmond International Airport is collaborating with GRP's task force to secure direct international flights including transatlantic service to Europe. The effort includes raising eight figures from public and private sources to subsidize routes or provide revenue guarantees to airlines.
• City of RichmondcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Richmond is one of GRP's four regional partner jurisdictions. GRP is the lead regional economic development organization for the City of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, and Henrico.
• Chesterfield CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChesterfield County is one of GRP's four regional partner jurisdictions, contributing to the public-private partnership that funds regional economic development initiatives.
• Hanover CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHanover County is one of GRP's four regional partner jurisdictions, working collaboratively on regional economic development strategies.
• Henrico CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHenrico County is one of GRP's four regional partner jurisdictions, contributing to the regional economic development partnership.
• Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCU is listed as an investor in GRP and is a major employer in the City of Richmond with 7,832 estimated employees. VCU Health is expanding with a new $90 million cardiac pavilion.
• Port of VirginiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Port of Virginia operates the Richmond Marine Terminal, which is a key component of Greater Richmond's logistics infrastructure. GRP promotes the port as part of its value proposition for business location decisions.
• Breeze AirwaysminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBreeze Airways announced new nonstop service from Richmond International Airport to Cancún, Mexico starting January 2027. This expands international connectivity from the region.
• Allianz Partners (Extended Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAllianz Partners has deep roots in Greater Richmond as the world's largest travel insurance provider, with Richmond serving as the hub of expertise for travel and travel insurance within Allianz's global operations. CEO Jeff Wright co-chairs GRP's Air Service Task Force.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP): Virginia's statewide economic development authority. Operates at the state level to attract and retain business investment across Virginia, directly complementary to (and often co-engaged with) GRP's regional efforts in Richmond.
• Greater Washington Partnership: Regional economic development and competitiveness organization serving the greater Washington, D.C. corridor including Northern Virginia and parts of Maryland. Comparable in function to GRP, operating as a public-private partnership that markets a multi-jurisdiction region to corporate prospects.
• Greater Houston Partnership: One of the largest U.S. regional economic development organizations, serving the Houston region through a public-private model. Directly comparable to GRP in mission (corporate attraction, FDI, workforce) and structure, but at materially larger scale.
• Charlotte Regional Business Alliance: Regional business and economic development organization for the Charlotte, NC metro. Comparable in function to GRP — a public-private partnership that markets a mid-sized Southeast region to corporate relocations and expansions, with a similar employer-investor base.
• Research Triangle Regional Partnership: Regional economic development organization for the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. Directly comparable in operating model (public-private, multi-county) and target sectors (life sciences, advanced manufacturing, data centers) that overlap with GRP's target industries.
• Greater Phoenix Economic Council: Public-private regional EDO for Greater Phoenix. Comparable in function and target sectors (data centers, advanced manufacturing, life sciences) and a direct competitor for corporate relocations seeking lower-cost, lower-tax geographies.
• Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber and economic development organization serving Middle Tennessee. Comparable in combining a public-private partnership model with regional business attraction and FDI capabilities, frequently competing with GRP for similar corporate prospects.
• Pittsburgh Regional Alliance: Regional economic development organization serving southwestern Pennsylvania. Comparable as a multi-county public-private EDO focused on corporate attraction, with overlapping target industries in advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and technology.

Broad incumbents

• CBRE Group (Location Incentive & Site Selection practice): Global commercial real estate services firm with a major location-incentives and site-selection practice that competes directly with EDOs like GRP for corporate relocation mandates, albeit as a private fee-for-service intermediary.

Others

• Site Selectors Guild: Industry association of professional site-selection consultants. While not a direct EDO, members act as the gatekeepers routing corporate relocations to competing regions — making them ecosystem partners and, in effect, competitors to GRP's direct-corporate relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GRPVA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GRPVA
• Facebookfacebook.com/grpva
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greater-richmond-partnership
• Instagraminstagram.com/greaterrichmondpartnership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Greater Richmond Partnership