IEDC awards $500K to 16 entrepreneurship projects
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The Indiana Economic Development Corp. is awarding $500,000 to 16 community-led projects through a new pilot program.
The Community Collaboration Fund seeks to support grassroots efforts to spur entrepreneurial education and connections across Indiana with a focus on underrepresented Hoosiers.
The IEDC first launched the program this summer calling upon small business-focused organizations to submit applications for between $5,000 and $40,000 in funding. The CCF award requires a 25% local match.
The 16 projects funded range in scope and support businesses among underrepresented communities, including rural, women, minority and veteran entrepreneurs.
The IEDC said the projects will provide support for entrepreneurs programming such as startup accelerators and pitch competitions, one-on-one coaching and group education, mentorship and entrepreneurial ecosystem navigation, and student entrepreneurial education.
“Indiana has been recognized as the best state in the U.S. to start a business, and we’re leaning in even further to ensure that all Hoosiers have equal access and opportunity in their entrepreneurial journey,” Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg said in a news release. “The Community Collaboration Fund is yet another resource that community-focused entrepreneur organizations across the state can leverage to provide direct support to aspiring entrepreneurs, startups and growing small businesses and to help ensure the continued success of Hoosier innovators statewide.”
To be eligible, CCF projects must be a new initiative or an expansion of existing services. The IEDC also looked to fund projects that are a collaboration between at least two support organization, have developed metrics and budgets, and can be completed within nine months of receiving funds.
The Funded projects are:
Northern Indiana:
- $40,000 to Veteran Pitch Competition by Purdue University Northwest Commercialization and Manufacturing Excellence Center
- $40,000 to Start and Exit Pitch Competition by Start Fort Wayne
- $32,400 to KESO Collab Entrepreneur Navigator by Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation
- $40,000 to Capital Coaching in North Central Indiana by CDFI Friendly South Bend
- $10,000 to Fueling Women Entrepreneurship Workshop Series by Momentum Entrepreneurship Hub
Central Indiana
- $28,000 to Improving Storytelling in Rural Indiana by Launch Fishers
- $39,833 to INax: ESO Acceleration Support by MatchBOX Coworking Studio
- $30,000 to Two Degrees Startup Accelerator by Startup Sprint
- $10,000 to Wabash Valley Lemonade Day by Chances and Services for Youth
Southern Indiana
- $40,000 to Lean Startup Academy & Pitch by Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce
- $5,500 to Georgetown Business Roundtables by Destination Georgetown
- $40,000 to SPARK Jackson County by Jackson County Chamber
- $40,000 to Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Southeast Indiana by Maker13 & The Maker Mobile Inc.
- $40,000 to D.I.C.E. Challenge by Ripley County Community Foundation
- $40,000 to Defense Innovation Rural Roadshow in Indiana Uplands by Defense Innovation Networking Group
- $39,163 to Uplands Accelerator by Dimension Mill