Indiana Commerce Office awards $925,000+ in entrepreneurial-related grants

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Commerce Office recently awarded more than $925,000 in grants to organizations aimed at entrepreneurial education, connection and acceleration across the state.




According to a news release from the office, the $925,107 in grants will help 28 community-led organizations "accelerate entrepreneurial activity and resources statewide" through the Indiana Commerce Office's Community Collaboration Fund.




The fund will provide matching grants to support community collaborations, services and programming, the release said. The 28 organizations were chosen based on their potential to fill gaps across the state's entrepreneurial ecosystem, support underserved markets and collaborate across boundaries.

"Under Governor (Mike) Braun's leadership, Indiana is more committed than ever to cultivating the growth of Main Street entrepreneurship and celebrating the impact our business owners have on our economy," Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Adams said in the release. "These community projects will ensure that current and future entrepreneurs across the state have access to the programming, resources and support needed to start and scale a business right here in Indiana."




The organizations that received grants include:

• AI For Business Growth - $21,200 award for the Saint Michael's Youth Center in Michigan City
  
  
  
  • This grant will help the center equip small business owners with practical AI skills to "drive scalability and innovation." This will make AI education more accessible for rural and urban entrepreneurs.
  
  
  
  





• Business and Entrepreneurial Training Program - $33,475 award for Historic Downtown Kendallville
  
  
  
  • This grant will help launch a 10-week business accelerator cohort, providing training to 20 entrepreneurs to help launch and expand their businesses.
  
  
  
  





• Childcare Entrepreneurial Training Program - $40,000 award for the Summit City Entrepreneur and Enterprise District in Fort Wayne
  
  
  
  • This grant will provide structured education, mentorship and resources to childcare providers, helping them launch and sustain childcare enterprises.
  
  
  
  





• Growth Accelerator for Business Succession - $38,747 award for Lower Lincoln in Valparaiso
  
  
  
  • This grant will help a two-phase program at Lower Lincoln that focuses on educational workshops and outreach efforts to introduce succession planning to northwest Indiana existing business owners.
  
  
  
  





• Marshall County Arts Entrepreneurship Program - $14,100 award for the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation
  
  
  
  • This grant will help establish a program for local artists who want to establish their own businesses and generate revenue from their work.
  
  
  
  





• NWI Launch Pad: Start-Up Prototype and Production Resource - $20,000 award for Vidette Makes in Valparaiso
  
  
  
  • This grant will help provide affordable, high-quality prototyping and small-batch production services to founders in northwest Indiana.
  
  
  
  





• Social Savvy - $40,000 award for Sisterhood Social Co. in northwest Indiana
  
  
  
  • This grant will help create an interactive business education initiative that combines a live podcast with a strategic workshop.
  
  
  
  





• Trades Spark - $25,500 award for Elevate Youth Mentoring Inc. in South Bend
  
  
  
  • This grant will help local youth and young adults with hands-on learning experiences and entrepreneurial training tailored to the trade industry.
  
  
  
  





• AI Awareness, Education and Support - $40,000 award for Innovation Connector in Muncie
  
  
  
  • This grant will help fund a five-part curriculum to help entrepreneurs integrate AI into their daily operations.
  
  
  
  





• Base Camp - $25,000 award for the Owen County Chamber of Commerce
  
  
  
  • This grant will help the Owen County Chamber of Commerce to begin a program to equip rural entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge and connections necessary for stability and growth.
  
  
  
  





• Connection Capital Series - $39,000 award for the Community Investment Fund of Indiana in Indianapolis
  
  
  
  • This grant will help the Community Investment Fund of Indiana reintroduce the Connection to Capital series, bridging gaps between businesses and financial resources.
  
  
  
  





• CreateWay - $26,000 award for Pattern Inc. in Indianapolis
  
  
  
  • The grant will help fund CreateWay, a targeted initiative for college students to have access to mentorship, expert-led talks and insights into creative business models.
  
  
  
  





• Downtown Lafayette Retail Pop-Up Retail Program - $40,000 award for the Downtown Lafayette Business Owners Association
  
  
  
  • The grant will help fund a city-owned pop-up retail space on Main Street that aims to serve as an incubator for microbusinesses.
  
  
  
  





• Founder Growth Network - $38,063 award for MatchBOX Studios in Lafayette
  
  
  
  • The grant will help support post-revenue entrepreneurs through 10-month peer advisory groups.
  
  
  
  





• Ignition - $39,500 award for the 16 Tech Community Corporation in Indianpaolis
  
  
  
  • This grant will help fund an incubator designed to support early-stage collegiate founders through mentorship and investor connections aimed at incentivizing students to stay in Indiana after graduation.
  
  
  
  





• INdiana Strategic Defense Accelerator - $40,000 award for the Defense Innovation Networking Group in Indiana
  
  
  
  • This grant will help create a unified accelerator for small businesses, allowing them to help compete through Department of Defense opportunities through education and connection initiatives.
  
  
  
  





• Level Up Business Branding - $40,000 for the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance
  
  
  
  • This grant will help the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance start a year-long initiative that helps empower local small businesses through professional marketing and branding support.
  
  
  
  





• Making an Entrepreneurial Culture - $27,300 award for Main Street Greencastle and Castlemakers
  
  
  
  • This grant will help establish an entrepreneurial fellowship in Putnam County, helping individuals gain the knowledge and experience to develop, produce and sell their own products.
  
  
  
  





• Muncie Regional Mentorship Hub - $40,000 for the city of Muncie
  
  
  
  • This grant will help the city of Muncie establish a mentorship program that "spans the entirety of east central Indiana."
  
  
  
  





• The Film Loft - $40,000 award for the Weatherhouse Institute in Indianapolis
  
  
  
  • This grant will help establish an incubator to help youth filmmakers with business skills, technical training and networking opportunities.
  
  
  
  





• The Unstoppable Cohort - $40,000 award for PitchFeast in Indianapolis
  
  
  
  • This grant will help develop a 16-week business accelerator tailored to support small businesses and startups in the food industry.
  
  
  
  





• Chapter One Business Incubator - $40,000 award for the Jeffersonville Township Public Library
  
  
  
  • This grant will help fund an incubator program that helps empower local entrepreneurs and regional economic growth across five counties.
  
  
  
  





• Flywheel Fund Evansville - $39,735 award for Dimension Mill, Inc. DBA The Mill
  
  
  
  • This grant will help the Flywheel Fund expand its operations into Evansville, helping resolve what they see as the "lack of early investor capital in southwest Indiana through small, regional funds from local angel investors."
  
  
  
  





• Generation Innovation - $40,000 award for Maker Mobile, Inc. DBA Maker13 in Jeffersonville
  
  
  
  • This grant will help fund a cohort-style education course that helps entrepreneurs with business plan development, prototyping and creation, market testing, mentorship and connections.
  
  
  
  





• SPARK Shop Connections - $40,000 award for the Jackson County Chamber
  
  
  
  • This grant will help fund recurring events centered around small businesses in Jackson County, engaging and attracting entrepreneurs and innovators to the southeast Indiana space.
  
  
  
  





• The Catalyst Academy: Incubator & Fund - $40,000 award for the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce
  
  
  
  • This grant will help expand the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce's entrepreneurial academy and incubator through an online education platform.
  
  
  
  





• The D.I.C.E. Challenge - Community Competition - $40,000 award for the Ripley County Community Foundation
  
  
  
  • This grant will help fund the D.I.C.E Challenge competition to include a community-focused component. The competition empowers local start-up entrepreneurs by creating more accessible pathways to funding.
  
  
  
  





• The Pantheon's Blueprint to Business - $15,550 award to The Pantheon in Vincennes
  
  
  
  • The grant will help fund an eight-week program to fuel business growth in the community.
  
  
  
  

For more information about the Indiana Office of Commerce, click here.





via: https://fox59.com/indianapolitics/indiana-commerce-office-awards-925000-in-entrepreneurial-related-grants/