Item:
Title
Approval of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Nonprofit Grant Program Phase 2 - Small Business Support Grant to Forward Cities, Inc. for $1.5 million
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: March 25, 2024
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to approve an ARPA Nonprofit Grant Phase 2 - Small Business Support Grant to Forward Cities, Inc. for $1,500,000 in contracted services.
As part of the Board’s strategic plan for administering the County’s ARPA funding, the Board previously authorized the use of $1,500,000 for the purposes of providing a grant to an organization to develop and implement a comprehensive ecosystem for entrepreneurial support and to provide targeted supports for small businesses that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic.
As the SBA Navigator program and pilot funding ended in November 2023, the Durham County ARPA Grant Award is an opportunity to leverage the SBA’s investment in Durham County and build on E3 Durham’s momentum. Forward Cities intends to leverage their E3 Durham experience and this funding opportunity to scale the program by transitioning to a community-informed model that will maintain the navigation function at no-cost to entrepreneurs and add:
1. a data-informed and community-designed Ecosystem Strategic Plan;
2. a ‘learn to earn’ program that incentivizes clients to accumulate entrepreneurial education and network connection ‘credits’ that they can use to procure subsidized professional services from local Business-to-Business (B2B) service providers;
3. cohort accelerators that address gaps identified by entrepreneur intake forms, which function as a needs assessment;
4. an intentional focus on expanding supports for capital access, certifications and procurement, and;
5. a vibrant physical hub of activity based in a culturally rooted downtown coworking community.
Recognizing the tremendous value of the many dedicated area business support organizations and service providers who work tirelessly to equip Durham County business owners, this program earmarks nearly 50% programmatic funding pass-through. Funds will pass through to 1) enrolled entrepreneurs to reduce the cost of doing business and 2) service providers to engage their expertise and increase their ability to effectively and sustainably serve the community.
The E3 Durham Venture Studio (final name TBD) will operate over an initial 24-month period with integrated sustainability and capacity building efforts at the ecosystem and entrepreneur levels - to ensure impact for years to come. A detailed scope of work and contract are listed in the attachments.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: Goal 1: Community Empowerment and Enrichment; Goal 2: Health and Well Being for All; Goal 3: Safe Community; Goal 4: Environmental Stewardship & Community Prosperity; Goal 5, Accountable, Efficient and Visionary Government.
Resource Persons: Andy Miracle, Economic Development Director, and John Keefer, Grants Administrator
County Manager’s Recommendation: The County Manager recommends that the Board approve the ARPA Nonprofit Grant Phase 2 - Small Business Support Grant to Forward Cities, Inc. for $1.5 million in contracted services.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________