Item:
Title
Presentations from Forward Cities and Knox Street Studios on Small Business Support Programming (45min)
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: April 7, 2025
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to receive presentations from Forward Cities and Knox Street Studios to update on their ARPA-funded programs to support Durham entrepreneurs.
As part of the Board's strategic plan for administering the County's American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding, the Board initially authorized the use of $1,500,000 to implement a comprehensive entrepreneurial ecosystem that included targeted support for small businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic. After the applications were reviewed, staff recommended, and the Board approved the initial award to Forward Cities (FC), as well as a second grant award of $750,000 to Knox St. Studios (KSS).
In September, 2023, Durham County issued a Request for Proposal for a Small Business Support Program (RFP) to create and maintain a comprehensive entrepreneurial support system that provides targeted support for qualifying small business operating in Durham County. The two main priorities of the RFP are stated below with the full RFP is attached to the agenda item.
* Establish and Maintain an Entrepreneurial Support System for Small Business Owners Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic
* The first priority for the grant program to be operated under this RFP is for an organization to create and maintain a comprehensive entrepreneurial support system for qualifying small business operating in Durham County that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. The organization that receives funding will be responsible for the following activities:
* Provide Targeted Small Business Support for Qualifying Small Business
* In addition to creating the entrepreneurial support system, the second priority will be for the project to include specific strategies for targeted support for qualifying small businesses within Durham...
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