Item:
Title
Approval of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Nonprofit Grant Program Phase 2 - Small Business Support Grant to AB Community DBA Knox Street Studios for $750,000
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: April 29, 2024
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to approve ARPA Nonprofit Grant Phase 2 - Small Business Support Grant to AB Community DBA (doing business as) Knox Street Studios for $750,000 in contracted services.
As part of the Board's strategic plan for administering the County's 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). Both organizations will work in partnership to support the E3 small business ecosystem that maximizes the coordination of service-delivery and impact for Durham County entrepreneurs. FC will serve as the system administrator, convener, and provider of front-end navigation, while KSS will be a primary provider of programs and services that position Durham small businesses for success.
KSS programming and services will prioritize technology companies and growth-stage companies (4-8 years in operation) while also supporting the broader needs of the ecosystem. A high-level summary of contracted services include:
* Hosting Start-Up Weekends as part of the Early Stage Accelerator cohorts
* Provision of 1:1 Counseling through Trusted Advisors
* Facilitation of the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program
* Hosting the Support to Scale Incubator cohorts
* Access to Capital through third-party support
* Digital Certification programming and support
* Tech Skills Workshops and Industry Awareness Campaign
This project's primary objective is to proactively identify...
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