INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) announced $1.05 million in grant awards to accelerate entrepreneurial activity and resources statewide through its new Community Collaboration Fund (CCF). This investment will help power 32 community-led projects focused on entrepreneurial education, connection and acceleration across Indiana, with a particular focus on underrepresented founders and underserved markets.
One of the projects receiving funing is Catalyzing Community & Connection from the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce with a $11,850 award. The chamber will serve the growing ecosystem of entrepreneurs in Bartholomew County in an attempt to prevent founders from becoming siloed by the type of venture they are building. This program will feature a fall 2024 founder meet-up series, a spring 2025 founder meet-up series, and a culminating awards showcase for 13 meetups in total.
“Indiana already ranks number two in the nation for starting a business, and these unique and collaborative projects are set to propel our entrepreneurial ecosystem to even greater heights,” said Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg. “Through the Community Collaboration Fund, we’re accelerating 32 new projects aimed at filling critical gaps and providing more direct support and resources for our entrepreneurs and small businesses at every stage of their journey, ensuring that all Hoosiers have the tools needed to innovate, grow and succeed.”
CCF, launched in October 2023, is designed to foster Indiana’s already strong entrepreneurial ecosystem. Under the leadership of Governor Eric J. Holcomb, Indiana ranks No. 2 in the U.S. for starting a business by Forbes, boasts one of the most active VC markets in the world, and has been recognized as a top-15 emerging North American destination for entrepreneurship by Startup Genome.
The program provides matching grants to support new community collaborations, services and programming that will benefit Indiana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with a focus on education, connection and acceleration. After an initial pilot of the program, the IEDC received more than 80 applications for its 2024 CCF grants. From the submissions, 32 projects were chosen based on their ability to fill gaps across the entrepreneurial ecosystem, support non-traditional markets and collaborate across boundaries.
