WYOMISSING,爸爸. — The 博克斯LaunchBox powered by Penn State recently received a $125,伯克斯郡拨款一万美元. The funding will be used to create microgrants for 博克斯 County entrepreneurs. 拨款总额中, $12,000 will be set aside for 宾州州立银行 student entrepreneurs participating in the college’s Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center Customer Discovery Lab, which will be distributed to awardees in $1,000 increments.
“We have identified the LaunchBox as an incredibly effective partner and service provider to our entrepreneur and small business community,Pamela Shupp Menet说, director of community and economic development for the County of 博克斯. “These grants are part of our strategy to increase access to capital.”
这笔拨款是该县的 IMAGINE 博克斯 Strategic Economic Development Action Plan. The plan includes six areas of focus, with one area being small business and entrepreneurship. A key strategy in the plan is to support small businesses working to scale their operations to increase efficiency and achieve exponential growth.
The microgrants applications will be accepted during three submission periods per year, 超过三年的时间. 在第一和第二次提交期间, 博克斯 County entrepreneurs with early-stage business ideas and gross revenues of less than $200,可申请最高2元的小额资助,000 to move forward with their business by building a prototype, 制定营销计划, 建立网站, 和更多的. 提交将需要一份申请, 商业模型画布, and a one-hour meeting with the 博克斯LaunchBox.
During the third submission period, entrepreneurs can apply for microgrants up to $4,000 each. They will participate a free customer discovery process program to determine whether their product or service will be successful in the marketplace.
The first submission for funding of up to $2,000 is now open for applications on the 伯克的LaunchBox网站. 申请截止日期为5月30日. 访问 the website for details and deadlines for subsequent submission periods.
“These funds would go a long way to supporting early-stage startups and entrepreneurs in 博克斯 County helping them to de-risk their startup and scale their business successfully,埃里卡·昆克尔说, director of 博克斯LaunchBox and continuing education at 宾州州立银行.
仅在2023年, 博克斯LaunchBox assisted 202 entrepreneurs (42% from under-represented groups), taught new skills to 479 community members in its Makerspace, offered entrepreneurship classes to 500 community members, and impacted 362 students (elementary school through college) with free classes and activities. 除了, 16 entrepreneurs were awarded Creative Entrepreneurs Accelerator Grants, with the help of the LaunchBox team and 14 entrepreneurs and organizations received assistance developing their prototypes.
关于博克斯发射箱
博克斯LaunchBox的任务, located in Suite 105 of the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in downtown 阅读, is to support economic development and entrepreneurship. 宾州州立银行的创新中心, the LaunchBox connects local early-stage entrepreneurs to the support, 资源, and facilities that they need to build sustainable and scalable businesses with a viable plan for growth. 服务包括协助制作原型, 进行市场调查, 与顾问联系. 博克斯LaunchBox offers entrepreneurship workshops, 创业公司的联合办公空间, 以业务发展为重点的聚会, a makerspace with 3D printers for prototyping and special youth programs.
博克斯LaunchBox is supported by Invent Penn State — a commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, 创造就业机会和学生事业成功. 欲了解更多信息，请访问 berkslaunchbox.事业单位.edu or contact 艾丽卡Kunkel at 610-396-6221 or via email at (电子邮件保护).
