RCCF, Town of Brookville Receive Grants to Help Underserved Entrepreneurs

Community Collaboration Fund awards to help underserved entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses access support programming and resources.

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INDIANAPOLIS – Today, 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).

The 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.

Locally, the following organizations received funding:

Brookville Entrepreneurship Incubator (BEI) / Town of Brookville - $40,000

• The town of Brookville will host a three-part incubator to support new business starts in the community. Entrepreneurs will begin by participating in an eight-week program with Indiana SBDC then pitch in a Shark Tank style competition with new businesses competing for subsidized office space in Brookville’s downtown.

Emerge: Young Innovators Summit / Ripley County Community Foundation - $38,000

• The Ripley County Community Foundation, along with thirteen other community partners, will host Emerge – a one-day intensive entrepreneurship summit for high school students in a five-county area in southeastern Indiana. By the end of the day, students will have created a business model canvas, engaged with inspiring entrepreneurs from their community, and connected with business support resources like the Indiana SBDC and The STARTedUP Foundation.

RELATED: Emerge: Young Innovators Summit Set to Inspire Local High School Students

"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.