The League has partnered with the ECU Miller School of Entrepreneurship to bring together your town with up-and-coming entrepreneurs. This is an opportunity to invigorate your community and its economy by creating jobs and attracting additional businesses!
About the Program
The Cultivating Entrepreneurship program will help your town create an economic development preparedness path so you are ready when opportunities come your way. Accepted municipal applicants will receive a monetary recognition award to utilize in their efforts toward becoming "entrepreneur-ready" and potentially connected with an entrepreneur from the Miller School.
Cultivating Entrepreneurship will help participating cities and towns understand the importance of investing in and including entrepreneurship in their ongoing economic development strategies and plans. Communities who foster entrepreneurship are better positioned for long-term successes. Creating an entreprenuerial spirit within a municipality improves quality of life -- new businesses can spark additional growth, which in turn, creates a more vibrant community for residents. Participants in the program will learn that there are concrete ways in which a community can create an environment where entrepreneurs have the tools they need to succeed.
Participating communities will have a platform to showcase what they can offer to budding entrepreneurs. By creating a Cultivating Entrepreneurship Online Portfolio, cities and towns will share their unique amenities and recruitment packages with graduates from the ECU Miller School of Entrepreneuship. Graduates will be able to review portfolios, participate in guided site visits, engage in conversations and conduct other research to ultimately make their decisions about where to locate their businesses. The goal is for graduates and communities to make a match that is mutually beneficial and allows for both the new business and community to thrive.
The Process
- Apply to the program. (Application is below)
- Demonstrate what your town has to offer.
- Connect + collaborate with an entrepreneur.
Eligibility & Criteria- Applicants should be a NCLM member municipality
- Applications wll be accepted from May 11 - July 15, 2021
- Applications should be completed with as much detail as possible and answered in full
- Municipal recruitment packages must remain valid for two years
Questions?
Please read our Cultivating Entrepreneurship Frequently Asked Questions.pdf for assistance and watch the recording below of our Cultivating Entrepreneurship Webinar that walked through the program and application period.
Any additional questions about the program and/or application process, please contact Julie Metz, Assistant Director of Business Development, with the League at jmetz@nclm.org or 919-715-9767.
Application
