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Marion, IN -- Lt. Governor Becky Skillman recently awarded Grant County with a $75,000 Microenterprise Assistance Program (MAP) Grant. The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) administer the grants through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. This grant will provide training/technical assistance and loans to small businesses for start-up or expansion of their operations in Grant County.
The grant is a collaborative effort among many countywide organizations.
“By design, no single group is exclusively championing entrepreneurship and expanding small businesses in Grant County,” said Jacquie Dodyk, executive director of the Affordable Housing Corporation. “When we all work together and pool our resources like this, everyone benefits.”
An example of that collaboration is how the Affordable Housing Corporation (AHC) worked closely with six Taylor University senior social work majors, Allison Anderson, Connie Asher, Laura Calhoun, Kim Moselle, Rachel Suttor, and Stephanie Visser, to write the grant.
“This is wonderful news,” said Rukshan Fernando, assistant social work professor at Taylor. “It is a testament that when universities and community organizations engage in effective partnerships the social and economic fabric of our community improves. I’m also excited that Taylor University students are able to be actively involved in an initiative that will continue to move Grant County in the right direction.”
The Affordable Housing Corporation will administer the program. According to federal CDBG regulations, a microenterprise is defined as, “a commercial enterprise that has five or fewer employees, one or more of whom owns the enterprise.” Business owners who meet that and other criteria may be eligible for a revolving loan. Revolving loans enable the grant to be sustainable on a long-term basis.
“As borrowers repay their loans, the program can make more loans down the road,” said Dodyk.
“Access to capital is a prime inhibitor for nascent entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into value added solutions for the community,” said Mick Bates, vice president of planning for the Grant County Economic Growth Council. “The MAP grant fills the micro-enterprise most critical need of initial capital to invest in business planning, equipment, prototype development, information systems infrastructure, and professional services. The MAP grant should accelerate the number of entrepreneurial endeavors in Grant County.”
"I see this grant award as a continued step in the right direction for the businesses and entrepreneurs in Grant County," said Mark Bardsley, Grant County Commissioner. "I was pleased to hear Grant County received the grant and I commend all those involved who made it happen."
Interested entrepreneurs can contact the Affordable Housing Corporation at 765-662-1574 for additional information.
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