Under the leadership of the Commissioner, the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and the Intellectual Disability Partnership (IDP) is relaunching the Innovative Employment Opportunity (IEO) grant program.
Donor Name: State of Connecticut Department of Developmental Services
State: Connecticut
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Size of the Grant: $10,000; $25,000 or $50,000
Deadline: 11/10/2022
Details:
This grant program is intended to support innovative business ideas that will increase meaningful employment for people with intellectual disability that aligns with DDS’ commitment to Competitive Integrated Employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Nationally, individuals with developmental disabilities are disproportionately unemployed, underemployed, and living in poverty. DDS, an Employment First Agency, realizes that meaningful employment can be a cornerstone of any individual’s successful participation in their community. The Innovative Employment Opportunity increases opportunities for people with disabilities to become self-employed or to engage with entrepreneurs in employment opportunities, thereby increasing their economic self-sufficiency.
The Innovative Employment Opportunity is offering two types of grants:
- Exploratory Grant
- This grant will provide funding for business ideas that need an opportunity to explore the development of a viable business plan. The creation of competitive integrated employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities must be an integral component of the business concept. DDS will award up to $4,000 for this grant.
- Implementation/Expansion Grant
- This grant is for applicants who have a business, product or service; targeted market; and/or business goals; and are already in development and ready to implement or expand. The creation of competitive integrated employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities must be an integral component of the business concept.
The Innovative Employment Opportunity offers connections to a network of small business assistance services such as the CT Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), and University of Hartford Entrepreneurial Center to help build and improve business knowledge for eligible grantees in the following areas:
- Guidance on writing a business plan.
- One‐on ‐one business technical support.
- Follow‐up and ongoing support.
- Business management mentoring.
- Market research mentoring.
- Financial projections mentoring.
- Financial benchmarking support.
- Entrepreneurial style development
Funding Information
DDS will award grants in three brackets for this type of grant: $10,000; $25,000; or $50,000. Examples of appropriate requests include, but are not limited to, funds for marketing, consultant fees, procurement of equipment and assistive technology, and development of technology systems).
For more information, visit Innovative Employment Opportunity Grant Program.
