NC IDEA ENGAGE Grants (North Carolina) - fundsforNGOs

ENGAGE grants support your efforts to unite like-minded folks to celebrate and promote entrepreneurship.

Donor Name: NC IDEA

State: North Carolina

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: All Time

Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000

Grant Duration: 1 Year

Details:

NC IDEA ENGAGE empowers individuals and organizations to ignite vibrant community entrepreneurial ecosystems by fueling diverse and inclusive initiatives across North Carolina. ENGAGE welcomes applications for activities centered around entrepreneurship, including entrepreneurial programs, pilots, events, and student educational initiatives that foster connections, collaborations, and impactful activity throughout the state.

Funding Information

Applications for funding up to $5,000.

Grant Period

Grants are intended to be spent within one year.

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities for NC IDEA ENGAGE include:

Entrepreneurial Programs
- Programs that empower entrepreneurs with structured support through activities like incubators and accelerators that provide mentorship, co-working space, or access to resources. Programs can offer technical assistance and resources to enhance business skills and knowledge, facilitate connections with investors and funding sources, equipping entrepreneurs for growth. These programs are established and have a proven track record of success and a defined structure for delivering services or assistance.
- Outcomes: Increase startup rate success, accelerate business growth, and boost economic development in North Carolina.
Pilots and new initiatives
- Spur innovation by supporting the development and testing of pilot programs and events that target specific needs or under-served communities. Experimentation and data-driven approaches can be effective in fostering entrepreneurial success. Activities that are new and untested are considered pilots. These activities are smaller-scale endeavors that have the potential to be turned into full-fledged programs if successful.
- Outcomes: Inform future program development for entrepreneurial support organizations, discover breakthrough solutions, address emerging gaps and challenges, and diversify and strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Events that focus on entrepreneurial activity
- Foster a vibrant and connected entrepreneurial ecosystem by supporting conferences, workshops, networking events, pitch competitions, and other events centered around entrepreneurship. These are one-time or a series of gatherings designed to bring entrepreneurs and supporters together. The majority of the event’s focus should be on entrepreneurship.
- Outcomes: Increase awareness and excitement around entrepreneurship, connect entrepreneurs with potential funders, partners, and customers, and provide opportunities to highlight economic development via entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurial Student Education
- Equip the next generation of entrepreneurs with essential skills through educational programs tailored for students at all levels. The activity will facilitate early exposure to entrepreneurial concepts and opportunities.
- Outcomes: Cultivate a pipeline of talented and prepared entrepreneurs, foster entrepreneurial thinking for North Carolinians, and strengthen the future of the state’s economy.
Other
- Strengthen the network of North Carolina’s entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs) by providing resources to collaborate, develop programs, and envision a more entrepreneurial North Carolina—Foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among ESOs and other stakeholders. This can also be selected for activities that do not fall neatly within the different categories but still align with the grant program’s goals.
- Outcomes: Create a coordinated and comprehensive support system for entrepreneurs across the state, remove barriers to access and resources, leverage collective expertise, and promote a holistic approach to fostering a thriving ecosystem.