NC IDEA ECOSYSTEM provides grant funding to organizations that execute creative programs to support entrepreneurs.
Donor Name: NC IDEA
State: North Carolina
County: Selected Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/05/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year
Details:
NC IDEA believes that the commitment to supporting entrepreneurial ambition and economic empowerment in North Carolina is best achieved by working in partnership with others. The NC IDEA ECOSYSTEM grant program is designed to:
- Identify (and support) new partners doing inspired things to help entrepreneurs
- Provide a means for the organization to foster relationships, dialog and learning between ECOSYSTEM partners
- Better understand how they may (collectively) support more people in their ambition to start and grow companies that will strengthen the economy of North Carolina
- Encourage more organizations and individuals to support and participate in efforts to make North Carolina the best state in the nation to start and grow great companies
Funding Information
Each grant award will be for up to $100,000.00 in total and disbursed in the period between the execution of the Grant Agreement and December 2025, with all funding to be utilized and related project activities concluded by June 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
NC IDEA ECOSYSTEM supports organizations executing innovative and transformational ideas that can strengthen North Carolina’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. It is not the intention to create funding dependencies for organizations they support via ECOSYSTEM grants; rather, the aim is to help validate new initiatives and demonstrate that continuing the support of those activities beyond the period of the grant would be in the interest of the communities served.
NC IDEA invites proposals from nonprofit and for-profit organizations within North Carolina that help North Carolinians achieve their entrepreneurial ambition to start and build innovative companies. Note that preferential consideration will be given to proposed activities that support startups who may later take advantage of NC IDEA’s grants and programs for entrepreneurs. Organizations working with small and lifestyle businesses are not the focus of this program, as they believe there are other entities around the state that focus on serving those firms.
The following entities are not eligible to be awarded an NC IDEA ECOSYSTEM grant:
- Endowments, capital campaigns or other fundraising events
- Lobbying organizations, political parties or labor organizations
- Fraternal groups
- Individuals.
Evaluation Criteria
NC IDEA does not presume how to best serve the diverse communities of North Carolina. They have, however, supported dozens of organizations around the state and have observed common practices with promising results that will factor into the evaluation. These include, but are not limited to:
- Education and training (accelerator) programs wherein participants work specifically on their company, whilst following some curriculum or structure
- Coaching and mentoring to help participants focus on long-term value creation, culture, work-life balance and other founder-related topics
- Direct technical assistance and/or small funding awards for specific tasks such as:
- Networking communities of common entrepreneurial interest
- Sharing learnings from all of the above and generally promoting entrepreneurship.
For more information, visit NC IDEA.
