Estes Park EDC Receives Two Grants to Support Local Businesses
Estes Park Economic Development Corporation (Estes Park EDC) provides programs and services that support economic development and growth in the Estes Valley. Its Business Accelerator Services of Estes (B.A.S.E.) Program offers direct support to startups and existing businesses through MBA style classes over the course of six months. The B.A.S.E. Program is comprised of entrepreneurial minded business owners who seek clarity, vision and purpose for their business. The Program helps businesses to develop new strategies related to Business Model Mapping, Purpose in Business, Market Research, and Advertising Strategies, as well as Long and Short Term Strategic Planning. The program also utilizes its relationships with the Fort Collins Innosphere and the Larimer Small Business Development Center (Larimer SBDC) to provide resources and guidance on navigating a small business.
Recently, the Entrepreneurial Center (E-Center) received a $50,000 grant award from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (Colorado OEDIT). Colorado OEDIT creates a positive business climate that encourages dynamic economic development and sustainable job growth. The E-Center also received a grant from the Federal Economic Development Agency (EDA) of $460,000 to be distributed over the course of three years. This was a challenging grant application process and took over a year to go through the approval process. Thanks go out to Grant Specialist Christy Crosser and the Town of Estes Park for their assistance and support as well as to the staff of the Estes Park EDC for their dedicated work throughout the application process.
These grants will enable the E-Center to expand its services to support our local community and help business owners thrive. The program provides support to either start a business or scale your business in a sustainable way. As the program comes to a close in April, the B.A.S.E. Program cohort has the opportunity to participate in a pitch competition where they will present their products/services, business strategy and scale-up plans to an esteemed panel of judges.
Business accelerator programs are a wonderful opportunity for local business owners to address current challenges and find solutions to sustain, pivot or grow their business. The BASE Program serves all types of businesses, from cleaning services to restaurants and bars, professional services, outdoor industries and more.
The 2022-2023 B.A.S.E. Program cohort begins in October and registration is open. To learn more about the program, visit www.estesparkedc.com/ecenter or contact Program Manager Parker Witmore at Pwitmore@estesparkedc.com.