Governor Terry McAuliffe announced nearly $202,600 in Building Entrepreneurial Economies grant awards for eight projects in the Commonwealth. The BEE grant program provides funding to local governments and nonprofit organizations for entrepreneurship programs aligned with local and regional economic development strategies, primarily in distressed communities and populations.
“Small business development is a vital component of the new Virginia economy,” said Governor McAuliffe. “The Building Entrepreneurial Economies grant awards will support our homegrown assets and create new opportunities for economic diversification. By supporting small business programs in communities across the Commonwealth, we are building a strong entrepreneurial environment that will ensure that Virginia continues to be the best place for individuals to start and grow their companies.”
BEE offers several types of grants, including implementation and planning. The implementation grants are awards up to $40,000 for projects that expand coverage for small business support services or implement innovative ideas that have already been funded and field tested through the BEE planning grant program. Planning grants are awards of up to $15,000 to research, develop and plan for a potential project.
“By leveraging public and private resources, we are able to assist projects that will result in the creation of businesses and jobs in these communities,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore. “This competitive funding is another resource Virginia is utilizing in support of small business and entrepreneurship development. I congratulate the 20 localities throughout Virginia who are leveraging this nearly $202,600 in funding to build a new Virginia economy.”
Fourteen applications totaling more than $366,000 in funding were received. Projects were reviewed and evaluated competitively, with an emphasis on those with innovative efforts to encourage entrepreneurship, alignment with regional or local strategies and the availability of matching resources.
2017 BEE Implementation Grants
| Applicant | Localities | Project Name | Award Offer |
| Floyd County EDA | Floyd County | Entrepreneurs and Value-Chain Enhancement | $ 40,000 |
| Staunton Creative Community Fund | City of Staunton | Staunton Innovation Hub | $ 40,000 |
| Virginia Western Community College | Roanoke County and City of Roanoke | RAMP and Virginia Western Talent Accelerator | $ 40,000 |
| Page County Public Schools | Page County | Page County Youth Entrepreneur Program | $ 22,596 |
| Total: | $ 142,596 | ||
2017 BEE Planning Grants
| Applicant | Localities | Project Name | Award Offer |
| University of Virginia’s College at Wise | Wise County and the Town of Wise | “The Nest” Entrepreneur Hub | $ 15,000 |
| STOP Inc. | Southampton and Isle of Wight counties and the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach | Vantage Point: Innovation in Underserved Populations | $ 15,000 |
| City of Harrisonburg | Rockingham County and City of Harrisonburg | Regional Marketing Analysis | $ 15,000 |
| Lunenburg County | Lunenburg County | BEE Prepared for Small Business in Lunenburg | $ 15,000 |
| Total: | $ 60,000 | ||
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Chris Graham
