Training Opportunities & Events
ReEnvisioning Retail 2021
Retail, hospitality, tourism, and food and beverage service are some of the industries that continue to be the most heavily impacted by COVID-19. As Lives Empowered looks ahead to understanding equitable economic mobility for frontline workers in these industries, this convening will highlight actionable steps employers and public partners can take to stabilize businesses and keep workers moving forward.
Grand County REBUILD Program
Starts April 6 | 10-week session | Tuesday, April 6 - Thursday, May 9 | 4:30 - 6:00 pm
Location: Live Video Zoom sessions. Offered by Grand County Economic Development.
Register Here. Grand County Economic Development is excited to announce the launch of CO.STARTERS REBUILD; a program designed to help businesses create new opportunities and REBUILD better. This live-facilitated, 10-session program will help you refocus your business, stabilize it, and build toward long-term recovery. Working with a dedicated group of like-minded peers, you’ll cover topics relevant to the current COVID-19 challenges in a series of ten 2.5-hour sessions.
Summit Biz Bootcamp powered by CO.STARTERS
Starts April 14 | 10-week Business Acceleration Program | Wednesdays from 5-7:30 pm
Sessions: April 14, 21, 28, May 5, 12, 19, 26, June 2, 9, plus a celebration. Apply HERE.
Location: Virtual meetings (with the possibility of in-person meetings in the future once it’s safe to do so)
Offered by Summit Prosperity Initiative, with support from USDA REDI, FMI (Freeport McMoran), Startup Colorado. Features nine interactive sessions that focus on business fundamentals and the keys for business growth, including financial planning, marketing and business logistics, as well as guest speakers and support through mentors and coaches. The 10th session is the celebration that will be held later in the summer.
DreamBuilder Entrepreneur Training Program
Starts April 7 | 13-week session |Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. -7 p.m. (includes office hours)
Location: Virtual | Offered by Clear Creek County Economic Development Corporation
Register Here. DreamBuilder is a program for emerging entrepreneurs, offering online courses that teach women the skills and knowledge to start or grow their own business. Courses are interactive, convenient for your schedule, and available in both Spanish and English. Best of all, they're free! Learn the step-by-step framework for launching your own small business. Best for entrepreneurs ready to start their own business or those who already own a business and want to develop their skills in a variety of areas, or are in various stages of exploring growth. Join other women in Clear Creek County as we lead you through the DreamBuilder program
Economic Development Council of Colorado Upcoming Events
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May 9 -15 | Economic Development Week | Schedule of Events Here | EDCC and Downtown Colorado, Inc. (DCI) are teaming up in 2021, to bring a week-long celebration of Colorado’s Economic Development Ecosystem and it’s partners.
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May 26 | Where are the Retail and Hospitality Industries Headed? From trends that accelerated during the pandemic to the new ways of doing business, it leaves the question as to where the retail and hospitality industries are going?
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June 14 - 18 | Basic Economic Development Course | Will feature live, interactive discussions with instructors and peers. The BEDC course provides a substantial introduction to the theory and fundamentals of comprehensive economic development.
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October 20-22 | EDCC Annual Drive, Lead, Succeed Conference | Steamboat Springs...stay tuned for more details.
Downtown Colorado Inc. Knowledge Marketplace
April 8: Telling Your Story: Marketing 3-4-5™
April 15: Small Town Entrepreneurship + Access to Capital
April 22: Repurposing Downtown: Small Scale Manufacturing
April 26: The State of Colorado: Demographics for Colorado + the San Luis Valley
Main Street Now 2021 Conference
Main Street America will host the virtual Main Street Now conference from April 12-14, 2021. Sessions will focus on recovery and resilience, equity and inclusion, and small business and entrepreneurship.
Virtual Funder Roundtables
Offered by the Community Resource Center. This free three-hour session will provide participating grantseekers with the opportunity to connect with up to six funders throughout the morning. Nonprofits will sign up for a time block to introduce themselves with funders of their choice in a small group breakout with other organizations from the Heart of Colorado.
Funding & Technical Assistance
Colorado Creates Grant
Opens early to mid-April; Deadline June 7. More info here. Colorado Creates grants are general operating support for nonprofit arts organizations to provide arts programs and activities to their communities.
NWCCOG EDD Business Loan Fund
Funds from this loan fund provided by USDA Rural Development. Loans will support the development of small and emerging businesses in the NWCCOG Region. Funds can be used for expansion, acquisition, startups, equipment, inventory, or working capital. In order to qualify you must be a for-profit business, have gross revenues less than $1 million, have fewer than 50 employees, and provide documentation of not being able to obtain credit elsewhere. For more information contact Rachel Tuyn, 970.485.0513 or email rtuyn@nwccog.org.
Shuttered Venue Operators Grant opens April 8, 2021
The SBA has launched a splash page for the application portal in anticipation of opening applications on April 8. We are encouraging Colorado organizations seeking a grant to prepare well in advance and be ready to move swiftly once applications go live.
Drug-Free Communities Support Program
Deadline: May 10 | More info here. Seeks to reduce substance abuse among youth through collaborative action. Specific goals include establishing and strengthening collaboration among communities, public and private nonprofit agencies, and local governments to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance abuse.
First Responders Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Grants
Deadline: May 17 | More info here. to allow first responders and members of other key community sectors to administer a drug or device approved or cleared under the FDA for emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose. Recipients will train and provide resources to first responders and members of other key community sectors. Recipients will also establish processes, protocols, mechanisms for referral to appropriate treatment and recovery communities.
Grants to Support Rehabilitation of Historic Rural Properties
Deadline: May 12 | More info here. The Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program supports the rehabilitation of historic properties to foster economic development of rural communities. These grants fund preservation projects for historic sites, including architectural and engineering services and physical preservation.
2021 AARP Livable Communities Challenge
Deadline: April 14. The American Association of Retired Persons’ (AARP) Community Challenge provides grants to fund quick-action projects to help communities become more livable for people of all ages. Applications are accepted for projects for public spaces, housing, transportation, civic engagement, coronavirus recovery, diversity, inclusion, and more. Eligible applicants include 501(C)(3), 501(C)(4), and 501(c)(6) non-profit organizations, government entities, and other types of organizations (considered on a case-by-case basis).
EDA Build to Scale Program
Economic Development Administration Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The FY 2021 Build to Scale program fuels tech-based economic development in regional economies and is comprised of two competitions, the Venture Challenge and the Capital Challenge. The Venture Challenge seeks to support high growth entrepreneurship, accelerate company growth, and scale proven entrepreneurship support models. The Capital Challenge increases access to capital in communities where risk capital is in short supply by providing operational support for early-stage investment funds, angel capital networks, or investor training programs. Eligible applicants include cities, counties, and other political subdivisions of states.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants
Deadline: May 18 | More info here. The purpose of the Challenge Grants program is to strengthen the institutional base of the humanities by enabling infrastructure development and capacity building. Awards aim to help institutions secure long-term support for their core activities.
Comcast RISE Grant Program
Deadline: May 7. The Comcast RISE program will initially be available for Black business owners. Beginning November 28, 2020, all Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) business owners will be eligible to apply for Comcast RISE. Comcast RISE was created to invest in the success of these critical businesses by providing valuable and practical support. Applications close May 7th.
