NC IDEA Foundation announced this week that the group is accepting applications through Dec. 5 for its ECOSYSTEM Grant Program.
 
Applications will be considered from organizations “executing on innovative and transformational ideas to strengthen North Carolina’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, with a specific focus on supporting under-served entrepreneurs in the state.”
 
The grant program has awarded over $6 million to more than 75 groups statewide, according to a news release.
 
“The program has primarily supported region-focused entrepreneurial ecosystem development efforts, in addition to some targeted efforts toward specific populations, such as the military community; or industry sectors, such as IoT,” the release stated.
 
“With this current grant solicitation, our goal is to continue to strengthen North Carolina’s entrepreneurial support infrastructure for identified, statistically under-served populations,” Ben Redding, NC IDEA’s CFO and manager of the ECOSYSTEM grant program, said in the release. “By intentionally supporting under-served communities, we and our partners will continue to create greater opportunity to economically empower all North Carolinians with entrepreneurship.”
 
Organizers said they are looking to select and fund about 12 proposals in the fall grant cycle, with individual grants up to $100,000. 
 
According to the release, “programs supported by the grant are required to primarily focus on under-served entrepreneurs that:
1) are located in Eligible Rural Counties of North Carolina; 
2) identify as Female; and/or 
3) identify as Minority (or Persons of Color).”
 
A virtual info session is planned for 11 a.m. Nov. 7 to answer questions about the grant, which will be announced in February.
 
Click here for more details and the application.