Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation Lands String of Grants

(KNSI) – The Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation has been awarded three grants recently, and more could be on the way.

President and CEO NeTia Bauman says that’s by design. “It’s partly timing and also just a really intentional shift to embrace entrepreneurship-led economic development. The intention there is to drive innovation through collaboration to diversify our regional economy.”

The GSDC was awarded $280,000 by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for its Small Business Assistance Partnership Program. It got another $120,000 from DEED for the Launch MN Entrepreneurial Education Program. Bauman summarizes what the awards will help the GSDC accomplish.

“We’ll be providing up to 10 hours on the front end of one-on-one coaching. And then throughout the next two years, we will be able to offer very specific education workshops, resource matchmaking, [and] also just really developing that culture of connectivity and collaboration.”

The support is effective for any industry or type of business, from main street retail shops to high-tech start-ups and manufacturing. Bauman says a separate grant from Huntington Bank and U.S. Bank, worth $35,000, will help the organization prioritize assistance for minority-owned companies.

The programs will last from January 2024 through October 2025 and could potentially be renewed. The GSDC is also looking at grants for workforce development and talent attraction initiatives, plus working with other regional assets.

Bauman mentions St. Cloud State University and ILT Academy as examples of how the region’s education hubs can help with anything from pitch competitions to employee training.

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