Deadline: Rolling Basis
Applications for the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Grant Program 2022 are now open. The Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Grant Program provides creative entrepreneurs with small business consulting and up to $2,000 in critical financial resources to grow businesses and revenue.
Fifty-one percent of the funds available for distribution in this program will be reserved for Black, indigenous, or persons of color (BIPOC), or individuals residing in communities identified by the Small Business Administration’s low-income communities map. The Arts Council is administering this grant on behalf of the PA Council on the Arts for Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, and Washington counties.
Grant
- This grant program offers $500 to $2,000 in support of creative entrepreneurs starting a business or currently operating a micro-business with gross revenue less than $200,000 in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, and Washington counties.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Be 18 years of age or older and live in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, or Washington counties
- Manage a business with gross revenue of less than $200,000 or intend to form or operate a business in Pennsylvania
- Operate in one or more of the following creative industries:
- Marketing – Advertising and marketing agencies and professionals
- Architecture – Architecture firms and architects
- Visual Arts & Crafts – Galleries, artists, artisans, and makers
- Design – Product, interior, graphic, and fashion design firms and designers
- Film & Media – Film, video, animation, television, and radio businesses
- Digital Games – Companies, programmers, and individuals producing games
- Music & Entertainment – Producers, venues, musicians, and performers
- Publishing – Print or electronic businesses and content creators, editors, and writers
Application
- Step 1: Referral Coordinator Business Plan Consultation: Before applying, all applicants must first have a consultation and business plan review with a local small business development organization, known as a Referral Coordinator. The Referral Coordinators will help with the logistics of starting a business including the development of a business plan and growth strategies.
- Step 2: Application: Upon receiving an approved referral form from a designated Referral Coordinator, applicants may submit application materials through the Arts Council website.
Submissions must include the creative entrepreneur’s application form, approved referral form, and business plan, including a budget outlining expected project expenses for the funding year. Upon receipt of an eligible and complete application, the Arts Council will review your application. If approved, the Arts Council will enter into a grant award agreement with the creative entrepreneur and process the grant payment.
Applications open on October 11, 2021. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Funding decisions will be made on a quarterly basis, on the 15th of each month: November 2021, February 2022, May 2022, and August 2022.
For more information, visit Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator.
