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National League of Cities City Inclusive Entrepreneurship $15,000 Implementation Grant Award UpdateCity of Dubuque City Council Meeting Consent Items # 05. Copyrighted April 17, 2023 ITEM TITLE: National League of Cities City Inclusive Entrepreneurship $15,000 Implementation Grant Award Update SUMMARY: City Manager sharing information on the National League of Cities' (NLC) "City Inclusive Entrepreneurship" program that City staff are participating in this fiscal year, and an update on a $15,000 grant available through the program. SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File DISPOSITION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Type MVM Memo City Manager Memo Staff Memo Staff Memo Grant Application Supporting Documentation THE C Dubuque DUjIBQTE WAWca 914 Masterpiece on the Mississippi YP pp aoo�•o 13 z0i7*20*�oi9 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: National League of Cities City Inclusive Entrepreneurship $15,000 Implementation Grant Award DATE: April 11, 2023 Economic Development Director Jill Connors is sharing information on the National League of Cities' (NLC) "City Inclusive Entrepreneurship" program that City staff are participating in this fiscal year, and an update on a $15,000 grant available through the program. The Innovation Lab, which is acting as the "hub" in our local efforts has applied for and been awarded the full $15,000. Micl4ael C. Van Milligen MCVM:sv Attachment cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager Jill Connors, Economic Develoment Director Dubuque THE CITY OF All -America My nni K xvni , nz: a:u�ir, DUB E 2007-2012.2013 Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2017*2019 TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager FROM: Jill M. Connors, Economic Development Director Economic Development Department 1300 Main Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4763 Office (563) 589-4393 TTY (563) 690-6678 http://www.cityofdubuque.org SUBJECT: NLC City Inclusive Entrepreneurship $15,000 Implementation Grant Award DATE: April 11, 2023 INTRODUCTION This memorandum provides information on the National League of Cities' (NLC) "City Inclusive Entrepreneurship" program that City staff are participating in this fiscal year, and an update on a $15,000 grant available through the program. BACKGROUND On the recommendation of Robert Palmer at the Iowa Municipal League, NLC staff reached out to the City of Dubuque's Director of Strategic Partnerships, Teri Goodmann, to inquire whether the City of Dubuque would be interested in enrolling in the "City Inclusive Entrepreneurship" (CIE) program. The CIE program has about 50 cities this year committing to giving under -represented entrepreneurs more opportunities for economic advancements. The City of Dubuque is participating in the "Ecosystem Accelerator" commitment division of the program. This work will result in a "hub and spoke" system to assist under -represented entrepreneurs. By August 2023, we will have 1) identified gaps in our local/regional service provision, and 2) clarified a proposed ecosystem enhancement plan accounting for at least one entrepreneurial or small business support pathway. The outputs and outcomes of the program are detailed in the attached Ecosystem Accelerator Welcome Kit. DISCUSSION As part of the program, NLC is providing a $15,000 implementation grant to communities that demonstrate a plan for furthering the work proposed under the program. The Innovation Lab, which is acting as the "hub" in our local efforts has applied for and been awarded the full $15,000. The funds will generally be used to create the infrastructure for providing financial assistance to entrepreneurs. We will develop the systems, processes, implementation plan, and marketing to provide startup financial assistance through a grant program and pitch competitions. The funds are also leveraging supporting funds from a grant provided by Dubuque County to also further a hob and spoke model in our community. Details can be found in the attached application. RECOMMENDATION/ ACTION STEP No action required. This memo is for informational purposes. 2 National League of Cities Powered by Submittable U Title The Innovation Lab by Eric Dregne in NLC 2022-2023 City Inclusive Entrepreneurship (CIE) Grant Program eric@innovationlab.us Original Submission About You & Your Organization What is your 501(C)3 organization's IRS tax classification? Please select your commitment Name of Primary Applicant Municipality or Non -Profit Organization Primary Applicant Point of Contact 03/28/2023 id. 36129911 03/28/2023 Ecosystem Accelerator (Third Eye Network) - Establishing and/or enhancing a network of entrepreneurial resource partners The Innovation Lab Eric Dregne Title of Primary director Applicant Point of Contact Email — Primary Applicant Point of Contact Phone — Primary Applicant Point of Contact Primary Applicant Organization Web Site (i.e. Municipality or Non-profit portal) Primary Address (i.e Municipality or Non - Profit) eric@innovation lab. us +18152810061 www.innovationlab.us 210 Jones St. Suite 200 Dubuque IA 52001 us Please provide your 26-3523626 organization's Tax ID What is your $500K-$999K organization's budget size? City Name (e.g. City Dubuque, IA of San Luis, AZ) Municipality Point of Jill Contact* Connors Title of Municipality Economic Development Director Point of Contact Email of Municipality jilconno@cityofdubuque.org Point of Contact Population of your Medium (10,000-100,000) municipality Why did you choose To advance entrepreneurship in our community in a more equitable your commitment? and inclusive way. A group of resource providers in our community had been meeting over the past year to improve the capacity of our entrepreneurship ecosystem with very limited results. We were stuck. The Ecosystem Accelerator (Third Eye Network) is providing us with a framework and tools to help us strengthen our ecosystem and provide resources immediately for entrepreneurs, with a focus on ensuring access for BIPOC and women entrepreneurs. Please describe your The Innovation Lab ("Hub") coordinates network learning using an progress towards inclusive continuous improvement cycle that engages diverse your commitment's stakeholders to identify ecosystem gaps and create solutions. mid -year output and end -of -year outcome This process helped entrepreneurs & service providers identify (8/31/23) improved access to business funding as a gap. Outputs: Established a network - 6 "spoke" organizations engaged in our resource partner network A diverse group of stakeholders is participating in an inclusive continuous improvement cycle that identified initial qualitative and quantitative ecosystem enhancement goals: Providing financial assistance for businesses in the seed & launch phase to help them by supporting the costs of becoming formation - ready, launch -ready, and capital ready Develop the systems & process for delivering financial assistance through two channels, a grant program, and pitch competitions, and Formalizing our resource partner network to support a "no wrong door" approach to accessing resources Outcomes: Identified a gap in access to financial assistance for increasing long- term revenue potential, like market testing or critical equipment Developing the systems, processes, implementation plan, and marketing to provide startup financial assistance through a grant program and pitch competitions to fill the gap in early financial assistance. These outputs & outcomes will build trust among our partner network and create an immediate impact for entrepreneurs. How does your Our commitment advances gender & racial equity by engaging commitment advance network partners with direct connections to minority communities in gender and racial Dubuque, helping BIPOC and women entrepreneurs connect with equity in your existing resources through trusted relationships. Plus, we're working community? to develop new resources, coaching services featuring coaches from diverse backgrounds, and a series of educational events. How will the $15,000 Our plan uses this program funding to create the infrastructure for in funds requested be providing financial assistance to entrepreneurs. We will develop the allocated (labor, systems, processes, implementation plan, and marketing to provide direct expenses, startup financial assistance through a grant program and pitch contracts)? competitions. The funding will be used to support the cost of - Hub staff time for the development of the grant program and pitch competition processes, application, and review tools - engaging marketing support to create social media, printed materials, web resources, and online applications/review tools Having the costs of the program development covered will leverage an initial pool of $75,000 secured through a grant from Dubuque County. By braiding these two funding streams, we can quickly develop the program and tools in order to provide immediate assistance to entrepreneurs. Additionally, this creates an "early win" for our young network which is so valuable for demonstrating traction and strengthening partnerships. It helps demonstrate the value of engaging in a proven framework and working on a clear need identified by entrepreneurs. How will those funds These funds will help us build a program that fills a gap in our directly support the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Dubuque. The new program will allow commitment your city us to leverage funding from Dubuque County and other funders to made? provide financial assistance to entrepreneurs who would otherwise have trouble accessing funding through traditional lenders. Our most recent continuous improvement cycle session with entrepreneurs & our service provider network identified the need for seed funding in amounts ranging from $1,000-$7500. Entrepreneurs will be able to access financial assistance through a grant program and pitch competitions. The grant program will be designed to support startup phase entrepreneurs who need access to seed money for critical equipment, software, or other needs that will help them launch & grow their businesses. The pitch event will be designed to support startup phase entrepreneurs who need access to seed money and can connect these entrepreneurs with additional partners to explore potential investment and other funding opportunities. These grants will also help entrepreneurs become more ready to receive financing from traditional sources by helping to improve credit scores and providing down payments. The program will guide entrepreneurs into the grant or pitch format and will provide coaching support with the application process. Describe your We have started conversations with partners who have expressed timeline for rapidly interest in the program including The City of Dubuque, Dupaco deploying the grant Community Credit Union, and Dubuque County. Our timeline for funds by the end of implementation is as follows: the grant - March/April 2023 - initial planning & partner engagement performance period - May/June 2023 - grant & pitch competition program development (8/31/23) including program & marketing tools - July 2023 - launch grant program & pitch competition marketing & develop web tools (application, review, etc) - August 2023 - initial grant applications accepted utilizing our new systems & processes - September 2023 - award first grants from the program & launch pitch competition Funding from the grant will be deployed as follows: - May/June 2023 for staff to develop program tools & to engage marketing support - July 2023 to fund marketing of the grant and pitch competition & develop the web tools (application, review tools, etc.) All grant funding will be deployed to develop the program infrastructure by the end of the grant performance period. Please describe the We have met our first goal by engaging a network of at least 5 spoke timeline for organizations and identifying a hub for our network. The Innovation implementing your Lab is our hub, and network partners include, The City of Dubuque, commitment by the Dubuque Main Street, Greater Dubuque Development, Dubuque end of the grant County, the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce, SBDC/Northeast performance period Iowa Community College, Key City Creative (maker space) and (8/31 /23) Empower Her a network for women entrepreneurs. By implementing this new financial assistance program we will achieve our commitment to implement at least one new service that fills a gap in our ecosystem. Please describe how By utilizing a very visible grant program and an engaging pitch you are engaging competition model for deploying financial assistance we can more local, regional, or easily engage partnerships in the immediate needs for financial national partner assistance but also for future needs our network identifies and for organizations to supporting the work of the network itself. advance your commitment and We have engaged a local credit union with an interest in supporting strengthen your entrepreneurship through pitch competitions, they can support entrepreneurial access to credit counseling and other services, and provide ecosystem. sponsorship and other financial support. Dubuque County has provided a three-year grant to help fund our ecosystem work. Other important partnerships include: Partners like Empower Her provide support for women entrepreneurs through networking and education events SBDC Counselors provide business planning support and connections to resources The Chamber & Main Street work with local businesses to build their network, connect to resources, & attract customers At a State level, a partnership with The University of Iowa provides access to a business accelerator program and we have connections to the Iowa Startup Accelerator to assist scaleable businesses with support and access to funding. Our network uses a continuous improvement model to increase the collective impact of our partnerships. Please describe any A Dubuque County grant will match this NLC funding ($75,000) to plans to fundraise provide financial assistance to entrepreneurs and support efforts to collaboratively with strengthen the ecosystem ($400,000 over the next 3 years). We are local, regional, or working with local businesses to develop sponsorship opportunities national partner for education events, networking events, and innovation sessions to organizations around develop ecosystem solutions. this initiative. The City of Dubuque has committed funding to support the engagement of BIPOC entrepreneurs through a program that provides direct outreach to entrepreneurs in low-income communities in Dubuque. Upload your Project Budget (budget template provided on the invitation to apply email) CIE_DUBUQUE-Budget-Template_2022-2023.xlsx Upload your ACH form including banking information (budget template provided on the invitation to apply email) ACH-Form_The_Innovation_Lab_-_Dubuque_IA.pdf Upload your W9 form The Innovation Lab W9 1.PDF Is there anything else Our plan uses this program funding to create the infrastructure for you want to share providing financial assistance to entrepreneurs. We will develop the that we didn't ask systems, processes, implementation plan, and marketing to provide about? startup financial assistance through a grant program and pitch competitions. This will leverage an initial pool of $75,000 secured through a grant from Dubuque County. This approach will provide immediate assistance to entrepreneurs and strengthens partnerships in our network by engaging in a proven framework and working on a clear need identified by entrepreneurs.