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Nov. 9, 2020 By Christian Murray
An annual competition that aims to help startup business owners in Queens flourish—with grants of up to $10,000—kicked off earlier this month.
The competition, called StartUp! and spearheaded by the Queens Economic Development Corporation, provides business owners with free instruction, one-on-one consultation with advisers, and thousands in grants.
The program is in its 15th year and participants are required to attend at least four, free one-hour workshops. The workshops are being held online and cover the following topics: Identify and Validate Customer Needs and Problems; Develop and Test Your Business Model; Branding Strategies for Startups; and Financial Statement Basics for Startups.
Business owners who fulfil these requirements are then eligible to compete for a grant. Applicants have until March 1 to complete the workshops and apply for the grant.
There are four $10,000 grants on offer, with one grant awarded per category. The categories include technology; community; food; and sustainably.
Three finalists will be picked per category and then a panel of judges will select a winner.
The program was established in 2006 and to date $450,000 in grants have been awarded to 71 winners.
The QEDC said the competition was made possible this year with the support of Resorts World Casino New York City, Queens Public Library and the Srivastava Technology Fund.
For more information on the program, go to http://www.queensny.org
