Economic Development Digestibles

New Economy Entrepreneurs
The National Commission on Entrepreneurship’s (NCOE’s) report Building Companies, Building Communities: Entrepreneurs in the New Economy, explores what factors helped entrepreneurs succeed and what factors make a community entrepreneurial, and the policy implications of both.

Contact: NCOE, (202) 624-8060, www.ncoe.org
Price: Free on their website

Capitalizing on Rural Communities
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) report, Capitalizing on Rural Communities, focuses on the growing importance of development venture capital funds in attracting more private capital investment in the 13-state Appalachian Region.

Contact: ARC, (202) 884-7799, www.arc.gov
Price: Free on their website

Growing New Businesses
Recent reports by the National Governors’ Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices on the topic of entrepreneurship include Growing New Businesses with Seed and Venture Capital: State Experiences and Options and Nurturing Entrepreneurial Growth in State Economies. Both reports provide ideas for states on how to nurture small businesses and facilitate their access to investment resources, including venture capital.

Contact: NGA, (202) 624-5300, www.nga.org
Price: Free on their website

Brownfields RLFs
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now accepting proposals for FY2001 Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Pilots. Funded at up to $1 million each, the Brownfields Cleanup RLFs are intended for cleanup and redevelopment efforts. EPA expects to select up to 35 new RLF pilots by March 2001. The deadline for new proposals is December 18, 2000.

Contact:Barbara Bassuener, EPA, (202) 260-9347; Jennifer Millett Wilbur, EPA, (202) 260-6454; www.epa.gov/brownfields

Challenge America Grants
From the National Endowment for the Arts, the Challenge America Fast Track Grant guidelines and applications will be available in hard copy and on their website, www.arts.gov, in mid December 2000 or early January 2001. Challenge America is designed to support arts projects in rural and underserved communities. Its intent is to provide quality arts activities in communities which may have limited access to cultural arts resources. The grants are expected to be for $5,000 or $10,000 with a 1:1 matching requirement.

Contact:To request a copy of the guidelines, leave your contact information on the Challenge America voice mailbox at (202) 682-5700.

Innovations in Government
The Innovations in America Government Awards program is now accepting applications for their 2001 competition. The deadline for applications is January 12, 2001. In its 14th year, the awards are funded by the Ford Foundation and administered by the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The competition strives to identify and celebrate outstanding examples of creative problem-solving in the public sector. Each winner receives $100,000 and each finalist $20,000. This year there were 25 finalists and 10 winners. The 10 winners included one school district, one city, two counties, four states and two federal agencies, including the Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative of the EPA.

Contact:Innovations in American Government, (617) 495-0557, www.innovations.harvard.edu

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