Funding opportunities available

The second round of the Innovate ND Program, a statewide initiative designed to help entrepreneurs turn innovative concepts into business ventures, has 163 people enrolled, working on 78 ideas.

With a $100 entry fee, Innovate ND participants gain access to a venture building process that includes online entrepreneur education, business planning tools, and coaching and mentoring from successful entrepreneurs and proven business owners. In May, a panel of private investors will review each business idea and select the top winners to receive up to $10,000 in cash prizes and a variety of business services and potential seed capital investments to launch their businesses.

Individuals and teams applied from all parts of North Dakota, including 23 ideas from the northeast region of the state, 10 from northwest, 23 from the southeast and 16 from the southwest. Six ideas came from other states, including Arizona, New York, Virginia, Illinois, California and Nevada. Current and former North Dakotans and entrepreneurs who want to relocate to North Dakota were eligible to enroll.

Participants in this year's program range in age from college students to people late in their careers. The business ideas submitted span a variety of industries, including tourism, hospitality, manufacturing, information technology and services.

The program is made possible by support from the private sector, and is organized by the North Dakota Commerce Department in conjunction with the UND Center for Innovation and the NDSU Research and Technology Park.

Participants are now in the process of developing more detailed idea plans, which are due Feb. 15. From there, judges will select the top 20 ideas.

For more information about the program, contact Brandi Schoenberg at commerce, 701-328-5300, or Rodrigo Cintra at the Center for Innovation, 701-777-3970 or Rodrigo@innovators.net.

Members and staff of the Bismarck Mandan Board of Realtors gathered more than $2,300 in cash and needed items for homeless children in the Bismarck Public School system.

Carrie's Kids has more than 300 Bismarck children on its roster who are need of life's basics like shelter, food and personal care items.

The North Dakota State Fair received 10 awards of excellence from the International Association of Fairs and Expos headquartered in Springfield, Mo.

Agricultural awards were received in the following categories: Fair and Sponsor/Partner Joint Exhibit Program and Overall Program for Commercial Agriculture Exhibitors. Additionally, awards were received in conjunction with KXMC-TV of Minot for Outstanding Media Commitment to Agriculture Programming - Television, Forward Communication of Minot for Outstanding Media Commitment to Agricultural Programming - Radio, Minot Daily News for Outstanding Media Commitment to Agricultural Programming - Newspaper.

Communication awards were received in the categories of Newspaper Ad Black and White and Newsletter (External) - e-mail/web. Kranzler Kingsley and its Internet marketing division, K2 Interactive, produced both of the winning entries in the communication awards division.

The North Dakota State Fair also received honors in the following categories: Overall Program for Competitive Agricultural Exhibitors, Special Ag Event or Exhibit for Fairgoing Public and Overall Ag Program for Non-Agricultural Fairgoing Public.

There are a total of 14 agriculture award categories and 14 communication award categories, each divided into five divisions by attendance, that a fair or expo could enter. The entries are evaluated and judged by a team of industry leaders. These individuals are selected from the membership of International Association of Fairs and Expositions, which has more than 3,200 members from around the globe.

The North Dakota Workforce Development Council - State Commission on National and Community Service announced that effective Monday, competition is open for AmeriCorps State formula funded proposals for projects operating during the 2008-09 project year.

The North Dakota AmeriCorps state request for proposal application can be downloaded at http://www.ndworkforce.com/programs/americorps. The request for proposal application also can be ordered by calling the North Dakota Department of Commerce Workforce Development Division at 328-7263.

For AmeriCorps state applications, you must follow the notice of intent to apply, application instructions and submission dates found at the above Web site. AmeriCorps State grants are subject to the availability of member slots and funds from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The state commission frequently receives more applications than can be awarded. The state commission selects applications using an extensive multi-stage process that includes reviews by peer review panels, the commission staff and commissioners, and approval by the State Commission.

If you are interested in other AmeriCorps funding opportunities, application instructions can be obtained through the national Web site at http://www.americorps.org/for_organizations/apply/national.asp.