Small Business Initiative

The NSEDC Small Business Initiative is an avenue for individuals to promote and develop business ventures in an effort to help alleviate social and economic issues facing the Norton Sound region.  The NSEDC Small Business Initiative is patterned after the Alaska Federation of Natives highly regarded “Alaska Marketplace” and is aimed at identifying and funding business ideas that will stimulate and facilitate economic development in the Norton Sound region. 

After a series of reviews and interviews by an independent panel of judges, selected entrepreneurs will present their ideas to the same independent judges in person for the opportunity to be awarded a grant of up to $35,000. The application period generally opens in mid-April and closes in mid-July.  The application evaluation and judging process takes place in August and September, with award recipients notified by October.  The 2011 award recipients will present their business at the Bering Strait Regional Conference in 2012.

Information on the 2012 grant recipients can be found here, as well as a story in the Nome Nugget. The 2013 application period runs from April 1 to July 15.

2013 Small Business Initiative Application

2012 Small Business Initiative Brochure

For more information, please contact:

NSEDC Nome Sterling Gologergen P.O. Box 358 Nome, AK 99762 Phone:  (888) 650-2477 Fax: (907) 443-2478

NSEDC Anchorage Yvonne Galsy Ashenfelter 420 L Street, Suite 310 Anchorage, AK 99501 Phone: (800) 650-2248 Fax: (907) 274-2249

NSEDC Unalakleet Paul Ivanoff, III P.O. Box 193 Unalakleet, AK 99684 Phone:  (800) 385-3190 Fax: (907) 624-3183

Other Resources Available

• Kawerak, Inc. Community Planning and Development
  Contact: (877) 219-2599
  
  
• State of Alaska Small Business Center
  Contact:  (907) 269-8104
  
  
• Alaska Small Business Development Center
  Contact: (800) 478-7232
  
  
• SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)
  Chapter 558: Counselors to America's Small Business
  Contact: (800) 755-7304
  
  
• AKSourceLink
  Linking Alaska's small businesses to the right resource at the right time
  

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