Regional Economic Development through Entrepreneurship: A Symposium for Elected Officials provided an opportunity for elected officials and community leaders to discuss the critical need to develop and implement effective strategies to promote economic growth for the future of North Iowa.  North Iowa Area Community College hosted this event on Friday, June 19.

The first round of the John Pappajohn Iowa Business Plan Competition is complete. Of the 65 executive summaries entered, 30 have been selected to submit full business plans to be reviewed by judges. Businesses selected for the next round are from 17 different communities across the state. A sampling of the business types includes bioenergy, data management, manufacturing, information technology, bioscience, innovative construction systems and more. Of these competitors, seven to ten will be chosen as finalists and invited to present to a panel of judges. Based on the presentations, the judges will select three businesses to present at the Iowa Venture Capital and Entrepreneurs Conference on Oct. 6 where the winner will be announced.

The Iowa Department of Revenue will use the North Iowa Business Incubator on the North Iowa Area Community College campus for an outreach office to answer tax questions for the business community and general public. Free assistance will be provided in these areas: for those who need tax permits, applications for appropriate tax permits and with problems regarding the filing of business tax returns. The office is for assistance only and not involved with tax collection. 

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs represent the largest source of early stage funding for innovative research and development projects—over $2 billion per year. Kris Johansen, SBIR/STTR Program Administrator in the Office of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer at Iowa State University will share her tips for writing successful grants during her “SBIR/STTR 101” presentation at the NIACC Entrepreneurs’ Exchange, to be held May 19 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Room 104G at McAllister Hall on the NIACC Campus.