§ 211 — Entrepreneurship assistance centers

§ 211. Entrepreneurship assistance centers. 1. The department shall\nestablish and support, within available appropriations, entrepreneurship\nassistance centers at career education agencies and not-for-profit\ncorporations including, but not limited to, local development\ncorporations, chambers of commerce, community-based business outreach\ncenters and other community-based organizations. The purpose of such\ncenters shall be to train minority group members, women, individuals\nwith a disability, dislocated workers and veterans in the principles and\npractice of entrepreneurship in order to prepare such persons to pursue\nself-employment opportunities and to pursue a minority business\nenterprise or a women-owned business enterprise. Such centers shall\nprovide for training in all aspects of business development and small\nbusiness management as defined by the commissioner. For purposes of this\nsection, "career education agency" shall mean a community college or\nboard of cooperative educational services operating within the state.\n 2. The department shall establish criteria for selection and\ndesignation of such centers which shall include, but not be limited to:\n (a) require that each support center program provide at least sixty\nhours of instruction for each participant and that each program be\nsupplemented by ongoing technical assistance for business development\nfor those who have completed the program;\n (b) the level of support for the center from local post-secondary\neducation institutions, businesses, and government;\n (c) the level of financial assistance provided at the local and\nfederal level to support the operations of the center;\n (d) the applicant's understanding of program goals and objectives\narticulated by the department;\n (e) the plans of the center to supplement state and local funding\nthrough fees for services which may be based on a sliding scale based on\nability to pay;\n (f) the need for and anticipated impact of the center on the community\nin which it will function;\n (g) the quality of the proposed work plan and staff of the center; and\n (h) the extent of economic distress in the area to be served.\n 3. Application for grants made pursuant to this section shall be made\nin the manner and on forms prescribed by the commissioner. Such\napplication shall include, but shall not be limited to:\n (a) a description of the training programs available within the\ngeographic area to be served by the center to which eligible clients may\nbe referred;\n (b) designation of a program director;\n (c) plans for providing ongoing technical assistance to program\ngraduates, including linkages with providers of other entrepreneurial\nassistance programs and with providers of small business technical\nassistance and services;\n (d) a program budget, including matching funds, in-kind and otherwise,\nto be provided by the applicant;\n (e) permit a joint application from a consortium of career education\nagencies and not-for-profit corporations, or any combination thereof,\nfor establishing a cooperative program; and\n (f) such other requirements as deemed necessary by the department.\n 4. Each center shall:\n (a) be operated by a board of directors representing community leaders\nin business, education, finance and government;\n (b) be incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation;\n (c) be located in an area accessible to eligible clients;\n (d) establish an advisory group of community business experts, at\nleast one-half of whom shall be representative of the clientele to be\nserved by the center, which shall constitute a support network to\nprovide counseling and mentoring services to minority group members,\nwomen, individuals with a disability, dislocated workers and veterans\nfrom the concept stage of development through the first one to two years\nof existence on a regular basis and as needed thereafter; and\n (e) establish a referral system and linkages to existing area small\nbusiness assistance programs and financing sources.\n 5. Each entrepreneurship assistance center shall provide needed\nservices to eligible clients, including, but not limited to:\n (a) orientation and screening of prospective entrepreneurs;\n (b) analysis of business concepts and technical feasibility;\n (c) market analysis;\n (d) management analysis and counseling;\n (e) business planning and financial planning assistance;\n (f) referrals to financial resources;\n (g) referral to existing educational programs for training in such\nareas as marketing, accounting and other such training programs as may\nbe necessary and available; and\n (h) referral to business incubator facilities, where appropriate, for\nthe purpose of entering into agreements to access shared support\nservices.\n 6. Grants made pursuant to this section shall be subject to the\nfollowing limitations:\n (a) no grant shall be made to any one or any consortium of career\neducation agencies and not-for-profit corporations in excess of two\nhundred fifty thousand dollars; and\n (b) each grant shall be disbursed for payment of the cost of services\nand expenses of the program director, the instructors of the\nparticipating career education agency or not-for-profit corporation, the\nfaculty and support personnel thereof and any other person in the\nservice of providing instruction and counseling in furtherance of the\nprogram.\n