- The U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded the city of Grand Forks a $1.1 million grant to turn the Grand Forks Herald building into a technology accelerator. The project is expected to create 139 jobs and help diversify the economy to support tech-savvy entrepreneurs.
- The Covid-19 Response Unmet Needs (C-RUN) loan program has made some changes that will benefit more businesses. The loan cap was raised to $200,000 and can now be used to purchase equipment or machinery. Payments can also be deferred for up to one year.
- The EDC was awarded $15,600 from the North Dakota Department of Commerce’s Main Street Initiative Partners in Planning Grant. This will allow us to analyze the availability of workforce programming in the region, including the need for a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Workforce Development Center.
- The Chamber of Commerce GF/EGF and the EDC co-hosted a forum for the business community on April 6 to learn details of the Grand Forks Public School District’s plan and upcoming referendum. You can watch the presentation here, or access the slide deck.
- Northrop Grumman is the latest local company to take advantage of the DoD’s SkillBridge Program, a military transition program that helps service members transition to civilian jobs.
- Evolve Grand Forks’ 701 coworking space is more active than ever with 23 current companies and 59 active members. They’ve recently completed a remodel of the conference room thanks to Bremer Bank and have added new carpet and paint.
Some more good news: you may have seen the Support Small- Love Local campaign that Evolve GF is supporting. The program is aimed to drive commerce to locally owned businesses by gift cards with bonus dollars. So far, $4,170 has been spent at 22 businesses of the 43 participating merchants. - The Grand Forks SCORE Chapter was named #1 in the nation for client engagement, beating out cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. The SCORE mentors assist budding entrepreneurs in the development of business plans and help with other inquiries for free.
- Tom Ford, the Grand Forks County director of administration, has been elected to serve on the Association of Defense Communities, a national board, that advocates for communities with military installations. Ford is also an ex-officio EDC board member. Congrats, Tom!
- UND Today recently highlighted Accelerate to Industry, one of our region’s workforce pipelines that prepares graduate students for the workforce. Our workforce development manager, Becca Cruger, is quoted as she recently led one of the A2i’s seminars.
- North Dakota sees a record-high population in the newly released 2020 Census data. This reaffirms that our state is a land of opportunity and one of the best places in the United States to live, work, and raise a family.
The EDC is preparing a monthly report on key regional economic indicators. Click here to see February’s Economy at a Glance.