Nebraska's Building Entrepreneurial Communities Act
What is it? | Examples | How does it work? | Learn more
What Is It?
The Building Entrepreneurial Communities Act (BECA) supports economically distressed rural areas of Nebraska through grants that create community capacity to build and sustain programs to generate and retain wealth in the community and region. Specifically, the grants awarded are intended to:- Provide education and technical assistance to energize small business development and entrepreneurship.
- Provide technical assistance to facilitate small business transfer.
- Build community business capacity and leadership programs.
- Generate opportunities to attract and retain young people and families.
- Provide education about philanthropy and intergenerational transfer of wealth.
- Build community endowments to support these activities.
- Establish community initiatives to attract new residents.
- Provide marketing assistance to communities to attract new residents from outside of the state of Nebraska. Marketing assistance may include the creation of/or improvement of web sites, creation and distribution of printed or electronic marketing materials, and programs which promote the community to new residents.
Planning grants up to $5,000 can be made directly to limited resource areas for the purpose of building collaboration and developing proposals. This Act will terminate on January 1, 2011, but its provisions can serve as an entrepreneurial model for other states.
Examples
Promoting Our CommunitiesSherman County and Loup City were awarded $2,257 to develop a new website for Loup City and promotional material for Sherman County to help attract new residents and businesses to the area. The Loup City Area Chamber of Commerce and the Sherman County Economic Development Board will provide financial support. Local contact: Wesley Leihoff, Sherman County Economic Development Board, 308-750-3133.
Adding Families + Adding Businesses – Adds UP!
The Village of Emerson and the Emerson-Hubbard School Board were awarded $8,200 to help recruit new families to the area and support existing and new potential entrepreneurs. Emerson and the Emerson-Hubbard School Board will provide financial support. Local contact: Diann Ballard, db Consulting, 402-385-3829 or 402-922-1652.
Central Nebraska Career Development Partnership
Gibbon and Buffalo Counties were awarded $15,682 for a youth retention program providing career opportunity exploration and core classroom teachers targeting career pathways. The Board of Supervisors in each county will provide financial support. Local contact: Nikki Masek, Buffalo County Economic Development Council, 308-237-9346.
La Escuela para el Exito (School for Success)
A partnership between Columbus and Schuyler was awarded $7,200 to provide training on financial literacy, basic business understanding and continuing education. The Columbus Community Foundation, Columbus Area United Way and area businesses will provide financial support. Local contact: Pat Heimes, United Way of Columbus, Inc., 402-564-5661.
There’s No Place Like Home….Cedar County
Fordyce and Hartington were awarded $1,800 to purchase an entrepreneurship curriculum to be used in local schools. Fordyce, Hartington Community Development Corporation, Cedar County Commissioners, Hartington Public Schools, Cedar Catholic High School, and Wynot Public Schools will provide financial support. Local contact: Carla Becker, Hartington Community Development Corporation, 402-254-6357.
4 Regional Success
Burwell and Central Nebraska Economic Development District were awarded $16,000 to coordinate community strategic planning meetings, assist with evaluation of community training efforts and web design updates. Burwell, Arnold, Atkinson, O’Neill, and Central Nebraska Economic Development District will provide financial support. Local contact: Laurie Hansen, Central Nebraska Economic Development District, 402-925-2373.
How It Works
With assistance provided by the Rural Development Commission, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) administers a process to provide grants to local units of government who are collaborating on projects related to the purpose of the Act. Priority is given to projects that best alleviate chronic economic distress.At least one of the partners must show chronic economic distress as indicated by:
- An unemployment rate exceeding the statewide average unemployment rate OR
- A per capita income below the statewide average per capita income OR
- Population loss over a 20-year period.
Restrictions on grants include:
- Funded at $500,000 per fiscal year (increased from $250,000 by the 2007 Nebraska Unicameral).
- Not exceeding $75,000 per project, and recipients have 2 years to expend the grant funds.
- Recipients provide a 50% cash match in money for grant funds. Recipients in limited resource communities provide a 25% cash match.
- Grants are awarded directly to one of the units of government representing the collaborative project.
