TCTC receiving State Funds as part of Startup Fuel Challenge

Tri-County Technical College’s (TCTC) INSPIRE Lab Project is receiving $100,000 from the South Carolina Department of Commerce Office of Innovation. TCTC is one of nine organizations selected as part of the Startup Fuel Challenge grant series. The College seeks to create an entrepreneurial education curriculum that supports the INSPIRE Lab project in cultivating a network of small businesses. TCTC will grow entrepreneurs by building the foundation of skills and interests that progresses into a business idea creation startup program called the INSPIRE Lab. Established in 2013, the Office of Innovation announced grant awards in 2014 and 2015. As a result, more than 25 entrepreneurship programs were supported, and more than 6,000 South Carolinians were educated in technology curriculum. For this round of grant awards, applicants were allowed to request up to $100,000 with the goal of seeding programs or services that strategically focus on the technology startup community, a vital element of a healthy innovation ecosystem, as outlined in the South Carolina Innovation Plan. The Startup Fuel Challenge grant series represents one of several active initiatives of the Office of Innovation, including 3Phase, a new statewide resource aimed at assisting research-based companies successfully acquire Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards. The other Startup Fuel Challenge grant awardees are: Charleston Digital Corridor Foundation – Flagship3 Incubator: $64,895. Flagship3 Incubator is an expansion of the Charleston Digital Corridor’s technology hub, which serves high-growth firms. It will be the anchor of Charleston’s new Innovation District. The grant will be utilized for the creation of CharlestonPros, a directory of recommended companies and resources providing valuable services specifically to tech companies. The Fifth T Innovation Group – Conway Innovation Center: $70,000. The Conway Innovation Center is a technology incubator in downtown Conway, S.C. aimed at supporting high-growth companies; it is also part of the Clemson University Technology Villages program. The Harbor Entrepreneur Center: $75,000. The Harbor Entrepreneur Center creates connections throughout the entrepreneurial community in Mount Pleasant, downtown Charleston and Summerville. Through programs and events, entrepreneurs and business founders are connected with mentors, experts, investors and a peer group of supportive founders. McNair Center for Entrepreneurism at Columbia College South Carolina Women’s Business Center: $100,000. The South Carolina Women’s Business Center is a hub for catalyzing, wayfinding and growing women’s entrepreneurship. The program is built on three main pillars: community, opportunity and knowledge. The approach to serving constituents is unique by reaching women business owners with growth potential. NEXT Upstate, LLC – NEXT Entrepreneur Training & Skill Development: $60,000. NEXT Upstate, LLC (NEXT) was formed in 2006 as a part-time program at the Greenville Chamber of Commerce to establish high-impact entrepreneurship as a core economic development strategy. In the recent years, NEXT has opened two new facilities, launched MIT’s Venture Mentoring Service and hosted an annual Venture Pitch Conference. NEXT seeks to expand its service offerings to include a new entrepreneur training and a virtual and physical skill development program. Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation – Knowledge Park Innovation Center, Phase III: $100,000. Phase III of the Knowledge Park Innovation Center (KPIC) is an initiative designed to attract and grow technology intensive businesses, as well as the technology workforce. Through the first two phases of the project, the Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation has deployed programs such as the Technology Incubator, the Talent Pipeline Apprenticeship Program, York Technical College’s FabLab and Winthrop University’s CreatorSpace. Phase III seeks to work closely with its partners to incorporate three-dimensional technology and expand its applicability to new products. South Carolina State University – S.C. State Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub: $50,000. The S.C. State Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub seeks to advance technology in the food and fiber sectors of the agribusiness industry in South Carolina through the deployment of programs that focus on training the next generation of agri-entrepreneurs. The development and support of these entrepreneurs will encourage start-up and innovative activity, advancing the state’s already robust agribusiness industry. Venture Carolina – Venture Carolina Center for Entrepreneur Education: $100,000. Venture Carolina educates first-time entrepreneurs and investors on the early-stage venture capital marketplace. By providing resources to entrepreneurs, investors and entrepreneurial support organizations, Venture Carolina helps build capacity in both the supply and demand sides of the marketplace, which accelerates the growth of innovative startups. As South Carolina’s leading economic development agency, the Department of Commerce works to recruit new businesses and help existing business grow. For more information, visit www.SCcommerce.com.