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17 organizations receive state grants for innovation projects throughout rural Iowa

July 16, 2020

The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) has awarded a total of $300,000 in Rural Innovation grants to 17 projects across the state.

The Rural Innovation Grant Program supports creative, non-traditional ideas that focus on current issues and challenges faced by rural communities associated with the themes of community investment, growth, and connection.

“With access to supportive programs and creative ideas from the awarded communities, the projects will be used as models to be replicated across the state, serving as best practices,” said Debi Durham, director of the IEDA and Iowa Finance Authority in an announcement. “Both of the rural grant programs align with the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative to revitalize communities, and we are proud to support our rural areas.”

This is the inaugural round for the Rural Innovation and Rural Housing Assessment programs, which were developed in 2019 by the Empower Rural Iowa Initiative. There were 22 applicants for the first round of grants.

Here are a few of the 17 organizations that received funding:

Bellevue Community School District received $20,000 in funding to develop the “Innovating Bellevue” program, which will connect local entrepreneurs and business owners with Bellevue youth within a new Innovation Lab.
Welch Avenue, LLC received $20,000 in funding that will go toward opening a new Gravitate Coworking location at 200 East State Street in Jefferson.*
Pocahontas County Economic Development is receiving $20,000 in funding for its Jump-Start Accelerator Fund for Startup Businesses.
All Cultures Equal Inc. received $9,400 to create a community shared-use kitchen for entrepreneurs in Webster City.

A full list of the 2020 Rural Innovation Grant recipients is available here.

*Geoff Wood, owner of Gravitate Coworking, is also the Publisher of Clay & Milk.

Tags: Iowa Economic Development Authority

17 organizations receive state grants for innovation projects throughout rural Iowa | Clay & Milk

A central Iowa ag-tech accelerator has secured more backers and finally has a name. The Greater Des Moines Partnership first announced the accelerator last year, naming four initial investors. On Monday, the Partnership said the program will be called the "Iowa AgriTech Accelerator" and named three new investors. The new investors include Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp. and Sukup Manufacturing, all Iowa companies. They join investors Deere & Co., Peoples Co., Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. and DuPont Pioneer. Each investor has agreed to put up $100,000 for the first year of the accelerator. Startups entering the program will receive $40,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6 percent equity. Tej Dhawan, an angel investor and local startup mentor, is serving as interim director until the AgriTech Accelerator names a permanent leader. Dhawan held a similar role with the GIA before Brian Hemesath was named as managing director. As interim director, Dhawan said his main job includes hiring the accelerator's executive director, establishing a business structure and initial recruiting for the first cohort. The accelerator will place few filters, such as location and product, on the applicant pool, Dhawan said. "When you’re seeking innovation, innovation can come from every corner of the world so why restrict ourselves," he said. One area the the AgriTech Accelerator won't recruit from is biotech. For its first cohort, the AgriTech Accelerator will work out of the GIA's space in Des Moines' East Village, Dhawan said. A future, permanent home is still to be decided. The accelerator's program will host startups from mid-July through mid-October, ending with an event connected to the annual World Food Prize. The GIA, which the AgriTech Accelerator is based on, also ends with presentations at an industry event. The accelerator has also started lining up a mentor pool. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association have agreed to provide mentors, as has Iowa State University. While the AgriTech Accelerator is loosely based off of the GIA, it will differ in its business structure, Dhawan said. The GIA runs through a for-profit model for both operations and its investment fund. The AgriTech Accelerator will have a nonprofit model for its operations and a for-profit setup for its fund. Dhawan said the nonprofit model is being used so the accelerator can better work with other nonprofit partners, such as trade associations. "These are all organizations that are nonprofits and can be amazing stakeholders without ever having to be investors in the accelerator," he said. "It becomes easier to work with trade associations in their nonprofit role when we are also a nonprofit." When it's up and running, the AgriTech Accelerator would be one of a handful of ag-focused startup development programs in Iowa. Others include the Ag Startup Engine out of Iowa State University and the Rural Ventures Alliance from Iowa MicroLoan. Matthew Patane is the managing editor and co-founder of Clay & Milk. Send him an email at mpatane@clayandmilk.com.

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