Deadline: 11-Dec-20
The 2020 Central Standards Request for Proposals provides matching funds to encourage and accelerate collaborations between two or more entrepreneurship support organizations working together to support Heartland entrepreneurs in the states of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.
The Central Standards RFP will seek to fund collaborations between organizations that improve the capabilities and / or programmatic impact of Entrepreneurship Support Organizations (ESOs) already operating in the Heartland. Specifically, the Kauffman Foundation intends this funding program to accomplish the following.
- Build connections between entrepreneurship support organizations (ESOs) operating in the Heartland and with ESOs based outside the region. Each application must have multiple stakeholders with at least one of the organizations serving as the Lead Applicant. The Lead Applicant must be based in the Heartland and the Co-applicant(s) can be based anywhere in the US.
- The projects advance at least one or more of the strategic priorities of the Kauffman Foundation’s Heartland Strategy.
- Inclusive Prosperity in the Heartland: Funding programs and initiatives that support all entrepreneurs of all backgrounds in the Heartland.
- Rural Revitalization: Funding projects that enable rural ESOs and communities to provide the support necessary for rural entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses.
- Transitioning to an Entrepreneurship & Innovation-led economy: Supporting the development of vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems, build new idea economy-relevant clusters, and diversify the region’s economy.
- Set clear standards for supporting entrepreneurs in the region
- Bring the best entrepreneurship support programs and tools from across the country to the Heartland
- Expand promising programs already active in the region to support more entrepreneurs in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas
- Align local, regional, and national funders with the work of supporting entrepreneurship in the Heartland by providing match funding.
Funding Information
Applicants may request funding up to $250,000 to be distributed over 12 to 36 months. While award amounts for individual projects will vary, they anticipate the average grant size to be between $50,000 and $200,000. In the full proposal round, applicants will submit a submit a project budget that aligns with the scope of the project, supports proposed activities, and clearly connects those activities with line item requests.
Eligibility Criteria
This call is open to nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions that provide services to entrepreneurs, including technical assistance, access to finance, education, and other resources. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is seeking to fund collaborations between organizations to address challenges in the Heartland, consisting of the states of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. Collaborating organizations will apply as co-applicants and will be required to provide documentation on both organizations.
Additionally, eligible applicants must meet all the following criteria:
- Located in the United States;
- Have a record of successfully serving underrepresented entrepreneurs and engaging them in the activities outlined above;
- Demonstrate an understanding of the benefits effective advocacy can have for entrepreneurs; and
- Employ staff and leadership (including board members) that are reflective of the communities they serve
- At least one of the co-applicants must be headquartered in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, or Kansas and have a mission of serving entrepreneurs in one or more of those states.
- Match funding is required for all requests. Applicants must demonstrate a minimum of 50% match funding for all projects. In-kind support will be acceptable as match.
For more information, visit https://www.kauffman.org/grants/