Allentown Pa., October 29, 2021—The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation announced availability of the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program (CEAP) which matches eligible creative entrepreneurs with existing, free, local, small business consulting services and financial resources up to $2,000 to help them grow their businesses, audiences, and revenue.
CEAP is open to all eligible applicants but is designed to prioritize investments in socially or economically disadvantaged creative entrepreneurs and those who are located in and whose work benefits low-income communities, as defined by the Small Business Administration. Applications to the Program will be accepted on a rolling basis.
“We are so pleased to be the Pennsylvania Region 5 Partner in the Arts for the program,” said Megan Briggs, Director of Community Investments at the Community Foundation. “Creative entrepreneurs are the engine that drives new economic development in the Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, bringing both meaningful jobs and valuable creative services to the community. With these grants, we hope to support often underinvested in creative entrepreneurs in our region.”
To be eligible for the Program, individuals must: be at least 18 years of age and a current resident of Pennsylvania for at least one year; have annual gross revenue less than $200,000; and be a creative entrepreneur intending to form a business or operating a business in Pennsylvania within one or more of the following creative industry areas: marketing; architecture; visual arts and crafts; design; film and media; digital games; music and entertainment; and publishing.
Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program grant funds must support business formation or development. Eligible uses of grant funds include activities such as research and development, purchase of supplies and equipment, and professional and business development fees.
The Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program is funded by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), a state agency under the Office of the Governor, and administered regionally by the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA), PCA’s statewide network of re-granting partners. The Lehigh Valley Community serves as the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts’ PPA partner organization for Lehigh, Northampton, Monroe, and Carbon counties.
Details about the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program can be found at:
PA Council on the Arts PPA – Creative Entrepreneurs Accelerator Program | Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (lehighvalleyfoundation.org)
About Lehigh Valley Community Foundation
For five decades, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation has helped donors with their charitable contributions with a simple, powerful, and highly personalized approach. LVCF is a philanthropic hub for the Lehigh Valley—who knows and navigates the landscape of the Lehigh Valley’s community needs to connect people who care to causes that matter. With a diverse and respected Board of Governors, the Community Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Foundation is cause-neutral and supports all areas of community needs in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.