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What We Do  

The Wildcat Micro Fund is here to help cultivate business ideas, launch new businesses and to enliven and engage the entrepreneurial/innovative communities of our area.

You can join our thriving startup community by merely filling out an application which is available in English and, coming soon, Spanish.  Applications are reviewed and accepted weekly.

We’re Here to Help You

We want you to be successful!

We provide ongoing webinars, open office events, and one-on-one meetings to help you submit a successful application.  You can find these opportunities on our Facebook page. Email our director, Bob Gruhler, for information, assistance, or to set up a meeting.

Awards

Awards are our investment in you! They DO NOT need to be paid back. They can be a cash grant or a service award.

Cash awards typically are used to accomplish specific milestones for your startup, such as classes to improve your knowledge, booth space at industry-specific trade shows, or materials and parts for an installation.

Service awards are our most valuable award.  Using these services provides a much higher value than cash awards.  These awards include marketing topics such as branding strategy, market validation, as well as engineering and prototyping. 

Awards range from $2,000 to zero.  The funding is not a loan, and the Wildcat Micro Fund does not take equity in your idea or venture. Applicants may apply and present multiple times, depending on their progress and needs.

Applications 

Our application process is designed to be straightforward.  You don’t need to know a lot of business jargon, just the answers to some fundamental questions: 

· Basically, is there a need (demand) for your product/service? 

· Who do you think will buy your product/service? 

· How much do you think you will sell?

· How do you know this?  (We encourage you to ask 15-20 people to help VALIDATE your idea.)

· Who are your competitors and why is your product better?

Don’t worry.  We’re here to help you with your application.  We have webinars, open office, and 1 x 1 meetings to help you with everything from figuring out your idea, to completing your application, to determining your best ‘ask.’  Visit our Facebook page for times.

Eligibility requirements include the following criteria:

· Resident of Weber, Davis, Morgan, or Box Elder County

· In business less than 12 months

· Monthly sales less than $3,000 for three successive months

· No external funding of or more than $25,000

· Assessment score of more than 60 on initial application review

Presentations

Monthly, the selected applicants will present their business concepts to our expert panel.  The panel will decide how much funding (cash or services) each successful presentation will be awarded. There are no stipulations on what kind of business opportunity is submitted, other than evidence showing the possibility of becoming a revenue-generating business. 

Our Process:

The entire process takes as little as six weeks and as long as you need.

When your application is accepted, you are assigned a mentor.  Our mentors include the Directors of the Small Business Development Centers of Ogden, Kaysville, and Brigham City and community business professionals.  Their focus is on helping you succeed in developing your business.

Mentoring takes place for 3-5 weeks focusing on developing your idea or early-stage business concept. The objective is to present your business model to a panel of experts to earn up to $2,000 in cash or appropriate services.

We’re Here to Help You

We want you to be successful!

We provide ongoing webinars, open office events, and one-on-one meetings to help you submit a successful application.  You can find these opportunities on our Facebook page. Email our director, Bob Gruhler, for information, assistance, or to set up a meeting.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS & SPONSORS:

 

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