2019 EDA Spring Newsletter

Economic Development

SBDC EATS Program Receives Award of Merit The California Association for Local Economic Development awarded the SBDC for excellent programming.

Left to Right : Bob Wright, Joaquin Tijerina and Rob Moran from Riverside County EDA and Gabe Martin, City of Coachella Economic Development Manager receive Award of Merit for SBDC EATS Program on March 28, 2019

Anaheim, CA— The California Association for Lo- cal Economic Development awarded The Coachella Valley Small Business Development Center (CVSB- DC) an Award of Merit for its SBDC EATS pro- gram on March 28, 2019. The SBDC EATS program is a hands-on crash course on becoming a food entrepreneur of- fered at no cost in the Coachella Valley. The course walks participants through creating their concept, using a commercial kitchen space and starting their business in just six weeks. The program culminates in an opportunity for participants to sell their products at a local market, street fairs and other venues. The SBDC EATS program began as a result of the efforts of many local partners, which togeth- er, were awarded a Portable Assistance grant in 2017 from the U.S. Small Business Administration to as- sist residents in the economically impacted Coachella

Valley launch startup and early stage food businesses into the marketplace through a food startup assis- tance program. The Coachella Valley Small Business Development Center, in partnership with the Or- ange County/Inland Empire SBDC Network, host- ed by California State University, Fullerton and the Riverside County Economic Development Agency (EDA), were awarded the new grant and deemed it, “SBDC EATS”. The program provides structured food in- dustry training programs, business consulting ser- vices, access to capital and a network of regional business resources through the CVSBDC and entire Orange County/Inland Empire SBDC Network, at no cost. The SBDC EATS program’s goal is to see its member businesses, which may start by producing food in a home kitchen, price and sell products at local events, grow into commercial kitchens as local

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