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Cocoa approves changes to UpStart COCO small-business program; Chamber executive urges delay over conflict concerns
Summary
City Council unanimously approved amendments to the UpStart COCO minority and small-business program — changing eligibility, shortening reapply windows and adding pre-application counseling — after public comment from the Space Coast Black Chamber president asking the council to pause and investigate alleged conflicts.
The Cocoa City Council voted unanimously Jan. 14 to approve amendments to the UpStart COCO minority and small-business program designed to broaden eligibility and provide applicants with more technical assistance.
Staff presented a set of adjustments the council adopted: expand eligibility from “brand new” businesses to businesses less than three years old (and less than five years old specifically for Diamond Square businesses, where commercial spaces are scarce); allow businesses to reapply after six months instead of one year; remove the formal business-plan submission and replace it with application questions that feed into coaching through…
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