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SEED tells Fort Wayne council about small-business grants, training and incubation work
Summary
SEED and city Community Development staff briefed the council on programs that support entrepreneurs — including a $5,000 small-business grant, incubator space with 13 tenants, an 8-week business academy, and multi-year tax-incentive tools — and answered council questions about grant administration.
Andrea Robinson of the City’s Community Development team and Elizabeth (Liz) Lewis of the Summit City Entrepreneur Enterprise District (SEED) told the Fort Wayne Common Council on March 24 about the suite of supports available to local entrepreneurs.
Robinson described the Economic Development Department’s role administering tax abatements, façade grants, legacy-fund administration and entrepreneurial support and said the department works to help businesses with attraction, retention and expansion. She said the department is small — “there’s only 5 of us on the team” — and relies on partnerships with Greater Fort Wayne Inc., Downtown Fort Wayne, local chambers and the Urban Enterprise Association to deliver services.
Liz Lewis described SEED’s programs: cohort-based entrepreneurial training, incubator space at the Urban Enterprise Association (UEA), one-on-one coaching, a small-business grant up to $5,000 for businesses located inside the district, and a tax incentive tied to increased property value for up to 10 years. She said SEED currently houses 13 businesses in its enterprise center and that the small-scale developer program was supported by a $260,000 grant from the Donwood Foundation. Lewis also gave program totals: SEED awarded just over $100,000 in the last year supporting 24 small businesses; since 2023 SEED reported awarding over $300,000 across 57 businesses; and since 2019 it has invested more than $500,000 supporting 19 businesses.
During questions a council member asked whether the $5,000 grant targets startups; Robinson said the SEED small-business grant often better suits more mature businesses because it does not cover payroll or inventory, and she contrasted that with many community-development grants that are reimbursement-based. “This particular grant... is not a reimbursement grant. Frequently, it's a direct pay,” Robinson said, adding that SEED can purchase equipment directly to remove the upfront cost for a small business.
Council members who serve on SEED’s board and other members praised the programs and recommended continued outreach so more small businesses know these resources exist. The presentation closed with a council expression of thanks and no follow-up motions.
The council heard the presentation as part of the committee session; staff asked members to help publicize SEED offerings and to refer entrepreneurs to SEED or partner organizations.
