Hartford-based nonprofit business incubator reSET announced it’s getting $2.2 million from the state to dole out to prospective food and retail businesses over the next five years.
The funding from the state Department of Economic and Community Development’s $46.6 million small business grant program will support entrepreneurs interested in establishing new food and retail businesses in Greater Hartford.
According to reSET, the organization plans to work with primarily Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) and women interested in opening a business. The food program expects to target over 425 entrepreneurs over five years, while the retail program aims to target 450 entrepreneurs.
Work supporting food business entrepreneurs will begin early next year, including:
- A new digital marketing mastermind training curriculum to help businesses adopt digital tools and marketing techniques.
- A 12-week food incubator for early-stage food businesses.
- A 12-week food accelerator for growing food businesses.
- Networking events and workshops by the Hartford Culinary Collaborative.
- Coaching, mentoring and ongoing support at all stages of development.
Work supporting retail business entrepreneurs launching this fall includes:
- A 12-week retail Incubator program.
- Opportunities to access an incubator storefront in Hartford.
- An e-commerce platform.
- Vendor space at Winterfair Hartford holiday market and additional pop-up market events.
Both the food business and entrepreneurial retail business support programs will include grants to businesses that complete the program, totaling $170,000 over the course of the grant period.
According to the organization, reSET’s Impact Accelerator has had 143 businesses graduate since its launch in 2011, and the food incubator has had 62 businesses graduate since its launch in 2019.
