Entrepreneurial Investment Awards Program

Enhance the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Enhancing the ecosystem that develops, launches and grows entrepreneurs and startups

The Entrepreneurial Investment Awards (EIA) program supports resource providers that offer technical and financial assistance to entrepreneurs and startup companies seeking to create, locate or expand a business in Iowa. The entrepreneurial resource providers should offer services that include, but are not limited to:

  • Corporate development
  • Business model development
  • Business planning
  • Marketing
  • Financial strategies and management
  • Mentoring and management coaching
  • Networking
Highlighted projects from previous award recipients:
  • Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce established the Kitchen Council food incubator to offer comprehensive services to the food industry and food-based startups.
  • Mason City's NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center assisted existing rural businesses with opportunities to pursue rapid growth through technology or technology-enabled new markets.
  • Ames' ISU Research Park created the ISU Startup Factory, a new model bringing together critical resources to move technology from the lab to the marketplace.

Service providers with their principal place of operations in Iowa are eligible to apply. They must offer a comprehensive set of business development services to emerging and early-stage innovation companies.
  • Applications open: February 6
  • Application submission deadline: March 3
  • Interested applicants should contact Anna Lensing at anna.lensing@iowaeda.com to discuss their project and verify eligibility
  • Applications will be scored by a panel of expert reviewers, finalists will be invited to present before a review panel and recommendations are sent to the IEDA Board for final approval
    • Scoring criteria: business plan, service model, access to external service provider, financial need, business discipline and expertise of professional staff
  • Awards are made in the form of a grant and do not exceed $200,000
    • Disbursements are made on a quarterly basis
For more information, contact:

Anna Lensing

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