June 26, 2008 - USDA Rural Development (RD) awarded a $24,150 Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) to the Hannah Grimes Center in Keene, NH. The grant will fund the Hannah Grimes Entrepreneurship Project, a year-long business development program that offers participants the skills, resources and support to reach the next level of their business goals. Hannah Grimes is seeking additional funding to film the twelve month class to make it more widely available
“Over the past decade, USDA Rural Development has watched the Hannah Grimes Center grow to support more and more New Hampshire born and raised businesses. The technical assistance Hannah Grimes provides to entrepreneurs is boosting the local economy and creating jobs. RD is proud to continue this vital partnership,” said Jolinda LaClair, State Director for USDA Rural Development, NH. This grant, joined with the over $2 million invested in Keene businesses and organizations since 2001, helps to foster growth and new opportunities for business development. Mary Ann Kristiansen, Executive Director of the Hannah Grimes Center adds, “Since 2004 the Hannah Grimes Entrepreneur Program has helped over 40 entrepreneurs take their business to the next level. This grant will enable another class of seven graduates to follow that same path to success, and if Hannah Grimes can raise the funds necessary to film the course, a version of the program will also become more accessible and affordable.
The mission of USDA Rural Development is to enhance economic opportunity and the quality of life for rural residents. Since 2001, Rural Development has invested more than $90 billion and created more than 1.7 million jobs. Rural Development’s RBEG program funds rural projects that help small and start-up businesses succeed. For more information, visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov.
