Dream-O-Vate Business Competition Returns
Livingston County News
GENESEO - Livingston County has launched its third Dream-O-Vate Business Competition to find entrepreneurs to open retail establishments to enhance visitor experiences in and around the county's nine main street districts.
Livingston County's Economic Development Office developed the Dream-O-Vate competition to encourage the creation of new opportunities and attract small business to the county. In February, the economic development office was awarded $500,000 for the upcoming competition.
“Starting a business is hard work, especially in today’s economy,” said Maureen Wheeler, deputy director of Livingston County Economic Development. “The Dream-O-Vate competition will ease that transition into business for several innovative entrepreneurs. In doing so, we’re not only helping the winners, but also our existing businesses as we add to the critical mass in our communities.”
The competition includes several business development prizes, including up to a $25,000 business start-up grant. Competition winners will also receive up to $5,000 for branding and website costs, up to $5,000 for signs and facades along with in-kind design assistance, a photoshoot and online feature with Visit LivCo, business promotion, a ribbon cutting ceremony, and more.
The competition is open to new businesses and existing operations that seek substantial diversification. Dream-OVate will focus on funding Livingston County businesses in four sectors: food and drink, tourism, specialty retail, and entertainment.
The competition, according to Livingston County Economic Development, seeks to address and offer solutions to the many challenges encountered by new and existing business owners, including accessing capital, navigating regulatory processes, identifying prime locations, and managing operational expenses.
Dream-O-Vate, officially a Microenterprise Assistance project, will see participants go through a series of entrepreneurship classes where they will work with professionals in areas such as business formation, legal, insurance, accounting, payroll, branding, and marketing, among others.
The Dream-O-Vate program received a major boost earlier this year when U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand secured $500,000 in federal funding for the Livingston County-led initiative. The funds were part of more than $250 million in total financial backing that Schumer and Gillibrand delivered to the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region to support key infrastructure, job training, and educational opportunities.
Economic Development is accepting Dream-O-Vate applications from until Jan. 19, 2024, via mail, email, or in person at Livingston County Economic Development, 6 Court St., Room 306, Geneseo, NY 14454.
Applicants can send email submissions to info@growlivco.com. More information and application guidelines are available on the Dream-O-Vate homepage at https://www.growlivco.com/dreamovate or by calling (585) 243-7124.