Voting Starts for TVFCU’s 2025 Idea Leap Grant Program

News Summary

Chattanooga residents, mark your calendars! Voting for the 2025 Idea Leap Grant Program by TVFCU begins on March 31, 2025. Community members can support local entrepreneurs by casting their votes online for their favorite semifinalists. With a total of $75,000 in grant funding available, the program aims to help businesses across Chattanooga, Northwest Georgia, and Ocoee flourish. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to make a positive impact in the community!

Voting Kicks Off for TVFCU’s 2025 Idea Leap Grant Program!

Chattanooga, get ready to show your support for local entrepreneurs! Voting for the 2025 Idea Leap Grant Program by the Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union (TVFCU) is set to commence on March 31, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Mark your calendars, because it’s your chance to help some amazing businesses in our community!

How Voting Works

The voting window will remain open until April 4, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.. This year, you’ll get the chance to cast your vote for your favorite semifinalists directly on TVFCU’s website. Be sure to check out the featured videos where each semifinalist presents their innovative ideas. Remember, each community member gets one vote per competition, so choose wisely!

What is the Idea Leap Grant?

The Idea Leap Grant is an annual initiative aimed at giving back to the community by supporting local entrepreneurs. Since its inception in 2018, this program has provided crucial funding to help businesses within the Chattanooga, Northwest Georgia, and Ocoee areas thrive. This year, TVFCU is excited to announce that they will award a total of $75,000 in grants spread across these regions, helping fuel various small businesses’ dreams!

A Great Opportunity for Entrepreneurs

This year, an exciting 17-county service area is eligible for the funding, and the competition is fierce! The semifinalists will compete for 15 grants totaling a whopping $225,000. The grants will range from $10,000 to $30,000, ensuring that a diverse group of businesses can benefit from this opportunity.

What’s New This Year?

For the first time, the pitch competitions in both the Ocoee and Northwest Georgia regions will be televised in collaboration with Local 3 News. This is such an exciting development as it allows the larger community to support their local entrepreneurs and see firsthand the innovative ideas being pitched!

Grant Distribution at the Pitch Competitions

During the pitch competitions scheduled as part of National Small Business Week from May 4-10, 2025, prizes will be awarded based on the finalists’ performances. The first-place winner will receive a generous $30,000, while the second-place winner will get $15,000. Not to be left out, three lucky runners-up will each be granted $10,000. Talk about a game-changer for small businesses!

Who Can Apply?

To be eligible for these grants, businesses must meet a few criteria: they should have between 2 to 25 employees, an annual revenue not exceeding $2.5 million, and at least 12 months of operation within the service area. Given that over $7 million has been funded in loans to support emerging businesses through the Idea Leap initiative, this grant program is a fantastic opportunity for growth.

Get Involved and RSVP

Community involvement is key! TVFCU encourages everyone to engage with the voting process and support local businesses. RSVPs for the pitch competition events will be available in the coming weeks, ensuring that all community members can participate and cheer for their favorites. Getting involved has never been easier—or more fun!

So, what are you waiting for? Save the dates, dive into the voting, and let’s make this a fantastic year for local entrepreneurs in the Chattanooga, Northwest Georgia, and Ocoee regions!

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Additional Resources

• WDEF News
• Wikipedia: Grant
• Times Free Press
• Google Search: Idea Leap Grant
• Chattanooga Pulse
• Google Scholar: Entrepreneurship grants
• NOOGA Today
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Entrepreneurship
• NewsChannel 9
• Google News: Small business grants