During the month of January, a non-profit program dedicated to nurturing small businesses is offering cost-free application reviews for the 2016 Aleutian Marketplace Competition.
Sponsored by the Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association (APICDA) and the Aleut Corporation (TAC), the Aleutian Marketplace is a regional competition only open to current or former residents of Unalaska and 11 other Aleutian communities.
The winner will receive $20,000 in seed money to start a business in one or more of 12 communities in the Aleutian Islands and Aleutian East Borough. Those communities are Adak, Akutan, Atka, Cold Bay, King Cove, Nikolski, False Pass, Nelson Lagoon, Sand Point, St. George, St. Paul and Unalaska.
In order to enter the competition, applicants submit a business plan. The three finalists in the competition must be available for a paid trip to Anchorage to present their business plan in late April or early May to a panel of judges.
Although the competition’s deadline is March 4, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the University of Alaska Anchorage is offering to review business plan drafts during the month of January. SBDC staff do not charge for this service and provide constructive feedback. Applicants can send their plans anytime between Jan. 1 through Jan. 31 to media@apicda.com.
More information on the competition can be found on the Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association’s website at www.apicda.com.
