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March 2, 2021 Area organizations with programs to help improve Birmingham, will soon receive funding from the city’s Building Opportunities for Lasting Development (BOLD) Grant Program. This

program, led by the city’s Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity (IEO), provides financial support to organizations and agencies that are taking creative, evidence-based

approaches to solving various community issues. Nearly $500,000 was allocated across four categories: * Job Accessibility * Recovery & Adaptation Technical Assistance for Minority-Owned,

Women-Owned, & Disadvantaged Businesses * Scale-Up Technical Assistance for Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, & Disadvantaged Businesses * Social Innovation to Address a Pressing

Community Problem Projects were selected by a committee composed of members of the Mayor’s Office, City Council administration, IEO, the Department of Community Development, and the

Department of Planning, Engineering & Permits to ensure alignment and transparency between the bodies. This is the third cycle of the BOLD Grant Program, which saw successful cycles in

2018 and 2019. BOLD embodies Mayor Randall Woodfin’s ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability and effectiveness. Today, the Birmingham City Council approved funding for the

following organizations: * The BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS ALLIANCE will advance inclusive procurement initiatives with corporate partners to drive local accountability in MWDBE procurement and

promote economic inclusion. $70,000 * The BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER will forge strengthened relationships between financial institutions and Birmingham’s black-owned businesses to

build an inclusive economy and intensify customer engagements that produce procurement opportunities for Birmingham’s black-owned businesses. $45,000 * BRONZE VALLEY is a nonprofit,

early-stage venture investment platform that supports high growth, innovation and technology-enabled companies created by diverse, underrepresented and underestimated founders. They will

expand their provision of free professional services and technical assistance to their accelerator participants. $20,000 * BUSH HILLS CONNECTIONS, INC. is a nonprofit created to help the

neighborhood association implement projects. They will advance community improvement initiatives focused on health and wellness, revitalization, and education (lifelong learning), including

launching new green micro-enterprises and support programs. $39,650 * COMMUNITY CARE DEVELOPMENT NETWORK is a faith-based nonprofit serving primarily the 35206 and 35212 zip code areas since

2014. CCDN’s Inspire program helps clients transition from high school to adult life, prison to society, and unemployment/underemployment to career track job skills. $80,000 * The Create

Consults professional assistance program will underwrite consultations for local Black-women-owned ventures with experts recruited by CREATE BIRMINGHAM in urgent areas of need: commercial

operations, nonprofit operations, accounting, legal services, marketing, community engagement, IT solutions, and life and career coaching. $90,000 * As a nonprofit CDFI, TRUFUND has a track

record of providing Alabama’s historically disadvantaged businesses with disaster recovery tools, affordable and responsible loans and business development services. They will provide

recovery and resiliency training and a continuum of technical and business assistance. $35,000 * THE WOMEN’S FUND’S project seeks to address job accessibility and economic insecurity for

women and their children, helping meet the workforce shortage demand while supporting talent. TWF will grow its two-generation (2Gen) approach by intentionally catalyzing collaboration among

community college and social service nonprofits. $67,620 * WE INC.’S Workforce Development Program is a time-limited employment and training program using the WE Made product line as a

training ground. Participants produce products, manage inventory, handle shipping and receiving, conduct quality control, and learn “soft skills” of employment. Participants also take job

readiness classes. $50,000 The BOLD program has helped residents across Birmingham access pathways to economic opportunity by funding everything from quality job training and childcare to

housing assistance and financial literacy courses. ------------------------- _This press release was produced by the City of Birmingham. The views expressed are the author's own._