Small Business Development Center at Minnesota State Mankato Receives $274,000 Minnesota DEED grant

October 16, 2019 | News Story

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Mankato, Minn. – The Small Business Development Center at Minnesota State University, Mankato was recently awarded a two-year grant for $274,000 by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to provide assistance and facilitation in the growth and success of entrepreneurs and small businesses in the Mankato area.

The DEED grant was one of 13 awarded under the Business Development Competitive Grant Program that was approved during the 2019 state legislative session. According to a DEED news release, the program provides funding to groups that offer business assistance to targeted groups, including women, minorities, rural residents, technology-based companies and entrepreneurs.

Mike Hahn, regional director of the Small Business Development Center at Minnesota State Mankato, said the grant was important in contributing to the services provided to the regional community.

“This award acknowledges that the South Central Region is one of Minnesota’s hotbeds for entrepreneurship,” said Hahn. “These funds allow the SBDC to continue to offer free business consulting services to the region’s small businesses and communities.”

For more information, contact Hahn by phone at 507-389-8875 or by email at mike.hahn@mnsu.edu.

The SBDC offices are in the University’s Strategic Partnerships Center, which is located in the former Hubbard Building (424 North Riverfront Drive) in Mankato’s Old Town.

The Small Business Development Center at Minnesota State Mankato is housed within the University’s Division of Strategic Partnerships.

The Division of Strategic Partnerships at Minnesota State Mankato matches the skills, talents and expertise of Minnesota State Mankato’s students, faculty and staff to the needs of business, education and communities.

Strategic Partnerships at Minnesota State Mankato includes Continuing and Professional Education; Extended Education; the Small Business Development Center; the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship; Integrated Engineering (Iron Range and Twin Cities programs); Iron Range Nursing; the Minnesota State Engineering Center of Excellence; and the Chesley Center on Aging.

Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 14,297 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 30 colleges and seven universities.

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