Application Window Open for Community Kitchen Pilot Project

Grand Island, Neb. — In early August, the National League of Cities’ Advancing Economic Mobility Rapid Grant Program selected Grand Island as one of just 12 cities nationally as a grant recipient.

As a selected recipient, Grand Island now gets to put a grant for economic mobility advancement to work along with six months coaching from the NLC, and it is resulting in a Community Kitchen Pilot Project.

“We not only want to see the city grow, but we want to see our residents thrive while calling Grand Island home,” Grand Island Mayor Roger Steele said at the time of the announcement.

The application window is now open for any local food and beverage-related business looking to grow their brand, community presence and ultimately their sales. Interested businesses can apply here. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, October 2.

Businesses accepted into the program will then take part in four weekly classes hosted by the Central Community College Entrepreneurship Center. The classes will focus on building local business support, insurance, planning essentials, marketing and more! The grant recipients will then take part in monthly cohort meetings through January that will include 1-on-1 coaching and the ability to rent local commercial kitchen space.

“We know that the economic vitality of a municipality is directly linked to the economic stability of the people who live there,” said NLC CEO and Executive Director Clarence Anthony.