The Michigan Economic Development Corporation at the Mackinac Policy Conference this week announced five new initiatives under the Pure Michigan Business Connect umbrella that will further help Michigan businesses grow and improve the state’s economy.
The new Pure Michigan Business Connect initiatives include:
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Develop Michigan Inc. – A $20 million, non-profit public-private partnership designed to bring unique financing tools and world-class financial expertise to large and complex community redevelopment projects.
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Grow Michigan LLC – A public-private partnership designed to fill capital gaps for small and medium sized, job creating businesses. It provides equity features to allow companies to finance aggressive growth strategies, restructure to optimize their cost of capital, and to assist companies in transitioning ownership through succession or acquisition.
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Michigan Corps/Kiva.org – The establishment of the first Michigan microloan program for Michiganders with funding from MEDC. This initiative will link socially minded individuals willing to lend small sums of money with prospective small business owners who will use those funds to build small businesses to improve their financial condition and the overall health of the local community. The effort is in cooperation with the R. L. Knight Foundation and is initially focused on the city of Detroit.
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Pure Michigan Business Connect business-to-business (B2B) network – A web-based B2B system that will link companies together to find collaborators, suppliers and new business opportunities. The network will include a directory of Michigan businesses and an online procurement marketplace where Michigan businesses may post procurement opportunities available for other Michigan businesses, and the participating businesses may search for opportunities posted by other companies.
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State Trade Export Program (STEP) and Export Now – Expanded export assistance that includes the STEP program – financial assistance for Michigan companies with fewer than 500 employees for export-related activities; and Export Now – an online platform for consumer-product companies in the state to sell their products directly to Chinese consumers. To date the STEP program has helped 119 small and medium sized businesses enter 41 new export markets. Export Now currently is working with 13 companies that are enrolled in or are interested in joining the program. A series of Export Now informational webinars is being planned for later this month.
Nikki Brown is the Capital Office Coordinator for the Michigan Municipal League. She can be reached at [email protected] or 517-908-0305.