The Westchester County Office of Economic Development is now accepting applications for the Launch1000 program. This initiative is designed to jumpstart 1,000 new businesses. Westchester County is providing this program in response to the significant economic disruption we have seen in 2020, with the goal of enabling 1,000 Westchester residents to start a business or develop an income stream for themselves and their families.
Launch1000 is an online, selfpaced program teaching you to evaluate your idea, test it with potential customers, and see if it seems likely to succeed. Your results will depend on your own motivation and your own hard work.
As you progress through the program, additional resources such as mentorship, valuable introductions and even grants, will be made available. The program will begin around Thanksgiving, and takes about 16 weeks to complete. Applicants will be admitted on a rolling basis until all 1,000 seats in Launch1000 are filled. The program requires access to a tablet or laptop, and WiFi. If you do not have access to these, the county can help. Please note your needs on the application. All county residents are eligible to apply. Participants will be chosen from across every town, village, and city within Westchester County. For more information and to apply, visit the Catalyst website. The application and the FAQ are available in Spanish. To ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in Launch1000, the Office of Economic Development is pleased to be able to provide laptops and online access to individuals who need them. For more information, please send an email to Business-First@westchestergov.com and mention Launch1000 in the subject line.
Eligible applications must meet certain criteria and will be scored on a number of factors. Support staff are available to assist with the application form,
and team members involved with providing that assistance will not be part of the review team. Call 995-2900 and ask for help with your Launch1000 application or email Business-FIRST@westchestergov.com. Telephone support is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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