Josiah Masingale, Nederland. In late 2018, the Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA) applied for and received a grant from the Boulder County Commissioners totaling $11,425 for Economic Vitality to support 2019 Peak 2 Peak Economic Development Program activities. This award culminates a multi-year transition of the grant funds from the Tourism and Recreation Partnership (TARP) of Boulder County to the NDDA to continue to foster economic development in the western portions of Boulder County and to support micro and small businesses with technical assistance, trainings, networking and information.

A major emphasis of the program is to connect and cultivate a community of entrepreneurs and business owners to promote economic development and professional growth through support and continuing education while creating new opportunities for the leaders of our communities. In 2019, this will be accomplished through hosting trainings and professional consultant workshops and supporting other partner groups such as the local Women’s Entrepreneur Group and The Old Gallery in Allenspark.

The grant funds, along with other NDDA resources and local in-kind donations (Thank you, HubNed for space), will support several events that will provide training, expert presentations and networking opportunities to our community such as the “Crafting Conscious Contracts” Workshop on March 13, 2019 at HubNed, and the Colorado Resiliency Office “Community Resiliency” Workshop scheduled for March 29 at the Nederland Community Center.

The content of these trainings will concentrate on areas identified by 2018 project participants in survey results collected and involve local stakeholders in planning and coordination as an avenue to continue to connect local business owners. Local businesses interested in learning more about the program can visit the NDDA’s website at www.NederlandDowntown.org. Additionally, the NDDA is asking local businesses to complete an online survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6Y8L3BJ) to assist in identifying future activities to provide through the grant.

The NDDA greatly appreciates the resources provided through the Boulder County Economic Vitality Grant and the emphasis of the Boulder County Commissioners in supporting western Boulder County businesses. All activities are geared toward minimal carbon impact with many activities specifically designed to promote zero waste events and energy efficiency for the area. You can learn more about the NDDA at www.NederlandDowntown.org.

(Originally published in the March 14, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)