Orange County NC Website
3 <br /> • 177 Zoom calls and 15 events completed in 2020 <br /> • LAUNCH directly contributed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill being <br /> recognized on November 4, 2015 as ranking among the top five best performing university <br /> business accelerators in North America, based on a 2015 benchmark study by the <br /> incubator consultant firm UBI Global, which is a renowned leader in performance analysis <br /> of business incubators around the world. <br /> History of interlocal agreements between Orange County and the Town of Chapel Hill to <br /> jointly support LAUNCH <br /> Orange County and Town of Chapel Hill have provided joint financial support of the LAUNCH <br /> small business innovation center for the past 91/2 years via previous Interlocal Agreements, as <br /> follows: <br /> (1) First Interlocal Agreement between the Town and County (31/2 year initial term of <br /> 50/50 co-sharing of lease payments for 4,000 square feet, for the period July 1, 2012 <br /> to December 31, 2015) <br /> • The initial 3'/2 year (42 month) Interlocal Agreement between the County & Town to co- <br /> fund LAUNCH was split 50/50 in a mutual cost sharing. The County paid its portion <br /> from Article 46 funds ('/4 cent sales tax proceeds for economic benefit) dedicated to <br /> providing entrepreneurial support, at a level of $10,000 per quarter for 42 months, or a <br /> total cost to the County of $140,000 over the full 3'/2 year initial term. The Town of <br /> Chapel Hill provided an equal amount of financial support. This first Interlocal <br /> Agreement expired on December 31, 2015. <br /> (2) Second Interlocal Agreement between the Town and County (a 3-year renewal of <br /> financial support, at the same annual cost that was set during the first Interlocal <br /> Agreement) <br /> • On November 17, 2015, the BOCC approved a new three-year (36-month) Interlocal <br /> Agreement starting on January 1, 2016 and expiring on December 31, 2018. The <br /> County's financial contribution remained the same at $10,000 per quarter, or a total <br /> cost of $120,000 to the County over the initial three-year term. The County's payment <br /> was funded from Article 46. The Town also provided an equal level of financial support. <br /> (3) Amendment made to the Second Interlocal Agreement to permit LAUNCH to add <br /> 3,700 square feet for additional co-working space in the incubator's existing facility. <br /> • The second Interlocal Agreement was amended in June 2016 to permit an on-site <br /> expansion of the LAUNCH office, which required Orange County and the Town to <br /> contribute an additional $8,375.00 per quarter ($33,500.00 annual increase) for up to <br /> three (3) years. The amended annual cost to the County then increased to $18,375 per <br /> quarter, or a total of $73,500 per year. The Town also provided an equal level of <br /> financial support. The amended Interlocal Agreement expired on December 31, 2018. <br /> (4) Third Interlocal Agreement between the Town and County (a three-year renewal of <br /> financial support, at the same annual cost that was set during the second Interlocal <br /> Agreement) <br /> • The third Interlocal Agreement was amended on February 25, 2019 to set a new three- <br /> year term. The County and Town continued to provide an equal 50/50 co-share of <br /> financial support (each local government paying $18,375 per quarter, or a total of <br /> $73,500 per year). The amended Interlocal Agreement expires on December 31, 2021. <br />