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5 <br /> • The Orange County Small Business Grant subcommittee, comprised of 5 <br /> members of the full advisory board, met three times throughout 2024 to review <br /> and score all business grant applications that were received during the year. <br /> Those meeting dates occur following the grant application deadlines of <br /> December 31, 2023, March 30, 2024 and September 30, 2024. The program did <br /> not have funding left for a June 30, 2024 cycle. Five members will continue to <br /> serve on the small business grant subcommittee in 2025. <br /> • One member of the advisory board also participated in 2024 for reviews of local <br /> farmers' and food producers'Agriculture Grant applications that were submitted <br /> to the Orange County Agriculture Grant program. One member will continue to <br /> serve on the agriculture grant subcommittee in 2025. <br /> Brief Statement of Board/Commission's Assigned Charge and Responsibilities. <br /> • The Advisory Board works closely with Orange County's Economic Development <br /> staff and other economic development partners in Orange County to help market <br /> Orange County as a desirable and competitive location for the recruitment & <br /> retention of small business ventures, to include agriculture and food processer <br /> ventures, the Piedmont Food Processing Center, the Breeze Farm Incubator <br /> Program., and the promotion of new & expanding capital investment for non- <br /> residential (retail, commercial, light manufacturing and distribution/logistics) <br /> business prospects which make a meaningful impact to creating new <br /> employment opportunities, and diversify the tax base. <br /> • The Advisory Board supports the growth and recruitment of agricultural and food <br /> processing systems local businesses, the promotion of entrepreneurial talent via <br /> the "LAUNCH" high-tech incubator facility in Chapel Hill, the Piedmont Food & <br /> Agriculture Processing facility (PFAP) in Hillsborough, and through the expansion <br /> of new, high-technology employment opportunities. <br /> What are your Board/Commission's most important accomplishments? <br /> • Several Advisory Board Members met individually with some members of the <br /> Orange County Board of Commissioners to discuss economic development <br /> needs and objectives. The plan is to continue to have a direct dialog periodically <br /> throughout each year. <br /> • In 2024 the Advisory Board's subcommittee reviewed many small business grant <br /> applications that were submitted by Orange County residents for the "Small <br /> Business Grant Program", and approved 31 small business grant awards, <br /> totaling $149,245.00 for the yea . <br />