SIDNEY -- Melissa Norgard explained to the Sidney City Council how many potential business owners and entrepreneurs are helped by the Technical and Grant Writer, and e3 Entrepreneurial Navigator Alisha Juelfs.

The Entrepreneurial Navigator assists business owners and entrepreneurs find business resources. Norgard as the Technical and Grant Writer. Norgard's position is grant-funded.

"Since July of 2024, I have assisted with completing 50 business plans. I usually average three to five meetings per client when they come in, we get started, go through some initial draft ideas. We have a platform called Liveplan. They put some information in, then I help them compile it into an actual draft Word document business plan, put some financials together. So that's been really, really good," she said.

The big success, she said, is working with Grow Nebraska.

"One big success is the Grow Nebraska grant. So that was the Small Business Assistance Grant. We had 15 successful applicants in Cheyenne County. We had 11 who applied who did not get selected. But the grant portal opened on March 31st, and they were going to take 60 applications. They ended up taking 281 applications in only 15 minutes. That just shows how big of a need that as far as business assistance in the state of Nebraska," she said.

Norgard said six applicants moved on to the second round for funding.

She also announced  the Cheyenne County Chamber, Sidney Economic Development and Cheyenne County E3 combined efforts to receive a $29,500 from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development for talent recruitment. This award is part of the state’s Good Life Is Calling campaign, which has allocated a total of $414,706 in matching funds for 16 talent recruitment proposals across Nebraska. 

The three initiatives of the Talent Recruitment program include: talent attraction, branding together and thrive and retain.