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For the second year in a row, the Small Business Center at Beaufort County Community College (BCCC) will be hosting the Seed & Sow Pitch Contest. This is a small business learning and planning process culminating in a “pitch contest” where qualifying entrepreneurs compete to win cash awards to help fund their small business startup or expansion idea. “We know how challenging it is for even the most prepared small business startups to get funding,” said Jack Dugan, director of the Small Business Center. “So we came up with this idea to provide modest startup funds to help individuals get their businesses off the ground or existing businesses who would like to expand.”

Qualifying contestants will be required to complete a free one-day Seed & Sow contest workshop and also attend three 1-hour counseling sessions with Dugan. Contestants will complete a basic business and financial plan during this process and will be expected to register their business with the NC Secretary of State. Once completed, contestants will have the opportunity to take everything they have learned, all of the planning and preparation, and pitch their ideas in front of a panel of judges on April 12, 2025, for the chance to win $2,500.

BCCC is one of only two community colleges in the state to offer such a program. “It is a great program,” said Dugan. “You don’t just walk in and get a check. You have to learn, you have to prepare and plan and go through the entire process before you compete. And once you have competed you have a good opportunity for a strong start in business or taking your current business to the next level. The people of Beaufort, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington counties deserve this opportunity, and we are proud to be able to offer it free of charge.”

Registration for the contest has already begun and is open to entrepreneurs in Beaufort, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington County entrepreneurs. Workshops will be held monthly from October through February. For more information and to register,  go to  https://www.ncsbc.net/workshop.aspx?ekey=30440056.

Sponsors for the event include the National Association of Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), Wells Fargo Bank, Beaufort County Economic Development, and TriCounty Foundation. Those interested in sponsoring may contact Dugan at 252-940-6306.