The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation announces that applications for the 2023 Catapult Fund small business training program are currently being accepted. The 2023 Catapult Fund has two categories: one for entrepreneurs in the beauty, fashion, and jewelry industries, and another for entrepreneurs in the culinary arts. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, Capital One Bank, and the Louisiana Small Business Development Center Greater New Orleans and River Region collaborated on this initiative.
The Catapult Fund's mission is to foster cultural entrepreneurs' creativity and sustainability via training and funding. As an education and finance initiative for arts entrepreneurs, the Catapult Fund offers intense training in business best practices as well as grant support. To be eligible for the beauty, fashion, and jewelry categories, applicants must have modest Louisiana-based enterprises in these sectors. Clothing, cosmetics, soaps, hair products, and other items may be included.
Applicants must have a small Louisiana-based culinary arts business to be eligible for the culinary arts category. Chefs, restaurant owners, caterers, food truck operators, food market sellers, food product manufacturers, culinary schools, and others may be included. Please visit thecatapultfund.com for a complete list of program criteria, requirements, deadlines, a class calendar, and more.
The Louisiana Small Business Development Center's Mission
The Xavier University of Louisiana's Louisiana Small Business Development Center, Greater New Orleans & River Region is a business counseling and aid company that serves a seven-parish region. Culinary/restaurants, seafood/fisheries, music, retail, wholesale, services, international commerce, catastrophe response, recovery, and business resiliency are all areas of competence at XULA. The SBDC at XULA is a member of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center Network. Louisiana State University hosts the Louisiana Small Business Development Center network, which is a member of the National Association of Small Business Development Centers. The Louisiana Small Business Development Center is supported in part by a cooperative agreement between the US Small Business Administration, Louisiana Economic Development, and partner institutions and community colleges.
