Apply for FREE “Cultivate Small Business” Program

Apply for FREE “Cultivate Small Business” Program

Florida SBDC at FIU has partnered with Santander to bring their philanthropic initiative - Cultivate Small Business – to Miami.  Santander’s Cultivate Small Business was created by the bank with support from Babson College and CommonWealth Kitchen to help early-stage entrepreneurs build and sustain businesses in the food industry, with a focus on women, immigrant, and minority-owned businesses.  Florida SBDC is the local recruitment partner and is providing consultants provide additional assistance to participants in the program.

Cultivate Small Business is a completely FREE 12 week mini-MBA for eligible entrepreneurs.  Along with a food-focused curriculum, the program provides mentorship, coaching, and small capital grants.  This year it is virtual and open to anyone in South Florida.  Participants in the program are also eligible for capital grants.  The 12-week virtual program runs September 8th, 2022 to November 22nd, 2022.

The program provides:

• live virtual classes taught by Babson College MBA professors
• curriculum built for food, beverages, and food related services business owners, both virtual and with an established location.
• approximately 40 hours of classroom sessions
• connections to mentors in the food industry and a Santander business coach
• a network of fellow food entrepreneurs
• capital grants ranging from $2,500 to $10,000

Main criteria for businesses to qualify are:

• The business is women, immigrant, or minority-owned
• The business has been in operation for at least one year as of April 1, 2022
• The business has revenue between $25,000 and $1,000,000 in the last calendar year
• The business has between 1 and 10 full-time equivalent employees
• The business is in food-related industries, including processing, technology, manufacturing, and food services

The deadline to apply is June 1st but we are encouraging interested businesses to apply now to reserve their spot in the program.  Businesses can apply  online!

 Cultivate Small Business Flyer