Applications are now open for Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s fall 2024 Oklahoma Grassroots Rural and Ag Business Accelerators Activate Oklahoma cohort.
The Activate Oklahoma rural innovation pipeline provides resources and assistance for innovative rural Oklahoma businesses that have an innovation or product that will bring economic opportunities to rural Oklahoma.
Activate Oklahoma cohort members will have the opportunity to participate in multiple training sessions that begin in September. The trainings include boot camps that connect entrepreneurs with Oklahoma-focused business resources and curriculum to grow and expand their businesses. Additional training will follow the initial boot camps to provide a well-rounded experience for innovators.
Graduates of the program will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas for an opportunity to receive equity investment from the program’s partnering organizations. The Activate Oklahoma pipeline will also prepare innovators for additional funding opportunities such as grants, loans and creative funding mechanisms.
The Activate Oklahoma application is available at okfarmbureau.org/AcceleratorApp. Applications close Friday, August 2.
There is no cost to participate, and successful candidates must attend all provided training sessions.
Successful applicants must have significant business operations in Oklahoma and be located in a community with a population of 50,000 or less.
OKFB will co-host three “Ask Me Anything” webinars with the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center for potential applicants to ask questions about the program. Webinars will be held at 9:30 a.m. on June 20, July 19 and August 1. More information can be found on the SBDC website.
The Oklahoma Grassroots Rural & Ag Business Accelerators program is a collaborative rural development effort between Oklahoma Farm Bureau and state and national partners. The program creates economic opportunities for rural Oklahomans and supports Oklahoma agriculture through innovation and business development for rural entrepreneurs.
Partner organizations include AgLaunch Initiative, Ag Ventures Alliance, Oklahoma CareerTech, Oklahoma SBDC, Oklahoma i2E, Oklahoma Center for Advancement of Science and Technology, Oklahoma State University’s Food and Agricultural Products Center, Noble Research Institute and Cortado Ventures.
