Grow Wabash County receives $50,000 grant for e-commerce program

Wabash County, IN  – Grow Wabash County has secured a $50,000 grant from Region 3A utilizing EDA CARES Act funding to be able to identify and teach small, for-profit Wabash County businesses ways to improve their electronic commerce (e-commerce) presence.

As a result of this grant award, Grow Wabash County is currently accepting Statements of Qualification (SOQ) from consulting firms that demonstrate knowledge and a clear aptitude for developing effective e-commerce strategies. 

Consulting firms interested in submitting for this project should mail, or deliver, their sealed bid to the Grow Wabash County office at 214 South Wabash Street in Wabash before Friday, Sept. 2 at 4pm. These SOQs must be delivered to Grow Wabash County in a sealed envelope that includes three hard copies of the proposal as well as a digital PDF version uploaded to a flash drive. 

After the deadline, the selection committee will convene to unseal and evaluate each proposal on the categories outlined in the legal ad and select the top firm to proceed with this project.  This e-commerce consulting program will be completed by December 31, 2022. 

Details regarding how and when small, for-profit businesses located in Wabash County will be able to participate in this e-commerce program will be announced in late September. 

“We are grateful for the support we have received from Region 3A to provide our local small business community with the opportunity to further explore the world of e-commerce,” Keith Gillenwater, president and CEO of Grow Wabash County, said. “As our daily consumer habits continue to trend toward online shopping, it is important for our local businesses to have the ability to keep up with their competitors in the digital landscape.”

A full copy of the Request For Proposals (RFP) can be found on the Grow Wabash County website at www.growwabashcounty.com/build-your-business. Questions regarding the submission process may be directed to Chelsea at chelsea@growwabashcounty.com or 260-563-5258.