NRRI launches Itasca area business assistance initiative

The University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute recently launched an initiative aimed at helping Itasca County area entrepreneurs tap into its resources.

Dubbed the Business Assistance Fund, the program is a collaborative effort between the NRRI and Itasca Economic Development Corp. The Grand Rapids-based Blandin Foundation has contributed $150,000 in funding to “target entrepreneurs in Itasca County, plus the rural communities of Hill City, Remer, Blackduck and Northome,” according to a news release announcing the initiative.

In a telephone interview, NRRI Executive Director Dr. Rolf Weberg said that the rural communities initiative is a reincarnation of a program launched three years ago. The Business Assistance Fund aims to help local entrepreneurs through refurbishing a product area, developing a new product or even test marketing a product.

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