Troy University E1740507255961 — Troy is hoping a new project competition will help the local community. (Troy University)

The Troy University Idea Bank’s IDEA Empowerment Competition is offering $10,000 to the project that creates a positive impact in Pike County.

The competition is open to adults who live, work or attend school in Pike County. Submitted projects are expected to address a local need + demonstrate community impact.

“The Idea Empowerment Series is the biggest competition the IDEA Bank has had the opportunity to host, which is a testament to our consistent growth. Our goal is to bring a big idea to its full fruition by empowering someone in our community with not only the funds, but also the confidence to make it happen. I am excited to see a wide range of ideas and hope this program will serve as a springboard for all of them as we work to grow Pike County and Troy.”
Lynne Firmin George, IDEA Bank Director

Some key dates for the competition include:

March 31: Application deadline
April 7: Accepted applicants notified
May 4: Video pitch due
May 16: Finalists notified
June 9: In-person, private Q&A session
June 13: Winner announced at award ceremony

You can submit an application for the competition on the university’s website.

Idea Empowerment Series

The Idea Empowerment Series is one segment of the Troy Starters Accelerator Programs, a series of programs powered by the Regions Foundation.

Designed to provide entrepreneurial resources in the form of education, the Troy Starters program supports the Idea Bank’s high school entrepreneurship summer camp and the Troy Student Business Pitch Competition.

“It’s already been impactful. We’ve had a lot of traction on social media and quite a few people calling about it since we announced it just a few days ago. It’s evident that people love this community and want to help make it a better place, and we’re grateful to be able to provide this opportunity.”
Mauree Alice Porter McCall, Idea Bank program coordinator

The Empowerment Series focuses its largest pot of seed funding on a broader local population, expanding to include community members in addition to Troy University students, faculty and staff.

The Idea Empowerment Series offers participants the opportunity to attend a series of workshops on identifying community needs, structuring and budgeting and marketing and presentation skills. The workshops are open to the public.