Delaware County Council held a press conference yesterday to announce an innovative and exciting new program, named the Delaware County Edge Accelerator, for the county’s small business owners.

Under the direction of the Council and the Delaware County Commerce Center, the county continues to implement the priorities of the Local Economic Development Strategy, which was unveiled in 2014.

The first priority identified was the need to develop a marketing impact for the county’s economic development efforts. This resulted in the development of the “Get the Edge” marketing slogan announced last year.

The second priority identified was the development of a facility for a Delaware County Innovation and Growth Accelerator Center. This recommendation evolved from the county’s 10-year economic development strategy, entitled “Growing from Within.”

The Delaware County Industrial Development Authority commissioned Delta Development Group to assist in an assessment of existing facilities, which are often referred to as business incubators or accelerators. Some are university-based, some are privately funded, and some rely on public subsidies.

After reviewing the assessment, the Commerce Center partnered with HeadRoom, a small business incubator based in Media and Radnor, and SCORE, an organization of experienced volunteers dedicated to providing free counseling and seminars to help small businesses.

That partnership has developed the Delaware County Edge Accelerator with the goal of helping small business Leverage the Edge.

“We know that Delaware County small businesses are a vital part of our economy, and their success is essential to the economic growth and prosperity of our county,” said Councilman John McBlain. “Delaware County has been leading the region coming out of this last recession, surpassing our counterparts in nearby counties in job creation.

“Part of the reason why we are successful in doing that here is due to the strong and diverse small-business community. The Delaware County Edge Accelerator will propel our small-business community even further.”

Through the Edge Accelerator program, the Commerce Center will sponsor qualifying startups and small businesses to use HeadRoom’s facilities to incubate and develop their businesses, with the ultimate goal of creating employment in Delaware County. SCORE will provide counseling and training to applicants to help them grow their business.

“Delaware County Council is making a commitment to small businesses in our county, and we are happy to team with them and HeadRoom to drive job creation in Delaware County,” said John Lippman, Co-Chairman of the Delaware County and Chester County Chapter of SCORE.

“The 100 volunteers (we have) bring broad and deep business experience to aid new businesses through one-on-one business mentoring, workshops, seminars, and other services.”

Successful applicants will receive full use of both HeadRoom facilities for 50 hours per month. They will have 24/7 access for themselves, their team, advisors, and clients. HeadRoom will provide state-of-the-art offices and conference rooms for one-on-one meetings, team meetings, workshops, and presentations.

Participating businesses will also have access to a broad range of local businesses currently using HeadRoom, which can offer their expertise, additional business, local knowledge and direct referrals. They will also receive mentorship and assistance from SCORE and Headroom’s staff.

“HeadRoom has built a community of approximately 70 diverse and dynamic businesses in Delaware County during the last two years,” said John Tooher, Managing Partner of HeadRoom. “Companies engaged in our ecosystem benefit from co-inhabiting with a very broad range of subject matter experts and fellow entrepreneurs focused on growing their business.

“We are delighted to bring new faces and new talent into this pool through the sponsorship of Delaware County and working with SCORE in assisting these businesses to reach their goals.”

Applications for the first sponsorship of the Delaware County Edge Accelerator are being accepted through Dec. 1. Small Business owners can apply by clicking here. Applications are ongoing. The next application deadline will be March 1, 2017.