Explanation
BACKGROUND: To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement with the Urban Launch School Inc, a non-profit organization, to provide programming to support minority businesses and to allow for payment of expenses incurred prior to the agreement order date.
Urban Launch School Inc is a “Young Business” resource center and support organization, established in 2019 with the goal to become the front door of entrepreneurs of color aspiring to create and build sustainable small businesses. The mission is to close the educational, resource, and digital divide for urban and lifestyle entrepreneurs while eliminating the fragmentation of access to resources.
The Urban Launch School Accelerator is a 12-week program that takes minority-led businesses from ideation to launch phase in response to the 2020 Columbus Small Business Agenda, which found a lack of awareness of available resources for small businesses in Columbus, Ohio. The program’s goal is to ensure that each business has the relationships, tools and confidence in their business models, business plans, funding sources and business ability to grow their vision as well as sustaining growth.
Emergency designation is requested to ensure that the Urban Launch School can maintain the timeline for the development of their online platform and can be reimbursed for the expenses associated with the graduation of their first accelerator cohort in May of 2023.
FISCAL IMPACT: The $350,000.00 funding is available in the 2023 General Fund, Jobs Growth Subfund.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: The vendor number for Urban Launch School Inc is 044978 and contract compliance expires on 04/03/2025.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement with the Urban Launch School Inc to provide programming to support minority-led businesses in the community; to authorize the appropriation and expenditure of up to $350,000.00 from the 2023 General Fund, Jobs Growth Subfund; to authorize the payment of expenses prior to the agreement; and to declare an emergency. ($350,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Urban Launch School Inc is a “Young Business” resource center and support organization established in 2019 with the goal to become the front door of entrepreneurs of color aspiring to create and build sustainable small businesses; and
WHEREAS, the mission of Urban Launch School Inc is to close the educational, resource and digital divide for urban and lifestyle entrepreneurs while eliminating the fragmentation of access to resources; and
WHEREAS, Urban Launch School Inc will sponsor a 12-week program that takes minority-led businesses from ideation to launch phase in response to the 2020 Columbus Small Business Agenda; and
WHEREAS, the program’s goals are to ensure that each business has the relationships, tools and confidence in their business models, business plans, funding sources and business ability to grow their vision as well as sustain growth; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into an agreement with the Urban Launch School Inc to ensure that the organization can maintain the timeline for the development of their online platform and can be reimbursed for the expenses associated with the graduation of their first accelerator cohort in May of 2023; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Development is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement in an amount up to $350,000.00 with the Urban Launch School Inc to support minority businesses and the Urban Land School Accelerator, and to allow for payment of expenses incurred prior to the purchase order date.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated monies and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the sum of $350,000.00 is appropriated in Fund 1000 (General Fund), Subfund 100015 (Jobs Growth Subfund) Dept-Div 44-02 (Economic Development Division), in object class 05 (Other) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That for the purpose stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $350,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 1000 (General Fund), Subfund 100015 (Jobs Growth Subfund), Dept. 44-02 (Economic Development), in Object Class 05 (Other) per the accounting codes in the attached to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 5. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all agreements or agreement modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 6. For the reasons stated in the Preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this Ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.