Explanation
BACKGROUND:
This ordinance authorizes the Director of Development to execute a grant agreement with Columbus Fashion Initiative (CFI), in an amount up to $375,000.00 in support of the organization’s mission to support the growth and unity of fashion-based businesses in Columbus.
The mission of the Columbus Fashion Initiative is to move fashion forward. Further, CFI seeks to enhance Columbus’s culture into one that equips, fosters, and supports emerging designers and brands in the ultimate quest to become and sustain Columbus as a regionally, nationally, and even internationally respected fashion hub. By cultivating education, community, imagination, and opportunity, CFI strives to become a fashion manufacturing and innovation leader while building an alliance of stakeholders from across all domains of the fashion and retail ecosystem. While open and accessible to all, CFI emphasizes equity, diversity, and inclusion within the sector by intentionally engaging existing and emerging designers, producers, and artists of color. The Columbus market is a leader in fashion design, making it essential to support small business fashion entrepreneurs.
CFI achieves this through the following initiatives:
· Training, education, and workforce development.
· Infrastructure for a co-working space, small batch production, and a library of educational resources
· Workshops and collaborations with local partners to encourage innovation in the industry
· Pop-up retail markets
Emergency action is necessary to avoid causing interruptions in the delivery of program services.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding is available within the Jobs Growth Subfund.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: the vendor number is 031541 and contract compliance expires 8/27/2023.
Title
To authorize the Director of Development to execute a grant agreement with Columbus Fashion Initiative, in an amount up to $375,000.00, towards efforts to grow and unify the Columbus fashion ecosystem; to authorize an appropriation ...
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