Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Oklahoma Grassroots Rural and Ag Business Accelerators program is accepting applications from rural Oklahoma innovators seeking resources to bring their ideas and products to market.
Oklahoma innovators located in rural communities with a population of 50,000 or less can apply now through April 3 to participate in OKFB’s free business accelerators program.
The program offers two unique innovation pipelines tailored to meet the needs of rural Oklahoma innovators. The program’s AgCelerate Oklahoma agricultural innovation pipeline is for innovators who have a new idea or an exciting update to an existing concept that has a direct application in production agriculture. The Activate Oklahoma rural innovation pipeline is open to any rural Oklahoma innovator with a new idea or product that they would like to bring to market that has applications in any industry.
“No matter if you are an established business owner who is looking to refine your focus and tactics or if you are a rural Oklahoman who has a great idea and needs help launching your business, Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s accelerators program is a great way to take your innovation to the next level,” Said Amarie Bartel, OKFB economic development coordinator. “The resources the Grassroots Rural & Ag Business Accelerators program provides fit a wide array of rural Oklahoma businesses to help our local entrepreneurs take their enterprise to the next level.”
Each pipeline uses a customized curriculum to connect rural Oklahoma innovators with the vast array of business resources offered by our state’s business development ecosystem. Programming features interactive workshops, an intensive business bootcamp, mentorship connections and product pitch development. Graduation from the program qualifies businesses to be considered for equity investment by a group of accelerators program partners.
Programming for each of the two accelerator pipelines begins in May, and successful participants will graduate from the program in October. Program sessions are held in a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend sessions either in-person or virtually. Program participants must attend all provided training sessions to graduate from the program.
Businesses and individuals interested in the accelerators program can complete the online application by April 3 at okfarmbureau.org/acceleratorapp. Selected applicants will be interviewed, and the final selection of program participants will be made May 1.
The Oklahoma Grassroots Rural & Ag Business Accelerators program is a collaborative rural development effort between OKFB and state and national partners. The program creates economic opportunities for rural Oklahomans and supports Oklahoma agriculture through innovation and business development for rural entrepreneurs.
Partner organizations include AgLaunch Initiative, Oklahoma CareerTech, Oklahoma SBDC, Oklahoma i2E, Oklahoma Center for Advancement of Science and Technology, Generation Food Rural Partners Fund, BancFirst, Oklahoma AgCredit, CoBank, Oklahoma State University’s Food and Agricultural Products Center, Noble Research Institute and Cortado Ventures.
