The U.S. Small Business Administration gave Quinnipiac University a $406,000 federal grant to develop a program supporting minority-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs, Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced during a press conference Wednesday. 

The grant will be used to create the Community Entrepreneurship Academy and Clinic in the School of Business, Vice President for Public Relations John Morgan said. 

The program will provide entrepreneurship mentoring and guidance to entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Greater New Haven area. 

The clinic will operate in partnership with the Connecticut Community Outreach Revitalization Program to host workshops both in person at the ConnCORP lab in Hamden and online, taught by university faculty. The program is roughly 12 weeks long and will offer entrepreneurs coaching in finance, human resources, marketing, design and business law. 

During the clinics, students in the program will have the opportunity to take part in skill-building activities, such as fabricating product prototypes and producing podcasts, Morgan said.

“This immensely important grant supports both entrepreneurship and equity — a truly winning combination,” Blumenthal said. “I am pleased to see Quinnipiac University receive significant federal funding to support the entrepreneurial dreams of more than 100 minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses in the Greater New Haven Area.” 

Business owners and entrepreneurs who are interested in participating in CEAC can email [email protected].