Ann Arbor SPARK will oversee a new, consolidated Southeast Michigan hub for the state’s successful Small Business Support Hub (SBSH) program as the program adopts a new funding model and structure.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) established the SBSH program in 2023 with a one-time disbursement of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. SPARK’s iteration of the program has leveraged the economic development agency’s in-house resources, as well as numerous local partnerships, to provide free business coaching, networking, and other supportive services for local entrepreneurs.
Now that the ARPA funds have been spent, MEDC has allocated $11.3 million to continue the SBSH program through 11 regional hubs, consolidated from the previous 27 hubs. That includes a $1.25 million earmark for the new Southeast Michigan hub. Kristine Nash-Wong, director of entrepreneurial services at the SPARK East office in Ypsilanti, says the new hub will combine a hub overseen by SPARK and one overseen by Jackson-based Lean Rocket Lab. The new hub will serve Washtenaw, Jackson, Livingston, Monroe, Lenawee, and Hillsdale counties…