Rep. Dusty Johnson is proposing to increase a fund that provides small grants to South Dakota entrepreneurs in a bid to help residents start homegrown businesses.
Johnson, who is running for the GOP nomination for governor, wants to direct $2 million from the Future Fund to what he’s calling Launch South Dakota. It includes directing more economic development money to the Research Proof-of-Concept Fund. The fund provides awards of up to $25,000 to South Dakota start-ups.
The proposal would represent a major increase for the Research Proof-of-Concept Fund within the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. GOED requested $500,000 for the fund in the fiscal year 2027 budget…