Jan 15, 2019 2 min read

A compostable dishwear company and a dog grooming service were the initial winners of grants in the Washington Area Business Incubator’s first Ideas to Enterprise program.

Those were two of seven would-be businesses that participated in the competition, which began Oct. 28 and required participants to attend four workshop sessions that would assist them in developing a business plan or model for a new or existing business venture, then submit a plan to a grant committee. The two entities selected receive a total of $5,000 in grants.

Max Miller, executive director of the WABI project, said he plans to begin the next series of four weekly sessions in March. Miller also is director of entrepreneurial studies at Washington & Jefferson College.

WABI is public/private partnership among W&J, Ogden Newspapers Inc. and the city of Washington.

3 MVA mini-grants

Mon Valley Alliance last month awarded Town to Town mini-grants to three area organizations.

Monessen Salvation Army, Rostraver Elementary School’s “Little Birdie Project” and the Mon Valley Opioid Coalition received the $250 grants. MVA awarded the smaller grants instead of a single larger amount to help more groups during the holiday season.

S&T Bank and the N. David and Janet M. Campbell Family Foundation provided donations for the grants.