Tag Archives: small business

BridgeCare Finance wins Edg3 Fund prize

The Smithshyre farm in Poulsbo
The Smithshyre farm in Poulsbo

Mount Vernon-based BridgeCare Finance won Kitsap Bank’s $20,000 Edg3 Fund small business prize Thursday, according to a news release.

BridgeCare offers short-term loans to help working families afford childcare.

The Smithshyre farm in Poulsbo earned the $5,000 Community Edg3 Award, recognizing the entrant that “best embodies the spirit of community.”

The farm specializes in rearing organic, pasture-raised poultry.

Edg3 Fund winners were selected by a panel of judges during a live event at Kitsap Conference Center.

Local business vies for $20k prize on Thursday

edg3-fund-logo_sA Kingston farm is one of five finalists that will vie for a $20,000 award Thursday during the live finale for Kitsap Bank’s Edg3 fund competition.

Silver Creek Angus was the only Kitsap-based contestant to earn a spot in the finals for the Edg3 Fund, which honors businesses dedicated to growing their communities “economically, socially and environmentally.”

The finale is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Kitsap Conference Center in Bremerton. The keynote speaker will be Combat Flip Flops CEO Matthew Griffin, a former Edg3 Fund finalist who appeared on the ABC show Shark Tank.

A panel of judges will select the winner of this year’s $20,000 top prize, and a $5,000 prize for the contestant that best embodies “the spirit of community.”

The Edg3 Fund finale is part of a slate of events marking Global Entrepreneurship Week in Kitsap.

See the flyer below for additional events:

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Four Kitsap companies in running for $20k prize

IMG_20150103_143133Four Kitsap County based businesses were among 11 semifinalists announced Friday for Kitsap Bank’s $20,000 edg3 FUND prize. 

The Kitsap competitors left standing are Bushel & Barrel Ciderhouse of Poulsbo, Silver Creek Angus, LLC. of Kingston, The Smithshyre of Poulsbo and Unique and Chic Event Rentals and Design of Port Orchard. Brett Marlo Design Build of Gig Harbor was also a semifinalists. 

A public vote will help determine five finalists, who will compete in a live finale Nov. 17 at the Kitsap Conference Center in Bremerton. A panel of judges will pick the winner.

Now in its third year, the edg3 FUND contest recognizes businesses that contribute to their communities economically, socially and environmentally.

Click here for more info.

Six Kitsap companies in running for $20k prize

Smithshyre Farm
Who wouldn’t give this guy $20,000? Smithshyre farm in Poulsbo.

Kitsap Bank announced 16 semifinalists its $20,000 edg3 FUND competition Wednesday, and the list includes six Kitsap companies.

Nearly 60 businesses applied, according to a new release from the bank.

It just so happens we’ve written about all the local semifinalists at one time or another. Here’s the list of Kitsap hopefuls, with links to our stories:

— Coyote Woodshop, Bainbridge Island (Kitsap Sun story)

— F.R.O.G. Soap, Bremerton (Kitsap Sun story)

— Kitsap Fresh, Poulsbo (KPBJ story)

— Lisa Stirrett Glass Art Studio, Silverdale (Kitsap Sun story)

— Purpose Boutique, Bremerton (Kitsap Sun story)

— The Smithshyre, Poulsbo (KPBJ story and Meegan Reid photo above)

A public vote will help narrow the field of contenders September. Five finalists will give presentations during a live event Nov. 12 at Kitsap Conference Center in Bremerton, and the winner will be announced the same day.

The edg3 FUND contest recognizes businesses that contribute to their communities economically, socially and environmentally.

See the rest of the semifinalists below:

Continue reading →

Deadline nears for $20k small biz competition

Entrepreneurs and small business owners have one more week to sign up for Kitsap Bank’s $20,000 edg3 FUND competition. 

0707_KSAP_edg3 FUND logo_1435678770266_20553009_ver1.0_640_480The annual competition, launched in 2014, recognizes businesses that benefit their communities economically, socially and environmentally. The deadline for applications is July 31.

Judges will select semifinalists in August and a public vote will help narrow the field in September. Finalists will give presentations during a live event Nov. 12 at Kitsap Conference Center in Bremerton, and the winner will be announced the same day.

Last year’s competition drew about 70 entries. The winner was Pawzii, Inc., a company founded in Bremerton with offices in Seattle. Pawzii offers online pet licensing services.

See the edg3 FUND competition website for more details.

Three Kitsap businesses in running for $20k award

Kitsap Bank announced the finalists for its edg3 FUND award this week and three Kitsap businesses are still in the running for the $20,000 prize.

A public vote helped narrow the field of semi-finalists to a final five. A panel of judges will select the winner during a live event at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 10 in the Kitsap Conference Center.

The contest recognizes small businesses that benefit their communities economically, socially or environmentally.

These are the five finalists:

Kitsap Bank names semi-finalists in small business competition

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Eight Kitsap Companies were among the 16 semi-finalists announced in Kitsap Bank’s inaugural edg3 FUND competition.

The contest recognizes small businesses that benefit their communities economically, socially or environmentally. The winner will receive $20,000.

These were the semi-finalists, selected from nearly 70 applicants from areas served by the bank, with Kitsap companies in bold: Continue reading →

Kitsap Bank offers $20k cash prize for innovative small business

Community-minded businesses aren’t always rewarded for their altruism. A competition organized by Kitsap Bank this spring aims to change that.

The Port Orchard-based is offering a $20,000 prize for a small business that has a positive economic, environmental and social impact on its community. A six-week application period for the prize, called edg3 FUND, begins June 2.

“We think there are a lot of innovative businesses with creative ideas in our local market that we don’t yet know,” Kitsap Bank President Tony George said in a news release.  “With this competition, we hope to uncover some of these hidden gems, fund a creative, sustainable business idea, and help to take it to the next level.”

A public vote on social media and the bank’s website will pick a pool of finalists. The finalists will be invited to make their pitch to a panel of independent judges, who will select a winner.

The competition is open to for-profit small businesses working in communities served by the bank. Find more information here.