The Platform Thanks SC Commerce for Grant Funds

The Platform at Greer is among 15 recipients of a grant designed to grow South Carolina’s innovation economy.

The SC Department of Commerce announced the 2024 Relentless Challenge Grant recipients this morning. The Platform at Greer, one of this year’s recipients, is an entrepreneurial support initiative powered by the City of Greer’s Economic Development team and its partners at BlueInc Strategies.

The Platform’s signature program, Bootcamp, is a well-established asset in the Upstate’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Support from the Relentless Challenge Grant will help create a statewide pipeline of small-to-medium sized companies looking to bring a new product or service to the market.

“While our program is physically located in Greer,” said Economic Development Director Reno Deaton, “our goal is to become the city where businesses from across the state come to get intense training and learn innovation strategies they can take back to their home communities.”

The Platform at Greer will work closely with the Existing Industry team from the SC Department of Commerce and entrepreneurial support organizations from across the state to accomplish the goals of the grant.

Bootcamp is a two-day workshop supported by large corporate partners who are actively involved in the program. Accepted businesses work one-on-one with expert coaches to identify customer pain points, ideate a solution, and validate the market for their solution.

The Platform’s February Bootcamp cohort is full, but businesses may apply for spots in the May and October sessions.