Albany State wins $2.24M grant to expand entrepreneurship training in Southwest Georgia

Albany State University received a $2.24 million federal grant to build a regional entrepreneurship education program across 38 Southwest Georgia counties. The two-year effort aims to serve 1,000 entrepreneurs, issue micro-credentials and create a new certificate tied to local business growth.

Why it matters: - Albany State University is building a regional pipeline for entrepreneurship education, capital access and job creation in Southwest Georgia. - The program is designed to reach entrepreneurs in rural and urban parts of a 38-county service area. - The effort adds a new credentialing path that can live beyond the two-year grant and into degree programs.

What happened: - Albany State University received a $2.24 million competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency. - The grant funds a two-year entrepreneurship education initiative running from Sept. 1, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2028. - The program will serve a region anchored by the Albany metropolitan area and aims to reach 1,000 entrepreneurs during the grant period. - Dr. Jarrod Benjamin authored and submitted the grant and will serve as project director.

The details: - The initiative is titled “Leveraging Regional Assets and Technology Commercialization: The Albany State University MBDA Parren J. Mitchell Entrepreneurship Education Program.” - Albany State will build an evidence-based entrepreneurship curriculum tailored to Southwest Georgia’s economy. - The coursework will focus on food and beverage manufacturing and agribusiness, defense, logistics and advanced manufacturing, consumer goods and packaging, healthcare, and logistics and distribution. - Participants will earn industry-recognized digital micro-credentials through Credly. - The micro-credentials will stack toward a new 23-credit-hour Certificate of Entrepreneurship and Economic Impact. - Albany State will launch that certificate as a stand-alone, industry-recognized program. - The certificate will be embedded in the university’s Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration programs. - Entrepreneurs and other working professionals outside degree programs will also be able to pursue the certificate independently. - The program will include free information sessions and entrepreneurship bootcamps. - Albany State will create a device loaner program with laptops and tablets for eligible participants who lack equipment. - Participants will also get guidance on technology-transfer resources and opportunities to move new technologies toward the marketplace. - The program aims to issue 650 micro-credentials over the two-year period. - The project will support new business formation, capital access and job creation across Southwest Georgia.

Between the lines: - Albany State is not adopting an off-the-shelf model; the university is building the curriculum from the ground up around regional industries and assets. - The credential strategy is meant to make entrepreneurship training portable, stackable and useful for both students and working adults. - The focus on technology transfer suggests the program is trying to connect business formation with innovation and supply-chain development. - Dr. Peter A. Ngwafu said the curriculum is grounded in evidence and regional assets, and that embedding the credentials in degree programs is meant to create skills that endure.

What's next: - Albany State will develop and roll out the curriculum, micro-credentials and certificate during the grant window. - The university will host outreach sessions and bootcamps to recruit entrepreneurs, especially in rural communities. - ASU will implement academic oversight, competency-based assessments and quality assurance as the credentials are launched. - The university expects the new certificate and curriculum to remain part of its academic offerings after the grant ends.

The bottom line: - Albany State is using federal funding to turn entrepreneurship education into a regional economic development strategy with credentials, equipment access and local industry alignment.