The Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program is designed to pair access to existing small business consulting services with financial resources for creative entrepreneurs who aspire to start their own for-profit business or who operate an existing for-profit micro business. Centre Foundation administers Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program grants in Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, and Huntingdon counties on behalf of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) as a regional Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA) partner. The program’s purpose is to help creative entrepreneurs grow their business, audience, and revenue. 

Download the 2025-2026 CEA Guidelines HERE

Eligibility

This grant program provides $2,000 in support for creative entrepreneurs starting a business or currently operating a micro-business with gross revenue less than $200,000 in Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, and Huntingdon counties.  Creative entrepreneurs are eligible to apply for the Creative Entrepreneurs Accelerator Program once every three years. 

Eligible applicants must:

• Have not received Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Funding in the past three years (Creative Entrepreneurs are eligible to apply for the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program once every three years). Please note that applying and receiving funds after the 3-year mark is contingent upon availability of funds after applicants that have never received funding have had an opportunity to be funded. Other requirements for reapplying after 3 years include a follow-up visit with a referral partner to review business plan and progress of business.
• Be at least 18 years of age and a current resident of Pennsylvania for at least one year.
• Manage a business with gross revenue of less than $200,000 or intend to form or operate a business in Pennsylvania.
• Operate in one or more of the following creative industries:
  • • Marketing – Advertising and marketing agencies & professionals
    • Architecture – Architecture firms & architects
    • Visual Arts & Crafts – Galleries, artists, artisans & makers, tattoo artists
    • Design – Product, interior, graphic, and fashion design firms and designers
    • Film & Media – Film, video, animation, TV & Radio businesses
    • Digital Games – Companies, programmers & individuals producing games
    • Music & Entertainment – Producers, venues, musicians & performers
    • Publishing – Print or electronic businesses & content creators, editors & writers

Timeline

• Application Opens: January 27, 2026
• Application Closes: March 19, 2026
• Award Notification: May 2026
• Grant Period: May 2026 – December 2026
• Final Report Due: December 2026

Application Process

Step 1: Conduct consultation with a Referral Partner

Schedule a consultation and business plan review with a local small business development organization, known as a Referral Partner. The Referral Partner will help with the logistics of starting a business including the development of a business plan and growth strategies. Business consultation services are provided at no cost to prospective applicants.

Meeting with a referral partner is a mandatory requirement as part of the application process. We encourage applicants to connect with Referral Partners as early as possible to ensure that meeting appointments are available in time for you to complete application before the deadline. Referral of a creative entrepreneur by a Referral Partner does not guarantee that a grant will be made. 

• Penn State SBDC – Serving Centre and Clinton Counties
• PennWest Clarion SBDC – Serving Clearfield County
• St. Francis SBDC – Serving Huntingdon County
• PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship – Serving Clearfield, Clinton and northern Centre Counties
• Startup Alleghenies – Serving Huntingdon County
• Happy Valley LaunchBox

Step 2: Apply

After you meet with one of the approved Referral Coordinators, you will receive a link to the application, along with an application Access Code, via email. Submit your application via Centre Foundation’s Online Grant Portal.

Only applicants who have completed a meeting with a Referral Partner will be considered. However, meeting with a Referral Partner does not guarantee that a grant will be made.

Step 3: Notification and award

Successful applicants will be notified in May 2026. For those approved, Centre Foundation will enter into a grant award agreement with the awardee. Following completion of grant paperwork as well as a brief baseline survey, funding will be disbursed. A limited number of grants are available and demand for this funding is high.

Reporting: All grantees will be required to submit a final report on their grant, due December 2026. Receipts and an itemized list of how funding was spent are a required part of the final report.

Updates to Pennsylvania Creative Industries’ Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator

Beginning with Fiscal Year 2026-2027 (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027), Pennsylvania Creative Industries’ Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator (CEA) program will no longer be administered by the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA).

The CEA program has seen great demand and impact since its launch in 2021. With implementation of Pennsylvania Creative Industries’ updated strategic framework, the agency is working to revise the CEA program design to ensure enhanced, strategic business development support for program participants.

Pennsylvania Creative Industries anticipates sharing details about and future application timelines for the CEA program in the fall of 2026.

Note: Centre Foundation remains the point of contact for current year (July 1, 2025 – December 31, 2026) CEA program participants in regions Centre, Clearfield, Clinton and Huntingdon. As grant award agreement materials outline, CEA program participants must submit all required final report materials and receipts to Centre Foundation by December 31, 2026.

Questions