Serving an 18 county region in southeastern Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, the E Center provides area entrepreneurs and businesses with tools to grow their businesses, prepare for various funding opportunities, and overcome specific business challenges. Through the intern consulting program, the E Center provides clients with short-term, low-cost, professional consulting services.

The Eastern Idaho Entrepreneurial Center grows the economy of Eastern Idaho by deploying a system of value added resources. This is accomplished through

• Enabling existing businesses to reach higher planes through E Center oversight of professional consulting services 
• Cultivating the establishment and development of start-ups to spur economic growth
• Creating a dynamic internship opportunity that elevates and enhances undergraduate and graduate level education
• Providing a valuable, hands-on resource for Economic Development Professionals
• Linking entrepreneurs and capital inflow

The management of this process is for the sole benefit of the businesses, related institutions, and economic community, void of self interest or profit for the organization itself.

University Students

University students are essential to the success of the E Center. Using an organizational model similar to that of a professional consulting firm, EPIC Ventures Junior Analysts (interns) and university students work in teams to accomplish significant research and consulting work in a short period of time, providing professional quality research and recommendations to clients. University students assisting at the E Center are typically enrolled in an undergraduate senior level business capstone course. However, students or resources from other university departments may be accessed according to the specific needs of the client and project.

Eastern Idaho Angel Group

Organized in 2008, the Eastern Idaho Angel Group is a growing network of qualified investors interested in the success and growth of the Eastern Idaho economy. Angel investors invest in start-up and small businesses throughout the region, frequently providing not only capital, but also industry expertise to fledgling businesses. Partnered with this network, the E Center is a gateway for businesses to angel investment funding. The E Center assists Eastern Idaho entrepreneurs and businesses in preparing and pitching to angel investors.

Venture Capital Groups

Venture Capital firms, such as EPIC Ventures and Highway 12 Ventures, invest in companies in Eastern Idaho. Although the E Center itself does not provide any investment funding, we assist Eastern Idaho entrepreneurs and businesses to prepare and pitch for venture capital funding.

Idaho National Laboratory

The E Center works with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in conjunction with the Technology Transfer office to identify technologies that can be commercialized. Through this effort, local technology spin-off companies can be established, creating more local businesses and jobs and increasing the incoming revenue to the region. We also recognize the financial support that the INL has provided to the E Center since its inception in 2006.

Economic Development Partners

Local economic development professionals are essential to the success of the E Center. The E Center usually enters and exits a consultation project within a three to four month period, but we realize the needs of our client businesses generally begin before we arrive and continue long after we conclude. The E Center seeks to work with the community leaders and economic development professionals throughout the projects so that when the projects close, ongoing assistance is given to the businesses from community sources. In this way, the E Center and economic development professionals cooperate to build the Eastern Idaho economy.