BEDA Food Truck Incubator Program receives $400k grant from ARC

Bluefield, WV -- The Bluefield WV Economic Development Authority (BEDA) is pleased to announce that we received funding for our Food Truck Incubator Program from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for $400,000. On April 29th, 2022, BEDA and partners applied for an ARC POWER Grant to secure funds to launch this region-wide Food Truck Incubator Program. This is a collaborative effort with the following West Virginia counties: Fayette, McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Summers, Webster, and Wyoming.

The program aims to place aspiring entrepreneurs within the region who successfully apply for and complete BEDA's Food Truck Training in a food truck for a trial period so they can test their menu and hone their skills. The goal is to mitigate the risk of a steep initial investment for aspiring food truck owners while providing training in menu compilation, sourcing local ingredients, and best business practices while completing the MyBluefield