Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA)

ECGRA was established in December of 2008 by Erie County Government as a catalyst to economic development in Erie County. The mission of ECGRA is to create and administer guidelines for the investment of gaming monies. ECGRA’s investment strategy includes grants to the following areas:
  • Municipalities contiguous to the Casino
  • Capital Projects
  • Economic Development Financing
  • Regional & Community Assets
  • Social Services
For the most up-to-date information on the investment of gaming funds, please visit www.ecgra.org or contact the ECGRA Offices directly:

Perry N. Wood
Executive Director

(Direct) 814-897-2693
pwood@ecgra.org

Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA)
5240 Knowledge Parkway, Suite A
Erie, PA 16510


(Main) 814-897-2690
(Fax) 814-897-2691

Start, Grow, Prosper Initiative

The Start, Grow, Prosper Initiative is a collaboration of the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA), Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central & Northern PA, the Economic Development Corporation of Erie County and the Gannon University Small Business Development Center (www.sbdcgannon.org).

The Initiative was seeded with a $1.65 million dollar grant from ECGRA in October of 2010. The purpose is to provide assistance and financing to small businesses starting up and expanding through a suite of options designed to target job creation in Erie County. Financing options include:
  • Micro-loans up to $25,000
  • Working capital, machinery & equipment, real estate acquisition up to $250,000
To learn how your business can benefit, contact:

Barbara Ward, Business Consultant
Gannon University SBDC, Ward018@gannon.edu
Ph (814) 871-7204       Cell (814) 882-7343   Fx (814) 871-7383

Erie Innovation Fund

The Erie Innovation Fund is a partnership between the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) and the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central & Northern PA. The purpose of the fund is to increase business growth in Erie County by making additional investment capital available to local technology entrepreneurs as well as established companies/manufacturers looking for new market opportunities. The Erie Innovation Fund invests up to $250,000 in two types of companies:
  • Erie County-based, early stage, tech-based companies (typically pre-revenue) that can provide a concrete plan for the development and commercialization of a technology that will likely result in increased competitiveness along with the creation and retention of jobs.
  • Erie County-based, established companies/manufacturers, with less than 500 employees, that have a concrete plan to develop a new product or process that will likely result in increased competitiveness along with the creation and retention of jobs.
Companies that receive funding will also have the opportunity to get business mentoring and support from the Ben Franklin Transformation Business Services Network. By combining business and technical assistance with financing, companies engaged in tech-based product and market development become better equipped to meet the challenges associated with growth.

To learn how your business can benefit, contact:

Liz Wilson, Director of Marketing
Ben Franklin Technology Partners CNP

Ph (814) 898-6541
lizwilson@psu.edu
http://cnp.benfranklin.org