The Growing America Through Entrepreneurship program is operated by the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center in partnership with the North Carolina Community College System’s Small Business Center Network. Each client of the GATE program will also enroll as a client of the Small Business Center Network, and these two agencies will work together on behalf of the client. GATE services will be offered to eligible applicants as program resources and funding allows.
GATE staff will ask you to provide information about the business you may start as a result of participating in the program. By accepting the GATE scholarship, you agree to an "open books" policy with your GATE counselor for up to one year after your participation has ended. You will be asked to share periodic financial statements and business impacts for counseling and evaluation purposes.
As a client of the GATE program and the Small Business Center Network, your personal and business information will be kept in strict confidence and will not be shared unless the law requires disclosure or you request otherwise in writing. As a GATE client, your consent to release information is required for the following routine program operations:
- GATE program staff may share your information with training institutions and support organizations to authorize enrollment, registration, scholarship payments or make other arrangements on your behalf.
- GATE program staff may consult or make referrals to outside resources and support organizations on your behalf. You participation the GATE program counseling process may require staff to communicate with partnering agencies and organizations to garner resources or information for your benefit.
- The GATE program is publicly funded, and from time to time, requires program evaluation and impact analysis. Your information may be shared with a third party evaluation or research organization for these purposes, however, none of your individual information will be published or made public without your consent.