Contact: Shawn Uhlman, PDC, 503-823-7994
January 08, 2014
The Portland Development Commission (PDC) has issued a Request for Interest to identify real estate partners who can provide Central City office space for the 2014 Startup PDX Challenge, a competition to identify and support a diverse cohort of local and national entrepreneurs who have ambitions to scale their companies to a national or international scale.
Partners must be willing to provide free rent to the winning startups for 12 months along with property management and other support services. Proposals that bring together multiple resources serving the need for early stage startups are highly encouraged.
Patrick Quinton, PDC Executive Director, said, “Like the Challenge itself, this call for interest is a competition – for the best deal and the best proposal – and offers significant benefit for the right real estate partner to become part of Portland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
Lori Livingstone, the Central Eastside property owner for the 2013 Challenge, said, “We loved the opportunity to activate our space with six energetic startups, and gain access to Portland’s newest entrepreneurs and the interest they’ve generated. Providing space to the Challenge was definitely a win-win.”
The six winners of the 2013 Challenge received a $10,000 working capital grant, a full year of rent-free office space in Portland’s Central Eastside Produce Row, and free professional advice and services. The startups have attracted outside investment, increased clients and sales, and hired new employees in the last six months.
Interested prospects should submit a brief proposal answering the questions posed here. Applications are due February 14, 2014.
