GREENFIELD — The Take the Floor pitch competition returns this month for its third installment of offering local entrepreneurs an opportunity to receive free coaching and support, and a chance at winning $3,000 to grow their business.

“We’re excited,” said Greenfield Community College’s Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Max Fripp. “When we say everyone’s welcome, we really mean that.”

The first of the three pitch competition dates is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 19, at Greenspace CoWork in Greenfield. Two additional dates have been scheduled for March 23 at LaunchSpace in Orange and May 18 at Greenspace CoWork. At each pitch event, entrepreneurs will have five minutes to present their business idea to a panel of judges.

A total of nine finalists from these events will be invited to participate in a final pitch event at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center on June 29, where three prizes of $3,000 will be awarded.

The contest, which is geared toward supporting early-stage entrepreneurs, is limited to businesses less than two years old and with less than $50,000 in net profits. Registration is now open and interested entrepreneurs can sign up on the GCC Community Engagement website.

“Our goal is to help entrepreneurs grow their business right here in Franklin County,” Fripp said. “With Take the Floor, over time, we hope we’re able to increase the number of donors and investors who are contributing to the pool (of investment dollars), so we can have more money to fund entrepreneurs.”

Last year, three local entrepreneurs — Kelly Suprenant of The Rainbow Rack, Jason Garcia of Distance Detailing and Kirsten Levitt of Stone Soup Culinary Institute — split a $10,000 prize.

Fripp said the main difference this year is organizers have transitioned away from the “Social Entrepreneur” track of past years and in its place added a “Food, Beverage and Agriculture Entrepreneur” track.

“Food, beverage and agriculture is a big economic driver for our rural economy, so we wanted to honor that,” Fripp explained. “We also know that our nonprofit sector in Franklin County is also an important sector, but Take the Floor is increasingly about new businesses that are going to employ folks that offer economic development opportunities.”

In addition to Franklin First Federal Credit Union, GCC is also partnering with LaunchSpace in Orange and the Franklin County Community Development Corporation to give contestants free business development workshops, coaching and consulting.

“We’re excited to offer this wonderful opportunity to local entrepreneurs and help them weave into the fabric of the Franklin County business community,” GCC President Michelle Schutt said in a statement. “And it’s even more exciting that we’re working with partners like Franklin First (Federal) Credit Union, LaunchSpace, Franklin County Community Development Corporation and others to provide this.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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