The NJ News Commons, an initiative of the Montclair State University's Center for Cooperative Media, plans to incubate up to 10 N.J. startups in our Spring 2014 Grow & Strengthen class.

Membership in the class involves three things:
-- Monthly one-on-one coaching with a consultant
-- Participation in monthly peer-to-peer mentoring with other grantees
-- Award of a micro-grant of $1,000 to $4,000

Criteria for acceptance will include:
-- Whether proposal addresses an under-covered community or under-reported topic
-- Quality of proposal
-- Journalism ability of applicant
-- Thoughtful consideration of a revenue plan

By applying to join the class, you are agreeing to commit the time required for monthly peer-to-peer meetings and coaching sessions. You also agree to devote the necessary time and effort to make your startup successful and to document those efforts through monthly blogs posts or reports for the NJ News Commons.

Completed applications are due Friday, April 11. Participants selected for the next class will be notified in May.

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* 1. What is your first name?

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* 2. What is your last name?

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* 3. What is your email address?

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* 4. What is your phone number

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* 5. What is the name of the proposed site?

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* 6. What community will your site cover?

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* 7. What topic will your site cover?

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* 8. Describe the vision for your web site. (Include relevant information about the geography, subject, intended audience, platform, revenue model and why you think your site is important.)

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* 9. Please provide a simple timeline with your steps for planning, developing and launching your news site. (100 words)

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* 10. Will your site address a gap in the New Jersey news landscape? If so, explain. (100 words, Write NA if not relevant.)

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* 11. If you have a mission statement, add it here. (100 words)

To apply for a grant, you must answer the following questions as specifically as you can to explain how the grant would make a difference in your site's success.

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* 12. If I receive $1,000, I will use it to...

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* 13. If I receive $2,000, I will use it for the above, plus...

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* 14. If I receive $3,000, I will use it for the above, plus...

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* 15. If I receive $4,000, I will use it for the above, plus...

Thank you for taking the time to apply. If you have questions, please contact Joe Michaud, joe@joemichaud.com.

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