State Center Grants

State Center Grants is sponsored by Employee Ownership Expansion Network (EOX). These grants are provided to State Centers within the EOX network to strengthen their operations, expand business outreach, and support real transitions to employee ownership.

EOX is funding transformative work across the EOX Network deployed to State Centers, to date Strengthening the State Center Network through direct financial support $65K has been granted to every EOX-incubated State Center for Employee Ownership within the EOX Network, with $905K in additional grants deployed in 2026 alone.

Each of these thirteen (14) State Centers have the opportunity to receive additional capacity grant funding in 2027. EOX capacity grants are designed to assist incubated State Centers with funds for operations, primarily to hire full and/or part-time staff.

EOX has awarded project-specific grants to 10 State Centers , funding bold, community-focused initiatives designed to engage business owners and spark new pathways to employee ownership. These projects not only deepen local relationships and expand access to EO education—they’re also building tools, resources, and innovations that will benefit the entire State Center Network and the broader EO ecosystem.

Nearly 70% of the work funded will create shared value far beyond state lines. EOX is committed to amplifying the transformative work happening across the State Center Network , which is best illustrated through the powerful stories of business owners and employee-owners whose lives and communities are changed through employee ownership.

Our storytelling grants surface the moments that matter—capturing the real-world impact of employee ownership and turning it into awareness that resonates. These stories are central to our mission. They don’t just inspire; they clarify, connect, and compel others to see what’s possible when ownership is shared.

We’re not just advocating for employee ownership—we’re investing in it. Through our STATE BY STATE campaign, EOX has allocated $3. 54 million to directly fund the growth and impact of our State Center Network, largely through initiatives like the EOX Grant Program.

Each grant is tied to at least one of our core Ownership Accelerators , ensuring that every dollar fuels strategic, high-impact work: strengthening State Centers, expanding business outreach, and supporting real transitions to employee ownership. The result? More locally owned businesses, more jobs kept in communities, and more wealth in the hands of working people.

This is how we turn mission into momentum. Watch these stories before you scroll. ▷ Empowered Energy Systems REAL Impact of Employee Ownership Across America AL's largest 100% employee-owned company is making an impact for migrant workers.

"New energy" embracing a new business model equals resilience in rural CO. Protecting the environment AND the professional legacy for employees via a Worker Co-op. Owner sets out to honor the employees who helped him build his business Holding the Line - one company's efforts to keep its legacy local.

Good Future shares why EO is important for the future of workforce development. How one ESOP is melding other forms of EO. These EO success stories are brought to you by the EOX State Center Grant Program State Centers are turning capacity grants into The Illinois Center Hires Its Next Executive Director Meet Adam Schuster, the next Executive Director of the Illinois Center for Employee Ownership.

The Florida Center Hires Its First Director The Florida Center for Employee Ownership (FLCEO) hires its first Director, Tom Verbos.

EOX welcomes Tom to the State Center Network The Missouri Center Hires New Executive Director Meet Julie Leonhardt, Executive Director of the Missouri Center for Employee Ownership | MOCEO The Connecticut Center Hires Director of Outreach & Administration Meet Robin Lamott Sparks, Director of Outreach & Administration for the Connecticut Center for Employee Ownership (CTCEO) Supporting the State Center Network is core to EOX’s strategy.

We are so proud to see some of the newest State Centers securing the stability and leadership they need to serve business owners, build relationships, and cultivate deep and lasting connections in their regions. Read how EOX is funding project grants that empower State Centers to engage local business communities.

RMEOC — Building the EOT Toolkit the EO Field Needs Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) are getting more attention, and the RMEOC set out to answer some of the frequent questions from the state and local level. TNCEO — Rebuilding Trust With Focused, High-Quality Convenings Amidst transition, TNCEO used its EOX project grant rebuild trust in the TN ecosystem with high-quality events that delivered value and reconnected key players.

OEOC — A Shared Resource for Selling Owners The OEOC has long used the EOX project grant to update and expand their "Selling Your Company..." book — and then turned it into a shared asset for the network. VEOC — Helping Vermont Business Owners Start the EO Journey Sooner The VEOC uses EOX project grant to focus on a gap many of us see every day: business owners wait too long to think seriously about succession.

MNCEO — Telling the Stories of EO With the Worker Co. Podcast The MNCEO used its project grant to build narrative infrastructure — the Worker Co-op Podcast, a platform for worker-owners, practitioners, and ecosystem partners to tell their own stories.

ILCEO — Training for "People, Profits, & Performance" The Illinois Center uses EOX project grant to design a business training program that meets owners where they are: focused on performance, people, and profitability.

NCEOC — Turning the Ambassador Model into a Network Tool The North Carolina Employee Ownership Center (NCEOC) templatizes its successful Ambassador Program equipping advisors and advocates to bring EO into their own work. TXCEO — Catalyzing Texas-Sized EO Coalitions TXCEO uses EOX project grant to run a set of strategic events, bringing together ESOP, co-op, and EOT stakeholders who don’t always end up in the same room.

WE ARE HERE TO GUIDE YOU! If you’d like to support our capital campaign, or are interested in learning more, we’d love to hear from you. Have Questions Form | EOX (FOOTER) Thank you for contacting us!

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