Five Des Moines–area entrepreneurs will be among those participating in the University of Iowa’s next Venture School entrepreneurial development program, their tuition paid by their local governments.

An entrepreneurial team each from Waukee, West Des Moines, Clive, Ankeny, and Urbandale will be chosen through the usual Venture School selection process and their $1,000 tuition paid by their municipal government. The program starts Jan. 14, 2016, at the Pappajohn Education Center in downtown Des Moines.

“This is a tremendous validation of UI's Venture School because it shows communities are willing to invest in such a powerful program that will help train entrepreneurs and strengthen local economies,” says David Hensley, executive director of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) that directs Venture School throughout the state.

Venture School is an intense six-week program in which entrepreneurs with ideas for new businesses learn if a market exists for that idea or if it can prosper with modifications. It helps entrepreneurs by accelerating the startup process and increasing their odds of success by helping teams align their businesses with the critical needs of their customers.

“We recognize that all of the businesses that invest in Urbandale facilities and create great jobs began with a person who took a risk to advance an idea,” says Urbandale Mayor Bob Andeweg. “The city and Urbandale Chamber of Commerce are ready to get behind entrepreneurs in our community to encourage even more people to explore what may become our region’s next successful business.”

“It is an excellent opportunity to create new partnerships with a proven program and support entrepreneurs in Ankeny,” says Derek Lord, economic development director for the City of Ankeny. “Our local partners have had a long history of supporting entrepreneurs.”

“Our goal is to bring the expertise of the University of Iowa’s award-winning JPEC to people across the state of Iowa,” says Jennifer Banta, training and engagement liaison for UI JPEC. “By creating a partnership with entrepreneurs, we can offer budding entrepreneurs and small-business owners a wide variety of resources, including prototyping, business strategies, and industry specific mentoring.”

The application deadline for Venture School is Jan. 8, 2016. More information about the program and upcoming information sessions around the Des Moines area is available at the Venture School website.