GREENVILLE, Miss. — The City of Greenville has been selected to receive a $60,000 implementation grant through the National League of Cities’ Southern Cities Economic Initiative, city officials said.
The funding will support Greenville’s participation in the second phase of the regional program, which includes 14 cities across the Southeast focused on expanding economic mobility and long-term growth. The grant is funded by philanthropic partners of the initiative.
Mayor Errick D. Simmons said the funding will allow the city to move forward with its Community Tech-Readiness with AI Application Initiative, a two-year pilot program aimed at strengthening small businesses and entrepreneurship.
“Being selected for the next phase of the Southern Cities Economic Initiative affirms Greenville’s commitment to building an economy where innovation, inclusion and opportunity go hand in hand,” Simmons said. “This $60,000 implementation grant will allow us to move from planning to action.”
The program will offer workshops, individualized technical assistance and business incubation support focused on artificial intelligence tools for marketing, accounting, customer service and operations. City officials said the initiative aims to serve at least 80 small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Greenville will also receive technical assistance, peer learning opportunities and access to data experts through the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. The bank does not provide funding and did not participate in the grant selection process, according to the announcement.
The implementation phase runs from January 2026 through December 2027. The initiative is supported by several national foundations, including The Annie E. Casey Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Other participating cities include Atlanta; Center Point, Alabama; Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, Virginia; Fayetteville and Little Rock, Arkansas; Jackson, Mississippi; Jonesboro, Georgia; Lauderhill, Florida; Monroe and Natchitoches, Louisiana; New Orleans; and Thomasville, North Carolina.
