The Pocahontas County Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a “FISH BOWL” Grant Program in the Marlinton Municipal Building at 6:30 pm on Thursday, October 23, 2025. We are looking for contestants that already own a business and wish to expand or persons that would like to start a business and could use some cash to help get started. Potential contestants will need to meet the following requirements:
- Must be a for profit business located in Pocahontas County
- Must pre-register by 10/13/2025; an e-mail confirmation will be sent
- (NO ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED THE DAY OF THE EVENT)
- The winning business must be registered with the State of West Virginia within 30 days of winning the event to receive prize money. Must have either FEIN or SSN if Sole Proprietor.
The contestants will make a 5 minute presentation to the audience about their business and how they will use the grant money if selected. Contestants will also have a table to make a display.
Attendees will pay $10.00, have a light dinner, and vote for their top choice. The person or persons receiving the highest number of votes will be declared the winner. The Chamber will designate someone to draw names from the “FISH BOWL” to determine the order of presentation, the
GVEDC will provide a $500 grant for the winner. All attendee fees will also go to the winner.
- i.e. if 30 people attend and pay a $10 fee, the winner would receive the $500 provided by the GVEDC and $300 in attendee fees, making a total of $800. All competitors should encourage their friends to attend.
To register, please complete the following registration form and return to the Pocahontas County Chamber of Commerce.