CETA Accelerator Application

Community Development Investors CETA Accelerator Application

Program Information
Application Deadline: September 14, 2026.

Program Dates: September 28, 2026 to December 7, 2026.

Program Format/Location: Hybrid; primarily virtual, with live sessions conducted via Zoom and select in-person meetings or events. Participants will receive advance notice of all required in-person activities and their locations.

Expected Commitment: Regular participation in live Zoom sessions and select in-person meetings, completion of assignments between sessions, participation in mentoring activities, and completion of a final project or presentation. Specific dates and estimated weekly time requirements will be provided before participants are asked to accept admission.

Program Cost: The CDI Accelerator is a selective, tuition-free program designed specifically for emerging entrepreneurs.

Program Contact: info@cdinvestors.org
Eligibility
The CDI Community-Based Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (CETA) Accelerator is designed to expand access to business ownership for talented individuals who have historically faced barriers to acquiring businesses and building wealth.

Applicants must meet one of the following eligibility requirements:

Option 1: Be an undergraduate business student, MBA candidate or mid-career professional from a low-income or low-wealth background; or

Option 2: Be an undergraduate business student, MBA candidate or mid-career professional who does not meet the low-income or low-wealth criteria but demonstrates a commitment to acquiring, operating, and growing a business that serves and strengthens a low-income community.

To ensure that the accelerator remains focused on expanding access to business ownership, CDI is committed to selecting at least 60 percent of each cohort from Option 1. The remaining participants may be selected from either eligibility pathway based on the strength of their application, commitment to Community-Based Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (CETA), and potential to create lasting economic opportunity in underserved communities. In addition, all participants must commit to the principles of CETA by incorporating employee ownership and other community development strategies into their long-term business ownership approach. Participants are expected to operate businesses as community anchors that create quality jobs, invest in employees, support local organizations, engage in civic life, and contribute to the long-term prosperity of the communities they serve.

Priorities & Special Consideration
Admission to the CETA Accelerator is competitive. CDI seeks to develop a diverse cohort of community-based acquisition entrepreneurs who will preserve locally owned businesses, expand employee ownership, create quality jobs, and strengthen economically underserved communities. While all eligible applicants are encouraged to apply, CDI gives priority to individuals who demonstrate the greatest potential to expand business ownership and create lasting economic opportunity in underserved communities. However, special consideration will be given to applicants who:

(1) have experienced intergenerational poverty or limited intergenerational wealth, and/or intend to acquire businesses located in persistent poverty areas; or

(2) reside in, have significant ties to, or intend to acquire a business in Central Appalachia or the Mississippi Delta, CDI's initial Community-Based ETA Hub regions.
Resume Submission Required
As part of the application process, you must email a current copy of your résumé to info@cdinvestors.org after completing this application. Your application will not be considered complete until your résumé has been submitted.
Definitions
For purposes of determining eligibility and admissions priorities for the CDI Community-Based Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (CETA) Accelerator, the following definitions apply:
- Low-Income Individual means an individual whose household income is at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) for their household size, consistent with the standards used by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund.
- Low-Wealth Individual means an individual whose household net worth falls within the bottom two national wealth quintiles, based on data and methodologies derived from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF).
- Low-Income Community means a census tract that either: Has a poverty rate of at least 20 percent; or Has a median family income at or below 80 percent of the applicable Area Median Family Income (AMFI).
- Persistent Poverty Area means a county or census tract where 20 percent or more of the population has lived in poverty for the past 30 years, as measured by consecutive decennial censuses or the American Community Survey.
- Intergenerational Poverty refers to individuals whose families have experienced poverty across multiple generations.
- Limited Intergenerational Wealth refers to individuals whose families have had limited opportunities to accumulate wealth across generations, including little or no inherited wealth or financial assets that facilitate business ownership or investment.
- Central Appalachia means the counties designated as part of the Central Appalachian subregion by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).
- Mississippi Delta means the Mississippi counties within the service area of the Delta Regional Authority (DRA).

Disclaimer

Before proceeding, please confirm that you have carefully reviewed and understand the introductory information provided above, including the purpose, expectations, eligibility requirements, and commitments associated with the ETA Cohort. Type "yes" into the box below to confirm that you have reviewed and understand the introductory information and wish to proceed with the application.
1. Certify Below:

Section 3A: Eligibility and Prioritization

Please respond to the next series of questions in the following sections to the best of your knowledge.

About Your Economic Background:
25. What is your income?
26. Did you grow up in a household that experienced significant economic hardship?
27. If yes, please provide the zip code where you grew up and briefly describe the hardship?
28. What is your Net Worth?
29. What is your expected inheritance from parents or grandparents?

About Your Father's Family:
30. What is or was your Father's income?
31. What was the zip code where your father grew up?
32. What was the income of your father's father (paternal grandfather)?
33. What is or was the zip code where your father's father (paternal grandfather) grew up?
34. What is or was the income of your father's mother (paternal grandmother)?
35. What is or was the zip code where your father's mother (paternal grandmother) grew up?

About Your Mother's Family:
36. What is or was your Mother's income?
37. What was the zip code where your mother grew up?
38. What is or was the income of your mother's father (maternal grandfather)?
39. What is or was the zip code where your mother's father (maternal grandfather) grew up?
40. What is or was the income of your mother's mother (maternal grandmother)?
41. What is or was the zip code where your mother's mother (maternal grandmother) grew up?

ETA Knowledge and Discussion
42. Before learning about this Accelerator, how familiar were you with entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA)?
43. Have you previously owned, operated, helped manage, or worked in a small business?
44. Have you previously evaluated, searched for, or attempted to acquire a business?
45. Why are you interested in Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA), and why do you want to participate in CDI's Community-Based Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (CETA) Accelerator? We encourage you to share any personal, family, community, or professional experiences that have shaped your interest in business ownership and community development. This may include experiences growing up in a low-income or low-wealth household, living in an underserved community, overcoming significant challenges, or other lived experiences that have influenced your goals. What do you hope to learn and accomplish through the program? (150 words maximum)
46. What experience, skills, leadership, or perspective would you bring to the cohort? You may draw from your education, employment, entrepreneurship, military service, community involvement, volunteer activities, or personal experiences that have prepared you for business ownership and collaborative learning. (150 words maximum)

57. Before submitting your application, please confirm that you understand the résumé submission requirement. Type "yes" below to confirm that you understand that after submitting this application, you must email a current copy of your résumé to info@cdinvestors.org.
Please review and certify the following:
- The information provided in this application is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge. ·
- I understand that submitting an application does not guarantee admission.
- If selected, I agree to comply with the Accelerator’s attendance, conduct, confidentiality, and program requirements.
- I authorize CDI to use the information provided to review my application and administer the program.
- I understand that participation does not guarantee financing, an internship, employment, or the successful acquisition of a business.
Do You Agree?
I have read and agree to the statements above.
Electronic Signature
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Community Development Investors CETA Accelerator Application

Program Information

Eligibility

Priorities & Special Consideration

Resume Submission Required

Definitions

Disclaimer

Section 1: Applicant Information

Section 2A

Section 2B

Section 3A: Eligibility and Prioritization

About Your Economic Background:

About Your Father's Family:

About Your Mother's Family:

ETA Knowledge and Discussion

Voluntary Self-Identification Questionnaire