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SALISBURY, MD---The eighth round of a five-year, $1 million program to create new jobs takes place Thursday, April 20, at ºÚÁÏÍø as entrepreneurs vie for their share of $105,000 in business funding.

In 2013, the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation announced the $1 million gift to SU’s Franklin P. Perdue School of Business to establish the Ratcliffe Shore Hatchery. Its goal: to fund entrepreneurs and have new businesses opening within six months, with the potential of employing three or more within a year.

Each academic year through spring 2018, up to $200,000 will be available for those applying for grants through the Shore Hatchery program. Its board of directors selects recipients based on multi-round presentations.

Applicants representing multiple geographic territories and business sectors will compete in a Shark Tank/Gull Cage contest that day, delivering elevator pitches to the judges.

A public exhibition of applicants, featuring information about their submissions, begins at 2 p.m. on the third floor of Perdue Hall. Winners are expected to be announced at approximately 5 p.m. in the Perdue Hall Atrium, followed by a reception.

Ratcliffe Shore Hatchery board members include Jim Perdue of Perdue Farms, Dave Rommel and Mike Cottingham of Rommel Holdings, Frank Gunion of South Moon Under, Jennifer Layton of Layton’s Chance Vineyards and Winery, Bruce Rogers of Sherwood of Salisbury, Katherine Kiernan of APPI Energy and Sandy Fitzgerald-Angelo of Pohanka Automotive, among others.

Admission to the public exhibition, announcement of winners and reception is free, and the public is invited. For more information call 410-546-4325 or visit the Ratcliffe Shore Hatchery website at http://shorehatchery.salisbury.edu.