North Dakota's longest running economic development conference was awarded a $50,000 grant to help foster new businesses on the state's Indian reservations.

Representatives of Marketplace for Entrepreneurs received the grant from the United States Department of Agriculture on Thursday at the United Tribes Technical College. Dale Van Eckhout, of the USDA's Rural Development program, presented the check.

The money will be used to support a one-year pilot program that provides entrepreneurial education at the tribal college level and helps people write business plans.

David Gipp, president of the United Tribes Technical College, said helping entrepreneurs living on or near reservations is "critically essential" for the tribes' success because the population of American Indians is growing.

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said the most exciting part of the program is the assistance people will get in writing business plans.

"Some of those plans turn into new businesses," Conrad said. "This is one more step in the path of creating more jobs and opportunity."

The grant also includes a $50,000 match provided by more than 200 supporters of Marketplace for Entrepreneurs.

Marketplace for Entrepreneurs was created in 1989 by Conrad and Sarah Vogel, who was the agriculture commissioner at the time. It is a non-profit organization that provides North Dakotans with ideas and advice for starting a business.

Each year the organization has a conference that includes workshops and exhibits.

The next conference will take place Jan. 12-13, 2005, at the Bismarck Civic Center.

(Reach reporter Tom Rafferty at 250-8264 or tom.rafferty@bismarcktribune.com)