HANOVER — Northwest Illinois Economic Development (NWILED) announced the application window for its annual John D. Cooke, III Memorial Entrepreneurial Scholarship is now open. Like in 2023, there will be one, $2,000 first-place award and two, $1,500 runners-up awards. 

Recipients shall be full-time students who reside in Carroll or Jo Daviess counties that are in good academic standing in the qualifying school year. The 2024 application can be downloaded at www.NWILED.org, and completed applications should be sent to David Schmit, Regional Director: DSchmit@nwiled.org or 1 Commercial Dr, Ste. 2. Hanover, IL 61041 by Friday, March 29, 2024. 

Northwest Illinois Economic Development (NWILED) is an independent, private, nonprofit 501c (6) organization founded in 2008. NWILED’s focus is connecting the businesses of NW Illinois to resources. To do this we work directly with businesses, and behind the scenes to identify opportunities that once enabled will grow the region’s economic ecosystem. NWILED staff act as general economic development practitioners adapting day-to-day to a variety of requests, large and small, guiding the NW Illinois business community in tandem with the goals of an influential board of directors, org membership, and a roster of regional and state peer organizations.