Connie Farrow tested a business model for the American Newspaper Digital Access Corporation (ANDAC) for a system that would aggregate newspaper content from across the U.S. into a single, searchable, universal online archive. The goal of the work was to create new revenue for newspapers and content creators while protecting content from unauthorized use. By developing a central database, newspaper content can be managed and monetized for the creation of new products and services based on the needs of news publishers.

After the completion of Farrow’s fellowship in May 2013, ANDAC’s board of directors decided to continue pursing the development of a business model and created a subcommittee. The subcommittee established two goals:

1. Pinpoint a handful of entrepreneurs and investment bankers who would work closely with ANDAC to create a business plan that could be feasibly funded.
2. Identify potential grant opportunities for ANDAC’s proposed online system. Grant applications must be submitted by a nonprofit. Since ANDAC is a for-profit entity, the Iowa Newspaper Foundation is submitting grant applications on behalf of ANDAC.