Two Wilmington startups are among the finalists of the latest cycle of the NC IDEA SEED grant, according to a press release.

CICIL and Essential Personnel are two of the 12 finalists that were narrowed from 24 semifinalists.

CICIL is a women-owned local rug manufacturer with a focus on using natural and renewable materials. The company’s supply chain and process, as outlined on its website, include sourcing small batches of wool from a farmers collective, a cleaning process without harsh chemicals and fibers that are carded, spun, braided and sowed in North Carolina.

Essential Personnel is a software platform that provides solutions for managing public safety professionals. Products include tracking and managing performance; a safety and wellness tracker; and a training and data reporting platform. The company was also selected to present a pitch during the NC TECH State of Technology conference in May.

The other state finalists of the 33rd cycle include 828 Labs, Botanical Bones, Buzy, CopyForward Inc., Cybershield Security, Gatherware Inc., Green Solutions Group, Nurtured Nest, Well Seasoned Table and WH Farms Co.

NC TECH also announced 15 recipients of the NC IDEA MICRO grant aimed at young companies looking to advance their business idea. Fifteen startups, none from the region, received a total of $150,000. Click here to read the full list of NC IDEA MICRO grant recipients.

NC IDEA SEED include $50,000 grants that help innovative startups scale faster, according to the NC IDEA website.

CICIL and Essential Personnel, along with the other finalists, will present before a review panel with about five to seven winners announced in early May.