Providing small businesses, particularly minority-, woman-, and locally owned small businesses, and aspiring entrepreneurs with access to the resources to locate and grow in New Haven and connecting City residents of all backgrounds to sustainable employment opportunities.

OBD staff routinely provide advice, counseling, and technical assistance, within and without the SBRC, to walk-in current or would-be entrepreneurs: in 2019, more than 300 clients received such assistance. Services include:

• Resource information on how to start a business (including registration, licensing and permit information);
• Qualifying for loans and other financial assistance from a variety of local, state and federal sources;
• Local, state and federal business incentives and credit counseling; and
• Information on zoning and site planning.

Small Business Resource Center

The Small Business Resource Center (SBRC) provides New Haven entrepreneurs with technical assistance, training, access to capital, networking and mentorship. During the Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2019, SBRC’s outreach efforts brought together more than 300 entrepreneurs and community members to participate in SBRC sponsored activities. SBRC served 284 clients, 14 of the clients serviced were existing businesses that received loans totaling $771,000, and 1 business received two grants totaling $29,000.

For more information visit the SBRC page.

Small Contractor Development

Small Contractor Development (SCD), which administers Section 12¼ of the City’s ordinances, is responsible for building a broad base of emerging business enterprises that can perform high-quality construction at competitive prices. Businesses need information and know-how to succeed, and SCD aims to provide them with opportunities to grow from emerging startups into profitable, sustainable, and competitive companies.

For more information visit the SCD page.

Small Business Incentives & Technical Assistance

Façade Improvement

OBD uses the City’s Façade Improvement Grant program to help small New Haven businesses to address weathered conditions and rehabilitate existing business structures to stimulate economic activity. The Program offers matching grants that, for projects completed in 2019, leveraged $1.00 in public façade funds into $8.66 in private investment.

For projects that have been Approved, Encumbered and in Progress, $1.00 on public façade funds leveraged $36.00 into private investment.

Technical Assistance

OBD strives to enhance the city’s tax base and support business, community, and resident employment by using public resources to leverage private-sector investment. Staff provide businesses and developers with help finding space to relocate or expand, as well as help navigating state and local incentive programs, such as:

• The City of New Haven’s Assessment Deferral Program (amended and renewed by BOA in 2019)
• The City of New Haven’s City and Town Development Act (renewed by BOA in 2019)
• The State of Connecticut’s Enterprise Zone & Urban Jobs Tax Abatement Program
• The State of Connecticut’s Urban Site Tax Credit Program
• The State of Connecticut’s Research & Development (R & D) Tax Credits
• The State of Connecticut’s Small Business Express Program
• The State of Connecticut’s Job Creation Tax Credit Program
• The State of Connecticut’s Public Utility Incentives, including C-PACE and the Connecticut Green Bank

Opportunity Zones

Economic Development coordinates an internal working group with LCI and City Plan to plan for new development with federally designated Opportunity Zone census tracts. In 2019, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development hosted a day-long event in New Haven, in part highlighting local development plans and key sites within the Opportunity Zone program.

For more information visit the Opportunity Zone page on EDA website.

Environmental Assessment Assistance

To help property owners and prospective developers understand potential environmental contamination on former industrial/commercial sites, in 2018 OBD formalized its Environmental Assessment Assistance Program, which covers up to 50% or $25,000, whichever is less, of environmental assessment costs for eligible, small, neighborhood-based commercial or industrial properties, and up to 50% or $50,000, whichever is less, of the costs of environmental assessments for eligible large, commercial or industrial properties. Projects in which the City has participated under the program, in neighborhoods ranging from Mill River, to Westville, to Fair Haven, to the East Shore, have resulted in five completed or ongoing cleanup and redevelopment projects and two likely projects.

Work/Business Connections

Elm City Innovation Collaborative (ECIC): In 2016, the State of Connecticut announced a competitive, multimillion-dollar “Innovation Places” grant program to fund initiatives in select communities that will make them even more creative places to live, work, and start a business. In June 2017, New Haven’s coordinating entity, the Elm City Innovation Collaborative (ECIC), secured a $2 million grant each year for the following three years (for $6 million total) from CTNext. Over the past couple of years, ECIC has supported many projects to enhance the city’s innovation ecosystem, with focuses on bioscience, technology, and innovation/community connections. OBD staff have worked on several related initiatives to support this project, as well as the innovation ecosystem more broadly.

Community Food Systems Hub: In 2019, OBD worked with various nonprofit community partners to envision and create a comprehensive Community Food Systems Hub (CFSH) that would encompass classrooms, offices, and event space, along with a commercial kitchen business incubator. In 2020, OBD is continuing to work on identifying a suitable location, and working with CitySeed, its nonprofit partner specifically focused on establishing and running the commercial kitchen business incubator, to ensure that it can operate it sustainably. In addition, OBD continues to support CitySeed’s efforts to provide commercial kitchen incubation space by helping it to purchase needed equipment.

Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization: In 2019, OBD continued its “Main Streets” community engagement and activities with stakeholders in the Whalley Avenue district, and with LCI on Dixwell and Grand Avenues. OBD continued working with community volunteers and the Urban Resources Initiative to plant and sustain new trees along each corridor and worked with City Plan and LCI on their “Commercial Corridors” rezoning initiative.

Ralph Walker Ice Rink: Assisted Engineering and Parks with renovation and re-opening of the Ralph Walker Ice Rink in Fall 2019 as well as with partnership agreement with Albertus Magnus College. Pursuant to the agreement, Albertus contributed funding for renovations and new lockers and is the anchor tenant with Division III men’s hockey.

Summer Concert Series/Holiday Tree Lighting: Collaborated with New Haven Festivals, Inc. and the Office of Arts, Culture, and Tourism to promote New Haven Green summer events and the annual Holiday Tree Lighting.