In 2018, the City's Minority Business Program will be implemented with the collaboration of the Division of Procurement and Risk Management's Minority Business Program Coordinator and the Office of Economic Development's Minority Business Development Manager.
To pre-register for the Spring Minority Appreciation Breakfast, please click HERE.
The City of Charlottesville Business Equity Fund (BEF) is a loan program for existing City businesses that are owned by individuals who are considered socially disadvantaged (i.e., those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias because of their identity as members of a group). The BEF, administered in partnership with the Community Investment Collaborative (CIC), lowers eligibility criteria typically experienced in traditional banking scenarios and offers a subsidized interest rate that is well below the market rate (up to 3%). Interested businesses should schedule an initial meeting with the Office of Economic Development to determine need and if minimum eligibility criteria can be met. Businesses will then be referred directly to CIC to provide required documents and complete a loan application. For more information, contact mbp@charlottesville.org or 434-970-3117. To download, please click HERE.
The Minority Business Directory (MBD) lists the Minority and Women Owned Businesses certified through the Department of Small Business & Supplier Diversity (SBSD). Phase 1 lists only the businesses certified as Minority or Women Owned Businesses in the City of Charlottesville jurisdiction that sell goods or services that the City purchases. Future phases will incorporate Small Businesses in the City of Charlottesville as well as Small, Women and Minority Owned Businesses in the Planning District 10. The directory is organized by high-level NIGP category and may not represent each code a vendor registered.