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| "The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me."
- Ayn Rand
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SPOTLIGHT
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Celebrate Women's History Month - Support Women-Owned Businesses
March is Women's History Month and an opportunity to honor the many contributions of women. Locally, we want to highlight that women in business are actively making history in our community by helping to grow our economy one business at a time. Women-owned businesses make up upwards of 23% of businesses in our community.
The City of San Antonio is proud to support small minority and woman-owned businesses. Through our initiatives like Launch SA, opportunities for learning and connecting are at your fingertips. This month Launch SA is the site for the National Association of Women Business Owners - San Antonio Chapter event, Digital Up Retreat: Digital Velocity 2025, on March 21.
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Final Four Business Tips: Be a Part of the Action!
The NCAA Final Four will be in San Antonio April 4- 7, 2025. This is an exciting opportunity for local businesses to take advantage of the anticipated $440M economic impact to San Antonio. With over 100k anticipated out-of town visitors and locals participating in festivities, business owners can prepare now to maximize customer experience and reach. Learn about what to expect and tips for local businesses to ready for game day.
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BUSINESS FINANCING
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Grants, Loans, Contests and More, to Benefit Your Small Business
Small Business Grants for Women - There are thousands of grants available for ambitious business owners, so narrowing it down can be helpful. Many shared in this link are generally available only to women-owned small businesses at the national level, meaning they’re not region-specific.
HEB's Quest for Texas Best - For the last twelve years, H‑E‑B has set out on a quest to find the best in Texas – the best local products made by Texans! From the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley and from West Texas to Beaumont, the H‑E‑B Quest for Texas Best is an open call for small food, beverage, and general merchandise suppliers based in Texas to have their items considered for placement on H‑E‑B shelves and up to $50,000 in their pocket!
Research Local Opportunities
Learn About National Opportunities
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PROGRAM UPDATES
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Zero Percent Interest Rate Loan Program
The Zero Percent Interest Rate Loan Program, administered by LiftFund, offers flexible small business loans from $500 to $100,000 at 0% interest. Loans can be used for various business-related expenses such as inventory and payroll. Businesses in construction areas are eligible for a 6-month forbearance period to aid in their resilience. This program is subject to LiftFund’s credit and lending guidelines, including inability to secure funding through traditional commercial sources. Other fees may apply.
Learn more or apply to the Zero Percent Interest Rate Loan Program.
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Digital Presence Program
The City of San Antonio and Herospace are partnering to help small businesses in San Antonio reach more customers online. Participating businesses can take a user-friendly online survey and receive a report that helps you understand the strengths and weaknesses of your online presence.
Visit our Digital Presence Program page to take the survey and explore resources. Small businesses in City initiated construction zones may be eligible for free digital work as funding is available.
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CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT PROGRAMMING
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Signage Program
Do you need a ‘Business is Open’ sign? Businesses in certain construction areas may qualify for individualized signage to increase visibility and attract customers. The City will cover up to $300 for a sign that fits your unique needs. Businesses must meet eligibility standards. To Learn more about Signage Program details visit our program page.
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Pub lic Works Dashboard
The dashboard offer an easy way to quickly find a wealth of information about hundreds of City projects. You can search maps to find bond projects, street, alley, sidewalk, and drainage projects. Click on the project for quick access to its construction timeline, phase and cost, among other info. The dashboards also feature links to info-packed project pages for every 2022 bond project. For more info, visit SA.gov/RoadToProgress.
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Participate in the Buy Local Savings Pass Program!
The Buy Local Savings Pass is a mobile-exclusive perks and savings pass aimed at driving customers to your location. We want to invite YOU to participate in the Buy Local Savings Pass program and experience the benefits. To participate, your business must be located in a City-initiated construction corridor. If you are interested in in joining the program or more information, email [email protected].
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WORKING WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO
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Bidding Contracting Opportunities
The City of San Antonio is committed to helping your business grow in San Antonio. To view current bidding and contracting opportunities with the City of San Antonio, visit our procurement department’s page.
In addition to current contracting opportunities, the Anticipated Solicitations List provides advanced notice to the small, minority and woman-owned businesses to prepare for upcoming bids/proposals beyond the standard advertisement period. This list will be updated monthly with detailed information on Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Program tools applied and provide an overview of solicitations to be posted in the next 30-60 days.
The Annual Procurement Forecast is another forecasting tool of planned City solicitations over the course of a year. Businesses can use this guide to research solicitations, understand City’s Preference Programs and solicitation processes, as well as network with prime level vendors for subcontractor opportunities. The new procurement guide will be available soon.
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Need your (S/M/WBEs) Certification?
Visit the South Central Texas Regional Certification Agency (SCTRCA) website for information regarding the certification. SCTRCA is a 501 (c) (3) Non-profit Corporation that represents several public entities in the South Texas area. These entities are committed to enhancing participation for Disadvantaged, Small, Minority, and Woman-owned businesses in public/government contracting and purchasing activities.
To learn more, please visit online at www.sctrca.org or contact the SCTRCA at 210-227-4722, you can also send an email to support@sctrca.org.
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SAVE THE DATE
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MAR
13
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How to Fund Your Business in This Challenging Economy
If you have been wondering how you will fund your new business venture, join us for this webinar. Having a clear picture of your options allows you to confidently narrow down what will work best for you. Our presenters show you the many ways to fund nearly any type of business situation.
Hosted by UTSA Small Business Development Center
12 - 1 p.m..CST; Webinars; Register Online
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MAR
19
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The HUB Blueprint: Contracting & HUB Certification Essentials
We will discuss what Procurement is and how you get Procurement ready. This includes review of common Procurement terminologies, basic terms and concepts in a contract, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) overview, and more.
Hosted by Launch SA (located inside the Central Library - free parking with 3-hour validation)
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. CST; In-person - Launch SA, 600 Soledad, 1st Fl.; Register on-line.
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MAR
25-28
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Construction & Trades Bootcamp
Get ready for a hands-on 4-day Construction & Trades Bootcamp that will equip you with the skills and knowledge to conquer the industry.
Hosted by Maestro Entrepreneur Center
8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.CST; In-person - Maestro Entrepreneur Center, 3014 Rivas St.; Register Online
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INSIGHTS
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Team Building for Small Businesses Brings Fun!
Whatever the size of the company team building can have a positive impact on everyone. It can also help to elevate the team work small businesses already put forth. A fun opportunity for team building is the upcoming City of San Antonio City Manager's 5K Walk & Run on March 29, at Seaworld of San Antonio. Learn more and register for this worthwhile event!
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