Charlotte is Making Connections for the Benefit of Small and Minority-Owned Businesses

The City of Charlotte, NC, is a finalist in the fourth round of the City Accelerator, which is focused on using public procurement to help create inclusive economic opportunity. Your feedback on its story map will inform final selection of the cities.

You have the option to view the Story Map full screen here but be sure to return to this page to give it a star rating and leave comments below!

What is Charlotte proposing?

The City of Charlotte is looking to increase spending with minority-owned businesses by the city, large corporations, and anchor institutions by easing the connection between purchasing organizations and local businesses. Participation in the City Accelerator will allow the city to focus on encouraging and supporting more low-income parents to pursue entrepreneurship as an alternative path to their fiscal stability. Lessons from the cohort could include how to provide entrepreneurship training and loan programs in low opportunity communities, as well as how to incorporate entrepreneurship skills into workforce development programs. The city will also explore changes in policy, practice and staff training to support the growth of businesses owned by people of color, and will share promising practices across sectors to strengthen the impact of procurement more broadly. 

VIEW OTHER CITY PITCHES 

• Chicago, IL
• Los Angeles, CA
• Louisville, KY
• Milwaukee, WI
• Memphis, TN
• Newark, NJ
• Philadelphia, PA

For a detailed description of the mission and purpose of the City Accelerator’s cohort on Procurement for Inclusive Economic Opportunity, click here.

Public response is one of several criteria being used by the City Accelerator to select cohort cities. The number of ratings or comments by themselves do not determine final status or selection.