Business Assistance

The City of Bloomington contracts with the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD) Open to Business program to provide first point of contact consultative services as you get started. Contact them to be referred to legal counsel, financial planning, business plan assistance, human resource advising, marketing, and many other programs.

Contact info:  Zamzam Mohammed
                           (612) 712-7072
                           zmohammed@mccdmn.org
                           mccdmn.org/open-to-business

Fill out an MCCD intake form to set up a free consultation.

• Elevate Hennepin – offers free advising services and other resources to start a new business or take an established business to the next level
• MB Mentors – free one-on-one services on business mentoring, webinars, business advisory council, women’s collective, and online guides and resources for all business owners
• Minnesota Retiree Environmental Technical Assistance Program (RETAP) – skilled, retired professionals provide free facility assessments and community sustainability assistance to small businesses
• Minnesota SBDC (Small Business Development Center) – register online to join training events and workshops
• Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) – free technical assistance to develop and implement industry-tailored solutions that prevent pollution at the source, maximize efficient use of resources, and reduce energy use and costs to improve public health and the environment; focus areas: Air, Energy, Waste, Water and industry-specific pages
• MSP Start-up Guide – resources to help start or grow your business
• NextStage – free 1:1 technical assistance for start-up and growing small businesses, and offering access to direct financing 
• SCORE Twin Cities – help small businesses get off the ground and achieve their goals through education and mentorship; mentoring and learning services at no charge, including free, confidential business mentoring, free business workshops, free webinars (online 24/7); online resource library with free business tools, useful templates and business development resources
• WomenVenture – offers training and support for entrepreneurs

• Department of Employment & Economic Development (DEED's) office of Business Development team can assist any business, any size, at every stage of their lifecycle

  • ​​​​​​​Small Business Development Office – helps start-ups and small businesses by increasing capital, connectivity, and capacity
  • Business Development Office – supports companies seeking to relocate, consolidate or expand in MN
  • Business Finance Office – provides various business financing programs and grants to help retain jobs and create new high-quality job
  • Broadband Office – connects stakeholders with each other and the resources they need to improve broadband access
  • Community Finance Office – provides financial assistance for infrastructure projects that spur growth
  • Minnesota Trade Office – supports businesses looking to expand globally and foreign-owned businesses seeking to expand or establish a location in MN

   

• African Development Center of Minnesota (ADC) - assists Minnesota's African community in financial literacy and business development
• Asian American Business Resilience Network – find and support Asian American businesses in Minnesota
• Black Women's Wealth Alliance (BWWA) - assists Black women to obtain economic stability
• Chinese American Chamber of Commerce-MN – An SBA Community Navigator, the Chamber provides resources for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) entrepreneurs and small business owners, including SBA loan assistance, grant opportunities, business workshops, networking opportunities and more.
• Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL) - supports Asian Minnesotan organizations providing accessible, in-language support
• ConnextMSP – a network to recruit, hire and support young professionals of color
• Latino Economic Development Center - business support for the Latino community
• MEDA (Metropolitan Economic Development Association) – provides business consulting, commercial lending, and contract opportunities  
• New American Development Center (NADC) - supports the East African/Somali immigrant community

• Business Energy Assessments – affordable whole-building assessments to Xcel Energy commercial customers in MN, identifying low- and no-cost solutions and practical capital improvements to reduce energy waste
• CenterPoint Energy Business Programs & Rebates – rebates for high-efficiency equipment for your business
• City of Bloomington Business Retention Program – allows for up to $15,000 forgivable one year loan for moving expenses for eligible businesses displaced due to private redevelopment
• City of Bloomington Sewer Availability Charge (SAC) Programs – assistance to lower the financial hurdle to new and expanding businesses
• City of Bloomington Site & Façade Improvement Program – allows for a $5,000-$24,999 grant for eligible façade improvements at a 1:1 match
• Grants for MN Businesses in 2023-2024 – nearly $12M available
• Hennepin County’s Environmental Services and Grant Opportunities – free resources and assistance, up to $3,000, for nonprofit organizations and small businesses to start or improve recycling and organics recycling
• Emerging Entrepreneur Loan Program – loans from $5,000-$150,000 for qualified small business owners
• Environmental Assistance Loans – $1,000-$75,000 at 0% interest, for eligible projects for the improvement of environmental processes and technologies
• MN DEED Grants and Financing – programs help companies retain existing jobs and create new jobs; not all businesses are eligible; qualifying companies must meet specific job creation and wage goals
• MNimize Rebate – get up to $500 toward eligible expenses to reduce single-use plastic
• Minnesota Inclusive Growth Fund (MIGF) – MN small businesses with fewer than 50 employees or less than $5M in revenue, can apply for low interest financing up to $200,000
• Minnesota PACE Financing – allows for making your business more energy efficient with 100% financing payments rolled into property taxes and lower payments
• SciTech Internship Program – get up to $2,500 wage match to cover 50% of a college STEM intern’s wages
• Startup & Small Business Resources by the State of MN Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) – Questions about startup, operation, or expansion of a business
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) – government-backed loans and programs
• Xcel Energy for Businesses – variety of rebates and programs to assist businesses

Home-based businesses in Bloomington are subject to regulation to ensure they are undetectable from normal residential activity, secondary to residential use, and do not adversely affect the health safety and welfare of other persons residing in the area. Some types of home businesses are not allowed in Bloomington, and other types of home businesses require a Conditional Use Permit prior to operation. 

You can find more information about home businesses at this link: Starting a Home Business

If you have questions about the regulations pertaining to home businesses, contact the Planning Division at (952) 563-8920.

• CEO Start – free cohort/peer-based program for anyone with a great business idea or a framework for testing and validating their idea
• CEO Now – free cohort/peer-based program for established, growth-minded business owners and founders with employees, to build and strengthen systems to keep growing
• CEO Next – free cohort/peer-based program offering tools and techniques for CEOs who are growing or expanding their business
• Certified Access – free cohort/peer-based program connecting women of color business owners to corporate and government procurement leaders
• Minnesota Cup – free Startup Competition. Seed Funding. Mentorship. Pitch Coaching. Exposure. Connection to experts. For all Minnesotans. From any industry.
• T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined Program – six-month cohort program; enhance your leadership abilities, acquire MBA-equivalent knowledge, benefit from personalized business guidance, and establish connections 

Looking to locate in Bloomington? Check out the Location One Service (LOIS). 

For available buildings click here.

For available sites click here.

The City’s Purchasing division coordinates most purchases of products (commodities) and services for the City of Bloomington and its departments. When Purchasing has current requests for bids, requests for proposals, or requests for information, they are posted at bloomingtonmn.bidsandtenders.net/Module/Tenders/en. This website has project documents available for preview and download.

The Engineering Division coordinates most infrastructure construction projects. Engineering uses the RTVision dashboard and ConneX to provide information about City projects in the planning stage, downloadable bidding documents, and project management information.

Small businesses can use SAM.gov to register for a UEI. Registered (certified) small businesses have the following benefits:

• Eligible to receive federal financial assistance or contracts.
• Search for financial assistance programs or contract opportunities.
• Search for contract opportunities that use set-asides, or the classification of a business (e.g., women-owned small business, veteran owned small business, disadvantaged small business), to direct contracts to small businesses.
• View existing federal wage determinations.
• Research the federal awards market using contract data reports. 

Small businesses must register/certify their status at SBA.gov for the certifications to appear on their entity registration in SAM.gov. In your registration, make sure to use accurate information about the size of your business so that your entity is correctly identified as small for its NAICS codes. These mandatory codes identify what type of activity (e.g., agriculture, construction, manufacturing) an entity performs, as well as the type of product or service offered. To locate the right one(s) for your entity, go to the Census Bureau.

More information on NAICS codes is available on the Federal Service Desk website.

Small businesses can get help with registration and other tasks from their local APEX Accelerator (KB0016409) for free. 

The Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) is a searchable tool provided by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to help small businesses get noticed by contracting officers. Contracting officers use the DSBS to help identify potential small businesses that are eligible for open or upcoming awards. They are also required to use DSBS as part of their market research to determine set-aside or sole-source allocation. In addition, large prime contractors use DSBS to locate small business subcontractors. Small businesses also use DSBS to find teaming partners, joint venturing, and conduct competitive research.

Register your business in the DSBS Database 

To list your business in DSBS the business must meet some basic requirements.

1. Meet SBA size standards
   To find out if your business is small, use SBA's Size Standard Tool. If the business has affiliates, you must include the annual receipts and the employees of the affiliates. Affiliates are other people or businesses that can control your business. This is true even if they don't exercise their control. To find your NAICS codes, visit the 2022 NAICS code list at the U.S. Census Bureau or visit the SBA size standard for each NAICS code. 
    
2. Certify that your business is eligible for contracts by completing a SAM.gov registration
   Businesses need to complete their SAM registration and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number. Information from your SAM account will help populate your DSBS profile. If your entity is already registered with SAM, your UEI has already been assigned. Learn how to view your UEI. The UEI will never expire, but entity registration in SAM requires annual renewal. 
    
3. Login to DSBS to create your profile 
   Visit SBA Connect, and login using your SAM.gov registration, and request access to your DSBS profile. For additional guidance, view the video, How to register and log in to SBA's Dynamic Business Search database.  

Standout!

• Capability Narrative: This is an essential part of your profile. Highlight your competitive advantage. Be specific and keep the reader in mind.
• Capability Statement: Include a link to your capability statement. 
• Keywords: Add as many keywords as possible, include industry terms. 
• Past Performance: The Government wants to see that your company has performed similar work, and that you have performed well. Choose past performance based on contract relevance, timeliness, and your performance on the contract. 

Questions about DSBS? Email us at minnesota@sba.gov or find a contact at Government contracting assistance page.