Business Innovation

The Economic Development Department’s Business Innovation team advocates for the needs of small businesses and entrepreneurs, provides networking opportunities, and connects business owners with the resources and training they need in all stages of business development.

The team maintains nationally recognized programs including AMP Up Charlotte and Charlotte Business Resources.

AMP Up Charlotte

AMP Up Charlotte provides small business owners of color the knowledge and know-how they need to create and manage a customized, three-year strategic growth plan.

AMP Up offers business development services, mentoring, targeted training and access to corporations and government agencies for contract and procurement opportunities.

Building on the success of AMP Up, the city’s NXT|CLT and Scale Up CLT programs aim to create a robust pathway of success and growth.

International Relations

The Economic Development Department also helps businesses expand into global markets through opportunities to connect with incoming delegations, export resources and cultivate foreign direct investment.

Doing Business with the City

Firms interested in doing business with the City of Charlotte and providing a product or service the city needs can become a vendor by registering with the city’s Vendor Administration team.

Minority, women and small business enterprises are encouraged to check out the Charlotte BusinessINClusion program.

Financial Assistance

The City of Charlotte runs a few financial assistance programs to start a business, improve the performance of an existing business or refresh a business location.

• Small businesses, property owners and developers located in the City of Charlotte's Business Corridor Revitalization Geography can apply for Business Matching Grants, which assist owners with the cost of improving their properties.

• Business Investment Grants provide reimbursements of incremental ad valorem property taxes paid to eligible businesses based upon the amount of property tax generated by private business investment and the number of jobs created when a company moves or expands in Charlotte.

Charlotte Business INClusion manages two more financial assistance programs.

• The Small Business Mobilization Loan program allows the City of Charlotte to help certified small business enterprises acquire short-term, low-rate financing to support their temporary working capital needs as they participate in City of Charlotte projects.

• The Charlotte Community Capital Fund is a public-private fund that assists small businesses with gaining access to capital. The City of Charlotte provides an 85% loan guaranty for business loans made by the participating lending partners, Self-Help and the Support Center.