Mayor Michelle Wu has announced a new step in bolstering small business in Boston with the launch of the Supplying Capital and Leveraging Education (SCALE) program. According to a statement on the City of Boston's website, the program supports small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses with the aim of increasing their ability to compete for city contracts. With an injection of American Rescue Plan Act funds totaling $6.5 million, 27 businesses have kicked off their participation in SCALE's six month technical assistance initiative.
The SCALE program is a deep dive into industry-specific guidance that concludes with grant funding, a measure that seeks to amplify these businesses' potential in snagging public contracts. In Fiscal Year 2024, Boston awarded $230.1 million to certified minority- and women-owned businesses, which represents an increase of 40 percent over the previous year, and a 155 percent rise since Mayor Wu's took office. "We are able to support and showcase the full scope of Boston’s diverse small business landscape that is vital to our City through the SCALE program," Mayor Wu told City of Boston.
SCALE aims to level the marketplace for businesses in sectors like construction, design, and food services by arming them with the knowledge to better position themselves for city contracts. The selected participants, ranging from General Contracting firms like Nicoya Construction in Roxbury to Food and Dining Services like Ula Cafe in Jamaica Plain, were chosen from more than 180 applicants. Each business is provided with a slice of the $200,000 grant pie to further solidify their place within the local economy.
Success stories such as Golden Key Advisors, a woman and minority-owned company in Jamaica Plain, speak to the potential impact of SCALE. Shari Betty from Golden Key Advisors explained, "Golden Key Advisors is proud to be selected for the SCALE program and it will be a powerful step forward for my business," as she detailed her company's growth trajectory aided by the initiative. "This support helps us grow not just in size, but in impact—creating more jobs, building stronger client relationships, and expanding into services," Betty told City of Boston.
Each business in the program will not only receive initial capital but also the remainder of their grant upon completion of the program. Counsel and workshops will be tailored by key technical assistance providers including Revby for Snow Removal and Landscaping, and Calyptus Consulting Group for Design and Architectural Services. As Irene Shiang Li of Prepshift, one such provider, stated, "As a women- and minority-owned business ourselves, we know firsthand the value of these contracting relationships and are deeply optimistic about how this program can support both immediate success and long-term sustainability for these hard working, values-driven entrepreneurs." For more details about SCALE and a full list of participants, you can visit the City of Boston's announcement.
