PAST AWARDEES — COHORT TWO
Five partnerships opening markets, contracts, and capital to New York City’s small businesses.
Cohort Two grantees are funded through our “Doing Business Together” initiative — and early data from their first year of work shows 787 small businesses impacted.
Since our founding in 2021, the purpose of the NY SBFC has been to assemble and activate funders to strengthen the business support ecosystem for presently and historically excluded entrepreneurs in NYC.
To date, we have:
Secured over $4.5 million in financial commitments for pooled grantmaking
Attracted 8 members, leading institutions from the financial, foundation, and corporate sectors
Delivered an entirely new grant-making experience in keeping with collaborative and trust-based philanthropy
Designed and launched two rounds of grant-making plus technical assistance across two grantee cohorts, with the next public RFP launching in late 2026
Our Purpose
While small business is a key driver of wealth and opportunity in America, its promise is not available to all.
Cohort Two
Doing Business Together
The “Doing Business Together” initiative funds creative solutions in market access to increase supply chain localization, expand supplier networks, and dismantle persistent barriers to securing contracts and capital.
Our grantees are improving access for local small businesses in the marketplace, from green energy industrial opportunities and food-related microbusinesses to worker-owned cooperatives and small business financing solutions.
787
Small businesses impacted
In Cohort Two’s first year of work.
EARLY DATA
Cohort Two Grantees
Early data from Cohort Two’s first year of work includes notable progress across all five partnerships.
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Evergreen
In partnership withSBIDC and BOC Network
$2,395,000in loans secured by clients toward bidding and contracting
30firms assisted
13targeted referrals to offshore procurement officers
Evergreen and partners also launched a Growing Green toolkit and a database of 70+ certifications.
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Hot Bread Kitchen
In partnership withCypress Hills Local Development Corporation
$525,000in total sales for 8 small business food entrepreneurs who increased their sales
11large-scale food purchasers engaged
Hot Bread Kitchen and partners also launched a purchaser-facing product catalog.
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TruFund
In partnership withNY NJ MSDC
$605,000deployed in support of a small business contract with Con Edison for a major energy infrastructure project
TruFund and partners also integrated an AI-enabled advisory tool into its technical assistance.
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The Working World / Seed Commons
In partnership withNYC NOWC
10cooperatives from 7 industries in the Equity in Public Procurement cohort
$640,000+in technical assistance and funding for 4 fast-tracked cooperatives
The Working World and partners formed the Equity in Public Procurement cohort and tailored curricula for both worker owners and city agencies.
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Brooklyn Food Guild
7micro businesses actively participating in the Guild
Zeroattrition among participating businesses
Brooklyn Food Guild took steps toward solidifying its infrastructure as an umbrella organization and brand.
COHORT ONE
Beneficiaries
- Small business intermediaries
- Small business owners in the food industry
- Small business owners in manufacturing and industrial
- Historically marginalized entrepreneurs, including:
- Women & BIPOC business owners
- Formerly incarcerated individuals
- LGBTQIA+ and gender-expansive business owners
- Veterans & immigrants
- Limited English proficiency (LEP) populations
- Low- and moderate-income (LMI) populations
FUNDED BY
- JPMorganChase
- M&T Bank
- Principal Foundation
- Surdna Foundation
- Santander Bank
- MetLife Foundation
- BankUnited
- Capital One
Join the effort.
To learn more about the NY Small Business Funders Collective, including how you can join the effort, email inquiries@nysmallbusinessfunders.org.