On May 5, 2025, the Denver City Council authorized a major contract to support urban tech entrepreneurs improve their fundability.

• This resolution approves a contract with the BEN Colorado Inc. (BEN) to support a multi-tiered entrepreneur Inclusive Impact Catalyst (IIC) program focused on supporting entrepreneurs who are seeking assistance with training and coaching to position their businesses to be ready to acquire outside investment capital.

• The purpose of this contract is to provide funding to support underserved businesses with necessary technical assistance and training to prepare them improve their chances of receiving the necessary financing to sustain, grow, and scale their businesses while building wealth across the communities served by this initiative.

• IIC was designed to incorporate inclusive community engagement to ensure that capital is equitably deployed to historically underserved populations.

• These funds have been provided to BEN to finance program development and administration.

• BEN will work with approved ecosystem partners (subcontractors) to provide technical assistance and professional services to ensure that business participants are capital ready.

• IIC will prepare historically underutilized and underserved owned businesses to be capitalized through culturally responsive executive coaching, mentorship, community-based events, and educational workshops.

• This ecosystem will also quickly address companies’ readiness for capitalization related to gaps in their finance and accounting systems; business plan development; legal services; and marketing.

• IIC will provide technical expertise to 300 Denver-based companies. Outputs include: the number of companies matched with expert professional services; the number of companies that become capital-ready based on those services; and the number of referrals made to other investors.

The program will involve quarterly cohorts receiving no-cost business planning and pitch readiness support.