Business Resources

A guide to all of the City's business assistance programs in a format that makes it easy to see which of the many grants, loans, incentives, technical help and other resources available from the City meet your needs.

The Urban League of Rochester provides over 30 programs in the following categories:  Business Development Services, Development Disabilities Division; Youth Education and Development, Workforce Development, Family and Children Services and the Home Store.

REDCO is a not-for-profit development corporation dedicated to stimulating and increasing business investment in the City of Rochester for the purpose of creating and retaining jobs and providing viable commercial services for city residents. REDCO provides technical, financial and other services to support the growth and success of existing and start up city businesses as well as businesses relocating to the City of Rochester.

A dual-language multiservice agency that uplifts, empowers, and advocates for Latinos and the underserved to achieve equity and become fully valued community members.

Monroe County's largest employment and training initiative is dedicated to helping Monroe County in the Rochester NY region develop a strong workforce.

Monroe County's MWBE services include: reviewing and monitoring County contracting and procurement to ensure all entities doing business with the County are inclusive and diverse; overseeing Minority/Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) selection procedures; and investigating internal complaints of discrimination, harassment, hostile work environments, and unequal treatment.

The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce is the trusted partner for businesses in Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes, NY. From tireless advocacy to resources, information, and support, we help this region and its businesses grow and thrive.

A private, not-for-profit, economic development entity. Its mission is to create the synergy and balance that is part of a healthy downtown, the RDDC agenda nurtures a broad range of development initiatives. These include housing, commercial, entertainment and large public projects.

Nexus i90 provides entrepreneurs and small businesses with the vital assistance, resources, and information they need. Nexus i90 makes support more accessible to foster equitable growth and inclusiveness and spur economic prosperity for the Finger Lakes Region.

NextCorps is a non-profit helping innovative technology companies launch and grow. NextCorps offers services to help technology-oriented startups and regional manufacturers accelerate growth, including multiple labs, offices, a startup incubation program, accelerators for optics, photonics and imaging and clean technologies, and project funding assistance.

SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and helping small businesses start, grow, and succeed nationwide. The Greater Rochester SCORE serves the Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Yates & Wayne Counties.

GRE is a regional economic development organization supported by a team of private and public sector leaders dedicated to improving economic performance in the Greater Rochester Region.

PathStone is a not-for-profit community development and human service organization providing services to low-income families and economically depressed communities. 

The RIT Center for Urban Entrepreneurship (CUE) mission is to help reshape the regional economy and build wealth within the urban community by being the central resource for urban entrepreneurial programs and research.

Work smarter with the BIC! No matter how big or small your enterprise is, the BIC is here to help. The BIC's market research services not only save your company time and money but also help you identify potential customers to help increase your bottom line. If you are just starting out, the BIC can provide you with examples of business plans, industry surveys, and direct mailing lists and refer you to funding sources, entrepreneur assistance programs, and business mentoring. These services are provided at no cost. 

Housed within the BIC, the Center is part of the national network of Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRCs), designated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to receive and maintain a collection of U.S. patent and trademark documents for public use. Their expert staff regularly undergo extensive training at the USPTO headquarters and can save you time and money in identifying prior art. Additionally, They offer inventors 3D printing and graphing software for prototypes. Whether you are filing a patent, trademark, or copyright, the Center will be with you every step of the way. These services are provided at no cost and are by appointment only.

The Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association (RTMA) is regarded as one of the most technologically advanced and diverse clusters of contract machining and manufacturing associations in th United States. It is currently comprised of the 255 companies in the Upstate New York region.

Bausch + Lomb, Corning, Kodak and Xerox make this region a research and manufacturing hub, rich with knowledge, experience and innovation in optics manufacturing, metrology and imaging. It is supported by the University of Rochester's Institute of Optics, the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Rochester Institute of Technology, and the Infotonics Technology Center.  

The Center of Excellence in Advanced and Sustainable Manufacturing (COE-ASM) is funded by New York State to give manufacturers access to expertise and technical assistance that will help them develop and apply new technologies to create competitive business advantages.

The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) is sponsored by New York State and led by RIT as a collaboration of five research universities and manufacturing extension partnerships (MEPs) to give businesses and communities resources and support to become more sustainable.

RIT partners with government agencies, businesses, and not-for-profit research organizations to undertake research and drive innovation in support of ambitious sustainability initiatives. RIT’s team of engineers and research faculty help manufacturers, startups, and other companies to realize new opportunities while becoming more sustainable.

The Monroe County Finger Lakes Procurement Technical Assistance Center (MCPTAC) helps businesses secure government contracts that will keep them competitive and thriving in our region. At no cost, the PTAC helps businesses sell to the military, federal, state and local governments, along with prime contractors.

NYSERDA offers cost-sharing on technical assistance engineering studies, financial incentives and low-interest loans for electrical energy efficiency upgrades involving new construction and comprehensive facility upgrades. NYSERDA also provides financial incentives for the installation of renewable energy generation technologies such as solar and wind.

Genesee Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council identifies, defines, and informs its member counties of issues and opportunities critical to physical, ecomonic, and social health of the region. 

The NYSEG and RG&E Commercial and Industrial Rebate Program offers rebates to qualifying nonresidential customers who install energy efficient equipment from a pre-approved list of measures. 

Monroe County provides a wide array of services to help businesses and residents.

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at SUNY Brockport provides small business owners and entrepreneurs in New York with the highest quality, confidential business counseling, training, and business research at no cost.

The SBDC at SUNY Geneseo provides professional business advisement, education, and network resources to advocate for small business and entrepreneurs.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers resources for starting a business. The SBA can also help facilitate a loan for you with a third-party lender, guarantee a bond, or help you find venture capital.

Paychex offers an ever-growing variety of payroll and human resource products and services that help clients do what they do best — run their business. From calculating payroll and filing tax payments to administering retirement plans and workers' compensation, Paychex gives its clients relief from administrative hassles so they can focus on the bottom line. Paychex has led the way with an abundance of products and services to make the process of managing businesses easier.