Information and links to business resources can be found below. The City of Boulder's Economic Vitality Program promotes innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic opportunity.
Boulder is a Great Place to Start and Grow a Business
The city offers a collaborative, resource-rich community helps new and established businesses grow and thrive.
Business Assistance & Connections
Business assistance, informative programming and networking opportunities are offered by the Boulder Chamber, Downtown Boulder Partnership and Latino Chamber of Boulder County. The Boulder Economic Council offers a range of services to facilitate the retention, expansion and relocation of businesses.
Business Consulting & Workshops
Business consulting, webinars and workshops on a variety of business topics, and connections to financial and other resources is offered by the Boulder Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The SBDC serves all types of businesses, from startups to established businesses, in industries ranging from Main Street to advanced tech. Many programs are offered at little or no cost and some are available in Spanish. Innosphere Ventures is a business incubator that accelerates the success of science and technology startups and emerging growth companies with a commercialization program, specialized office and lab facilities, and a seed stage venture capital fund. The Latino Chamber offers webinars, workshops and other programming to help new and existing businesses grow and prosper. Many programs are offered in Spanish.
Business Preparedness & Resilience
Boulder's Resilience Strategy includes actions to help individuals and businesses prepare for, respond to and recover from economic environmental and social disruptions. The American Red Cross offers programs to help businesses become better prepared for emergencies. Updates on local emergencies and severe weather updates are available from the Boulder Office of Emergency Management. Ready.gov offers information and toolkits to help prepare for emergencies and natural, public health, human-caused and technology-related hazards and create business continuity plans.
Business Sustainability
Reducing waste, conserving water and increasing energy efficiency is good for the environment and for business. The city's Climate Initiatives staff and partners help businesses improve sustainability through Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) and other programs.
Finding a Business Location
Boulder offers a range of options for office, industrial and retail space. There is approximately 7.3 million square feet of office, 10.5 million square feet of industrial and 4.5 million square feet of retail space located throughout the city. Major business centers include Central Boulder, East Boulder, Gunbarrel, North Boulder and three commercial districts: Downtown Boulder, University Hill and Boulder Junction. The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan reflects community values and is used to guide policies and activities that shape the built and natural environments in the Boulder Valley. Assistance with finding specific business locations is available through the Boulder Economic Council and commercial real estate professionals.
Incentives & Financial Assistance
The City of Boulder's Flexible Rebate Program offers rebates of certain city fees and taxes to eligible businesses making new investments in facilities or equipment to promote business retention and expansion. The Boulder Microloan Program offers loans to qualifying small businesses that may not be able to obtain financing from traditional sources. Other incentives including tax credit, job training and other programs are offered by the state of Colorado to support business growth and expansion.
Industry Support
Boulder businesses can find specialized support including information, education, advocacy, connections, and more through statewide industry groups.
Market & Economic Information
Detailed information about local, regional and state demographic characteristics and the area's economy can be found using the links below.
Meeting & Event Spaces
Boulder offers a variety of places to host meetings and events for groups of different sizes. The Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau offers comprehensive information and free conference services.
Research & Innovation
Opportunities for businesses to connect with research and expertise in numerous fields of study are offered by the University of Colorado Boulder. The university's Industry & Foundation Relations staff connects businesses to resources needed to support business growth and development. CO-LABS provides information about the state's scientific, research and engineering assets and facilitates connections between the labs, universities and businesses to facilitate partnerships and technology transfer.
Workforce
Boulder Transportation Connections works with the city's Transportation & Mobility Department to promote transportation options for businesses and their employees. Workforce Boulder County offers assistance with recruiting, job training and other services to help employers meet their goals and ensure a qualified workforce. The University of Colorado Boulder and Boulder Valley School District offer continuing education programs. Boulder Chamber's Workforce Development initiative is a community-wide partnership to define and address emerging business needs with training and recruitment strategies and programs.