MAY 2026

“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.”

— James Cash Penney

Grants for Growth Stage Businesses Are Now Open

San Antonio is committed to helping businesses grow—including supporting companies ready to take the next big step.

If your business is ready to scale, this could be your next move. Prepare now and apply.

Economic Development Week & National Small Business Week Wraps Up – Small Business Month Continues

The San Antonio community, businesses, and shoppers showed up and showed out last week for Economic Development Week and National Small Business Week. This year, both awareness initiatives took place during the same week—May 4–8 and May 3–9, respectively—and were packed with events and opportunities for supporters to come together.

The week began with a kickoff celebration and proclamation reading recognizing both awareness weeks in San Antonio, continued with resource and education events, and closed with a coffee and camaraderie social.

Although the celebration weeks have come to a close, we continue to recognize the drivers of our local economy as Small Business Month continues.

We urge you to support local businesses through awareness initiatives and resources for shoppers and business owners available through the City of San Antonio’s Buy Local campaign.

Learn More About Buy Local

Launch SA also offers free resources such as Launch SA Link and SizeUp, designed to help businesses thrive and stay competitive.

Access Launch SA Resources

Share Your Input on San Antonio’s Economic Growth

The City of San Antonio invites local business establishments to participate in a brief survey that will help inform policies guiding the city’s economic growth and resilience in the years ahead.

The survey is being conducted on behalf of the City by TIP Strategies, an Austin-based economic strategy firm. All responses are completely confidential, no identifying information is collected, and results will only be shared in aggregate form.

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this important effort and help shape San Antonio’s economic future.

Take the Survey

Share Your Feedback on Buy Local

The City of San Antonio wants your input to help strengthen the Buy Local initiative and better support small businesses across our community.

Please take a few minutes to share your feedback. Your input will help shape future Buy Local messaging, resources, and campaign efforts that encourage residents and visitors to support San Antonio businesses.

Take the Buy Local Survey

Vendor Development Academy Information Sessions

The Vendor Development Academy, formerly the Mentor-Protégé Program, is a free, one-year training program designed to strengthen small local businesses by:

• Enhancing business capacity
• Improving contracting readiness
• Fostering strategic mentorships in the public and private sectors

Offered in partnership with Alamo Colleges, the academy provides guidance, training, and business development support. Participants are paired with experienced business mentors who help them gain industry insights, refine operations, and expand contracting opportunities.

The City of San Antonio and Alamo Colleges will host two information sessions covering the program and application process. Join us to learn more.

Small Business Champion of the Year Awarded to City of San Antonio Economic Development Department

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) San Antonio District Office has named the City of San Antonio’s Economic Development Department (EDD) as Small Business Champion of the Year.

It is an honor to be recognized for EDD’s commitment to supporting local small businesses. We share this recognition with our incredible staff and leadership, whose hard work and dedication continue to strengthen San Antonio’s business community.

San Antonio Ready to Work Shares Return on Investment Study

A new Return on Investment (ROI) study highlights the impact of the voter-approved San Antonio Ready to Work (RTW) training and education program, revealing $11.8 billion in projected economic benefits for the local community.

Based on outcomes from 11,592 participants and 4,069 training graduates through October 2025, the study provides a data-driven look at how Ready to Work is creating long-term career opportunities, strengthening the local economy, and helping fill in-demand roles for local employers.

Learn More About the ROI Study

Small businesses in San Antonio can strengthen their workforce by hiring graduates from the City’s Ready to Work program, which prepares residents for high-demand careers through industry-aligned training, certifications, and career coaching.

These graduates offer employers access to skilled local talent in fields like healthcare, IT, skilled trades, logistics, and customer service—often helping reduce recruiting and onboarding costs. With support from local businesses, Ready to Work helps expand San Antonio’s talent pipeline and supports continued investment in our greatest asset: our people.

Register now for the AIM Health R&D Summit on May 19

The AIM Health R&D Summit brings together top innovators from academia, industry, and the military to accelerate the research, development, and commercialization of transformative medical technologies.

This unique convergence of thought leaders creates pathways to discovery and commercialization while addressing critical challenges in both military and civilian healthcare.

Learn More & Register

Grants, Loans, Contests and More to Benefit Your Small Business

Explore funding opportunities, contests, and business resources designed to help your small business grow and succeed.

Research Local Opportunities

Learn About National Opportunities

Connecting with City Business Contacts Made Easy

The City offers information and guidance to both budding and established business owners on a regular basis. Your time is valuable, and we aim to help by hosting free sessions where you can ask questions and learn more about doing business with the City.

These One-on-One Q&A: Doing Business with the City sessions provide face-to-face opportunities to connect with staff from the City of San Antonio’s Economic Development Department.

In an effort to meet businesses where they are, office session locations vary throughout the city. See upcoming dates and locations below.

Stay Connected with Your City

Sign up to receive text message notifications from the City of San Antonio with one easy step. Text the word COSAGOV to 73224.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is produced monthly and the content presented is accurate at the time of release and may not reflect changes made after the release of this publication.