Resources to get funded, certified & growing.
The tools, capital, and credentials we point our community toward — whether you're raising your first dollar, winning your first contract, or leveling up your team.
What's a CDFI?
The Harlem Entrepreneurial Fund, HCC's lending affiliate, is a Community Development Financial Institution — a lender certified by the U.S. Treasury to invest in places mainstream banks overlook. In plain terms: we put capital to work in Harlem, and unlike a one-time donation, that capital comes back and gets lent again and again.
not spent
You give
We lend
They grow
It returns
Where to go next.
Below are the tools, programs, and credentials we point business owners toward — some of them ours, most of them free, all of them worth knowing about. Whether you're chasing your first public contract, training the team you already have, or getting your books in shape before you borrow, start with whichever one meets you where you are.
Get MWBE certified
Minority & Women-owned Business Enterprise certification opens the door to billions in NYC and New York State contracts — plus public directories, networking, and targeted programs. You can certify with the City, the State, or both.
Train your employees, grow your business
NYC's Customized Training Grant reimburses up to 60% of the cost of training your team — federally funded to help NYC businesses upskill and retain staff. Grants typically run $30K–$400K.
Small Business Solutions
Advising, training, and capital connections from 42nd Street to Inwood — delivered as an NYC Business Solutions Center partner. The institutional support entrepreneurs need to scale and hire.
The Learning Collective
HCC's education arm — financial fluency, AI & tech skills, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship, for youth and adults alike. An integrated ecosystem of learning pathways.
Free small-business toolkit
A downloadable starter kit — loan-readiness checklist, business-plan template, and a financial-projection worksheet. We're finalizing it now.