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Department of Commerce

Making Philadelphia a business-friendly city where companies choose to start, stay, and grow.

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Department of Commerce

Services

Meet your area’s business services manager
Find loans through the Philadelphia Business Lending Network
Do business with the City
Register as a minority, woman, or disabled-owned business
Find location and zoning information
Pay your business taxes
See all Services

What we do

The Department of Commerce helps businesses—large and small—thrive in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the ideal home for your business, offering:

  • A central location along the Northeast corridor.
  • A ready and talented workforce.
  • Competitive office rents and commercial real estate costs.
  • Vibrant commercial districts and growing innovation industries.
  • World-class dining, history, and cultural attractions.

We work to:

  • Attract and grow a diverse set of businesses.
  • Revitalize neighborhood commercial districts throughout the city.
  • Support small businesses and improve their access to funding.
  • Build a strong talent pipeline.
  • Increase economic opportunities for historically underserved business owners.

Connect

Address
1515 Arch St.
12th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Email business@phila.gov
Phone: (215) 683-2100
Social
Facebook
Twitter
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Business Resource Finder

Looking for guidance or support?

Connect with organizations that can help you start, run, and grow your business.

Go to the finder

Programs

The Catalyst Fund

Fueling the growth of small businesses and entrepreneurs in Philadelphia.

Storefront Improvement Program

Helping business and property owners to upgrade their storefronts.
Man on a ladder installing a security camera.

Business Security Camera Program

Funding for businesses to get surveillance cameras.

PHL Taking Care of Business Clean Corridors Program

Creating employment opportunities for residents while keeping Philadelphia’s neighborhood commercial corridors clean.
A woman working at her small business.

Quality Jobs Program

Investing in businesses that create new jobs with living wages and health insurance benefits for Philadelphia residents.
An open hand holding a key

Commercial Real Estate Acquisition Loan (CREAL) Program

Funding small businesses to purchase commercial property or real estate.
See all Programs

Posts

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Events

  • Jun
    18
    Event
    SBDC: APEX presents RFIs, RFPs, and RFQs: Understanding the Difference with the GSA
    11:00 am to 12:00 pm
    Online
    Event

    SBDC: APEX presents RFIs, RFPs, and RFQs: Understanding the Difference with the GSA

    June 18, 2025
    11:00 am to 12:00 pm, 1 hour
    Online
    map
     DoD Mentor-Protégé Program Information, Government Contracting, Government Industrial Base (GIB) Readiness


    Join us for the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) training on “RFIs, RFPs, and RFQs: Understanding the Difference.”

    This webinar will help you learn how to develop effective responses to Requests for Information (RFIs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and Requests for Quotes (RFQs). During this training, we will explain the differences in these requests and provide small businesses with the most effective strategies for creating effective responses.

    This webinar is free and open to all industries.

    What You’ll Learn:

    • Understanding the power of responding to RFIs and Sources Sought Notices
    • Tips on creating effective responses
    • Insights from federal contracting officers
    • Common mistakes to avoid

    Presenters: Claudia Hadley & Kemba Gilmore, Small Business Specialists, GSA OSDBU

    Register Here.

  • Jun
    18
    Event
    Webinar: Small Business Risk Assessment and Liability
    11:00 am to 12:00 pm
    Online
    Event

    Webinar: Small Business Risk Assessment and Liability

    June 18, 2025
    11:00 am to 12:00 pm, 1 hour
    Online
    map

    Join Philadelphia VIP and Dilworth Paxson LLP on June 18 for a free legal webinar.

    This webinar, led by Marjorie McMahon Obod, will cover how to avoid legal issues and minimize personal risk as a business owner.

    The webinar is free and open to Philly-area small businesses. The webinar will be held via Zoom and will last approximately one hour, with time for a brief Q&A at the end.

    Register here. 

  • Jun
    18
    Event
    Power Up Your Business Information Session
    2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
    Zoom
    Event

    Power Up Your Business Information Session

    June 18, 2025
    2:00 pm to 3:00 pm, 1 hour
    Zoom
    map

    Power Up Your Business brings entrepreneurs and business owners together to learn from one another while providing the education and training to help you adapt to challenges and run your business efficiently. Participants will learn from experienced entrepreneurs through a peer-based learning model.

    Through this 12-week, 36-hour program, you will:

    • Gain practical skills that can immediately be put into action
    • Learn how to create a business improvement plan 
    • Learn the foundations of small business management and other tools needed for a successful small businesses
    • Work with a team of experts that teach marketing, finance, human resources, operations, insurance, legal matters, and how to develop a tactical improvement plan
    • Receive coaching support from a business coach and financial coach

    Power Up Your Business is a program offered by Community College of Philadelphia which has a strong history of helping small businesses. In the past six years alone, the college has helped nearly 400 small businesses grow their revenue and jobs, and it has provided counseling and resources to another 1,000 businesses. 

    Join PIDC and Community College of Philadelphia as we host a series of information sessions to answer your questions about Power Up Your Business live and provide more information on how you can get involved with this innovative program.

    Click here to register through Zoom.  

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Press Releases

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