The report includes funds disbursed per Council District and record-breaking reduction in observed litter along commercial corridors through the Taking Care of Business program
PHILADELPHIA — Today, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker releases an inaugural report from the Department of Commerce highlighting over $70 million in 2025 investments to expand access to economic opportunity for all. The Department of Commerce provides funding, education, and personalized assistance directly to local businesses, as well as those looking to enter the Philadelphia market. Commerce also contracts with local organizations as partners to strengthen inclusive economic growth efforts in Philadelphia.
“Since day one, I made a commitment to lead City government as One Philly, a united city. Through coordinated efforts across government, we are delivering investments that are strengthening neighborhoods and supporting businesses across Philadelphia,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. “We have expanded the Department of Commerce’s efforts in helping businesses to start, grow, and stay in our city. We will continue to make it easier to do business, expand access to opportunity, and strengthen workforce pipelines that connect residents to good-paying jobs.”
“At the heart of the U.S. Northeast Corridor, Philadelphia boasts a competitive real estate market, vibrant business districts, world-class culture and cuisine, and innovation industries. The Department of Commerce directly serves approximately 11,000 businesses annually and coordinates closely with City departments to enhance the ease of doing business. Service excellence is core to this work,” said Karen Fegely, Acting Commerce Director, City of Philadelphia. “We are working diligently with our economic development partners to build a stronger, more inclusive economy that attracts new investment while creating opportunity for the businesses and residents that call Philadelphia home.”
2025 big picture impact
In 2025, the Department of Commerce expanded financial support programs, launched new initiatives, strengthened service excellence, and improved the ease of doing business:
- $42.3 million invested in 210+ community & nonprofit partners
- $16.4 million in capital improvements across commercial districts
- $13.1 million in grants and forgivable loans to 640+ businesses
- 7,000+ businesses served by the Mayor’s Business Action Team, including over 500 complex cases resolved
- 97 international delegations and 1 international mission
- $3.5 million for 2026 Ring It On! activations, beautification, and celebrations.
- 1,100+ small businesses received education and coaching
- 800+ security cameras purchased and installed for 198 businesses
- 441 new jobs created through the Quality Jobs Program
- 56 major business attraction and retention wins, positioning Philadelphia as an international economic hub
- 10,000+ jobs retained or created through business attraction, expansion, & stabilization programs
- 179 commercial corridors cleaned by the Taking Care of Business Program
“Due to the funding increase from the Department of Commerce, we have been able to hire two new staff members – doubling our capacity to drive cooperative development and deliver pro bono, high-touch technical assistance to Philadelphia cooperatives,” said Corey Reidy, Cooperative Development Director, Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA). “We have also been able to increase our budget for contractors, which is helping us give specialty technical assistance for our cooperatives. That includes helping them learn bookkeeping and tax preparation from an experienced accountant.”
“The Quality Jobs Program helped me offset early hiring costs while allowing us to onboard and retain qualified employees who met specific criteria,” said Brittany Hall, Director of Executive Operations, Kevin Kelley Concepts which opened Kitchen + Kocktails on South Broad Street in 2025. “This support enabled us to scale responsibly without compromising wages, hours, or training standards. When employees are supported, businesses and communities grow together.”
“Thanks to the Taking Care of Business program, we have been able to hire more staff and ambassadors while also increasing their pay. Our close relationship with our ambassadors is invaluable; they are community members who live here and genuinely care about our neighborhood,” said Stephanie Michel, Executive Director, Olney Community Collaborative. “Our TCB cleaning ambassadors are well-known throughout the neighborhood. TCB affords the cleaning crew with a lot of opportunities for professional training, but also to form connections with their teammates, the business owners, and the residents. I am pleased that with the additional funding we’ve received, our cleaning coverage and hours of service have expanded in partnership with TWB Cleaning Contractors.”
2026 initiatives
The Department of Commerce is working on multiple initiatives, including the launch of the Philadelphia Business Resource Hub, a user-friendly platform to give everyone across the city and anywhere in the world access to the tools and resources they need to start, operate, and grow their business in Philadelphia.
To bring the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration directly into neighborhoods, banners, benches, bike racks, planters, and commemorative 250th Liberty Bell statues are currently being installed across 20 commercial corridors. The City is also expanding existing neighborhood festivals and introducing new programming.
Mayor Parker launched PHL PRIME (Project Review and Infrastructure Made Easy) to support high-impact economic development projects that lead to new quality jobs, transformative investments, and inclusive economic growth in Philadelphia. PHL PRIME is led and managed by the Office of the Mayor, Department of Commerce, Department of Planning and Development, and the Managing Director’s Office.
The Parker Administration has taken decisive steps to make our city more business-friendly by streamlining processes, improving coordination across agencies, broadening access to capital for small businesses, and revitalizing neighborhood commercial corridors that are the backbone of our local economy. View the 2025 inaugural report from the Department of Commerce.