Business Development
The City of Akron supports businesses and entrepreneurs at all stages of their business; COA offers direct support with various internal programs and invests in/partners with nonprofit organizations with expert knowledge of the needs our business climate.
Below you’ll find a description of City Funded opportunities. See the Related links to the left for additional resources.
The City of Akron seeks to enhance, grow, and connect our neighborhood business districts by increasing our business development efforts, engaging with the communities they serve, improving transportation conditions, and improving aesthetics of the public space. Businesses located in a Great Streets district are eligible for certain funding opportunities.
Email: LMobley@akronohio.gov
Phone: 330-375-2133
The Rubber City Match takes businesses from IDEA to OPEN. The program matches entrepreneurs at any stage of their business processes to the recourses they need. RCM funds business planning classes with MORTAR at Bounce, matches entrepreneurs with available space, offers grants for architectural plans for build out, and partners with the ECDI to offer grants in their financing package.
Rubber City Match is on pause for the 2023 year.
Bounce Innovation Hub is a nonprofit business incubator located in Downtown Akron. Bounce offers numerous workshops, mentor programs, and office space for entrepreneurs at varying levels of their journey. Bounce also offers a coworking space ideal for freelances and the like, a Makerspace for artists and creatives, and event/conference space for meetings/events of all sizes. 