We believe in Community Building through Economic Development.

The Space Accelerator is an intensive, virtual eight-week program designed for companies looking to pivot into or launch their space-related business. Delivered by Space Foundation in partnership with the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC), the accelerator runs from August 11 to October 12. Through a combination of live-virtual instruction, Q& A sessions, and one-on-one mentorship, participants will explore:

• Space Economy Foundations (Weeks 1–3): Understanding how space technologies and services permeate everyday life, identifying key economic drivers of space, and mapping the state of the global space economy.
• Market Evolution: Weeks 4–5): Examining space-adjacent industries, evolving market segments (e.g., LEO, MEO, GEO), and techniques for finding a competitive niche.
• Growth Strategies (Weeks 6–7): Developing commercial go-to-market plans (including sales, partnership, and channel strategies) and learning how to navigate U.S. government contracting avenues—focusing on SBIR/STTR grants, OTAs, and prime/subcontractor relationships.
• Roadmap Development (Week 8): Crafting individualized strategic plans to insert and scale into the space economy.

Virtual Accelerator Format: This program is a commitment of 5-hours per week broken down into the schedule below: 

• Mondays 6 – 8 pm CT: One 2-hour live/in-person instruction session. 
• Wednesdays & Thursdays 6 – 7 pm CT : Two 1-hour live/virtual cohort Q&A sessions.
• Thursday - Saturday: 1-hour time slot for team-specific mentoring sessions. Will be scheduled based on best availability.

Eligibility:

Location

• For your application to be eligible for this program, the participant or business must be located in Brownsville, Texas. If the business is not yet established, it must have the intent to operate in Brownsville, Texas. Lastly, if the business is not located in Brownsville, Texas, it must have the intent to move within 12 months of completing the program, this is on a case-by-case basis and at the discretion of the selection and review committee. 

Attendance

• Participants must attend 6/7 of all Monday sessions, in person.
• Participants must attend 11/14 of all the Wednesday & Thursday sessions, online or in person.
• Participants must attend 6/7 of all Thursday - Saturday sessions, online or in person.
• Participants must attend 1/1 of the Roadmap Development session in Week 8, online or in person.

Interested in learning more? 

Join us for the live-virtual Space Accelerator Pre-Program Workshop, which will serve as an entry point toward understanding the value of space to economic and business growth. 

• Register for Workshop #1 – July 1 from 6:00 - 7:00 CT.
• Register for Workshop #2 – July 8 from 6:00 - 7:00 CT.

BEFORE YOU APPLY
 

• Read the BIG Program Guidelines to ensure your project meets the requirements of a standard rehab project. Property owners and tenants may apply for this category. 
•  Schedule a meeting with BCIC staff to discuss your project by emailing equintero@bcic.us.
•  Applicants are required to have all permit(s) required by the City of Brownsville for the entire project.
• Ensure your project is within the BIG Program Boundaries.
• If funding is awarded and the building is vacant, the applicant must have a letter of commitment from a business and said business must open within ninety (90) days of project completion. A letter of commitment for each storefront must be submitted if the building has multiple storefronts. Failure to have the building at 100% occupancy during this timeframe may result in reimbursing BCIC for any disbursed.
•  This category offers up to $25,000 for facade improvements and up to $35,000 for interior MEP improvements with a reimbursable 50/50 matching grant. Applicants must have a minimum of 50% of the total project cost available. A bank statement showing the unencumbered and unrestricted funds is required with the application.

Submission Deadline

Applications are accepted continuously, with a strict deadline of the second Friday of each month to allow for a 30-day application review. No exceptions will be granted regarding this deadline. The Board of Directors will consider submitted applications in the subsequent month.

THE PROGRAM IS NOT INTENDED TO FULLY FUND OR KICKSTART PROJECTS AND THE APPLICANT MUST DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY HAVE THE AVAILABLE CAPITAL TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE PROJECT. IF THE APPLICATION IS DENIED BY THE BCICBOARD, THE APPLICANT IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY.
 

BEFORE YOU APPLY
 

• Read the BIG Program Guidelines and ensure your project meets the definition of an Extensive Rehabilitation Project. Only property owners may apply for an extensive rehabilitation grant. 
•  Schedule a meeting with BCIC staff to discuss your project by emailing equintero@bcic.us.
•  Applicants are required to have all permit(s) required by the City of Brownsville for the entire project.
• Ensure your project is within the BIG Program Boundaries.
• If funding is awarded and the building is vacant, the applicant must have a letter of commitment from a business and said business must open within ninety (90) days of project completion. A letter of commitment for each storefront must be submitted if the building has multiple storefronts. Failure to have the building at 100% occupancy during this timeframe may result in reimbursing BCIC for any disbursed.
• This category offers up to $200,000 for facade and interior improvements with an 80% match required by the property owner and a 20% match from BCIC. Applicants must have a minimum of 50% of the total project cost available. A bank statement showing the unencumbered and unrestricted funds is required with the application.

Submission Deadline

Applications are accepted continuously, with a strict deadline of the second Friday of each month to allow for a 30-day application review. No exceptions will be granted regarding this deadline. The Board of Directors will consider submitted applications in the subsequent month.

THE PROGRAM IS NOT INTENDED TO FULLY FUND OR KICKSTART PROJECTS AND THE APPLICANT MUST DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY HAVE THE AVAILABLE CAPITAL TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE PROJECT. IF THE APPLICATION IS DENIED BY THE BCICBOARD, THE APPLICANT IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY.
 

The BIG Rental Reinvestment Program offers rent reimbursements to businesses that are new-to-market, expanding, or relocating to Historic Downtown Brownsville. The goal of the program is to strengthen downtown’s economic activity, diversify the existing business mix, improve downtown’s curb appeal, and increase occupancy.

Submission Deadline

Applications are accepted continuously, with a strict deadline of the second Friday of each month to allow for a 30-day application review. No exceptions will be granted regarding this deadline. The Board of Directors will consider submitted applications in the subsequent month.

Eligibility

New, expanding, or existing businesses choosing to relocate to Historic Downtown Brownsville and contribute to the existing business mix. Existing downtown businesses wanting to expand their gross rentable space are also eligible. 

Eligible applicants must:

1. Be located within the BIG Program Boundaries. Check this map for eligibility. 

2. Hire or employ a minimum of two (2) employees, not including the business owner.

3. Be in operation for a minimum of three (3) months but no more than six (6) months and submit a profit and loss statement and  cash flow statement with their application.

4.  Existing downtown businesses older than six (6) months are eligible if they have expanded their gross rentable space. 

ALL APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO READ THE PROGRAM GUIDELINES PRIOR TO SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION. THIS PROGRAM IS NOT INTENDED FOR BUSINESSES THAT ARE PAST DUE IN RENT.

Thank you for your interest in StartUp Texas, a seed fund and accelerator program sponsored by the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC). We at the BCIC believe that right now, everyone can be the founder of something great. We understand how entrepreneurship stimulates job growth, creates new opportunities in industries that need them, and makes communities better versions of themselves. Our goal is provide all the tools that burgeoning, local entrepreneurs need to succeed.

    The StartUp Texas Accelerator is a highly competitive, intensive 12-week program designed to help companies effectively scale, properly evaluate market research, fine tune financial projections, all while creating valuable connections with local business leaders and fellow founders in the community.

    Selected founders will meet weekly at the eBridge Center for specialized workshops, mentorship sessions, pitch practices, and more. The program culminates in a public Demo Day event where each startup will pitch their company to the community and a panel of judges. Apply to gain media exposure, potential clients, and access to investors. Selected teams will get personalized pitch coaching and feedback from industry specialists.
 

Brownsville Small Business Recovery Fund– In response to the economic hardships experienced by small businesses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) and the City of Brownsville are partnering together to launch the Brownsville Small Business Recovery Fund in an effort to retain jobs and stabilize local businesses. The primary objectives are to support eligible retail, food, personal services businesses that employ low- and moderate-income persons to retain jobs for City residents. 

 This program is a short-term 0% interest forgivable loan program up to $20,000 to assist businesses with up to fifty (50) employees at the time of application, or $10,000 for businesses that have up to five (5) employees (including the owner) with low to moderate income owner. The business must demonstrate a loss of gross revenue of 15% or more as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to be considered for funding.
 

Applications will be accepted via BCIC’s application portal.  Due to the anticipated number of submissions, allocated funds to the loan program may be exhausted before the date stated above. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated on eligibility and based on the number of eligible applicants and limited funding, applications may be chosen via a lottery system.
*Recipients of Round 1 and Round 2 of the Brownsville ReOpen for Business Assistance Program are NOT eligible to apply.
 

PLEASE READ OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES REVIEW THE DOCUMENT CHECKLIST BEFORE APPLYING!


Brownsville Small Business Recovery Fund: En respuesta a las dificultades económicas experimentadas por las pequeñas empresas como resultado de la pandemia de COVID-19, la Corporación de Mejoramiento de la Comunidad de Brownsville (BCIC) y la Ciudad de Brownsville se han asociado para lanzar el Brownsville Small Business Recovery Fund de Brownsville con el objetivo de mantener empleos y estabilizar los negocios locales. Los principales objetivos son apoyar a las empresas elegibles de venta al por menor, alimentos y servicios personales que emplean a personas de bajos y moderados ingresos para retener empleos para los residentes de la ciudad.
 

Este programa es un programa de préstamos condonables a corto plazo con un interés del 0 % de hasta $20,000 para ayudar a las empresas con hasta cincuenta (50) empleados al momento de la solicitud, o $10,000 para empresas que tengan hasta cinco (5) empleados (incluido el propietario) con un ingreso bajo o moderado. La empresa debe demostrar una pérdida de ingresos brutos del 15 % o más como resultado de la pandemia de COVID-19 para ser considerada para la financiación.
 

Las solicitudes se aceptarán a través del portal de solicitudes de BCIC. Debido al número anticipado de envíos, los fondos asignados al programa de préstamos pueden agotarse antes de la fecha mencionada anteriormente. Las solicitudes se revisarán y evaluarán según la elegibilidad y, debido al número limitado de solicitantes elegibles y los fondos limitados, las solicitudes pueden ser seleccionadas mediante un sistema de lotería.
*NO CALIFICAN los negocios que ya han recibido préstamos de ReOpen for Business Assistance Program con anterioridad en cualquiera de sus rondas.
 

¡POR FAVOR, LEA NUESTRAS POLITICAS Y PROCEDIMIENTOS Y REVISE LA  LISTA DE DOCUMENTOS ANTES DE APLICAR!: