June 15, 2026 Community Update

If a hurricane or flood hit tomorrow, would you know what to do? Join us for a free info session to help small business owners prepare before the next disaster and recover after one.

BCIC and the Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Program are bringing in experts from the SBA, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

You will walk away knowing how to safely run a generator during an outage, what SBA disaster loans cover and who qualifies, how federal disaster declarations work and why reporting your losses helps your whole community recover, and what recovery tools Texas A&M AgriLife Extension offers.

We are also raffling off two generators! Register, show up, and you could take one home.

June 25, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at the eBridge Center, 1304 E. Adams St. Register here.

BIG LIFT is a grant program for exterior improvements to locally owned Brownsville small businesses, reimbursing 80% of approved project costs up to $30,000. Eligible work includes façades, signage, lighting, landscaping, parking lot resurfacing, murals, and more. To qualify, your business must be locally owned, within city limits, open at least two years, and have fewer than 20 employees.

The program rolls out one district at a time, so check your application window:

District 1: June 1 to July 10, 2026

District 2: September 1 to October 9, 2026

District 3: December 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027

District 4: March 1 to April 19, 2027

District 1 is open now. If your district comes later, fill out the interest form and we will let you know when your window opens.

Spanish application now available.

This week the eBridge Center hosted the 2026 TUNIE Conference, bringing university innovation and entrepreneurship leaders from across Texas to Brownsville. TUNIE, the Texas University Network for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, connects colleges and universities statewide to share what works in building founders.

Daniel Silva joined a four-person panel on “The Rio Grande Valley/University Landscape: Ecosystem of Opportunities.” Cori Peña sat down with Linda Ufland of the UTRGV Entrepreneurship & Commercialization Center for “The eBridge Model,” a look at how the eBridge Center is building stronger pathways for RGV founders. 💪🏻

Happy work anniversary to Victoria Padron, our Chief Operating Officer and Finance Program Director! Victoria keeps our operations on track and runs the programs that get capital into the hands of local entrepreneurs.

If you have heard about the eBridge Fund, our low-interest loan for Cameron County, you have seen her work up close. Victoria helped launch it and runs it today. It is BCIC’s revolving loan fund, which gives local businesses access to capital when a traditional bank cannot, then puts every repayment back to work as the next entrepreneur’s loan.

Thank you for everything you do, Victoria.

BCIC’s 5-Year Roadmap is Live

Our BCIC 2025-2029 Strategic Plan is based on your input about what Brownsville needs most: quality of life upgrades, business support, downtown revival, and opportunities that keep talent home. View it here.

Downtown Business Grants

Revitalize downtown Brownsville! If you’re a property owner or tenant, the BIG Program offers matching grants to support your commercial renovations. Make a difference in the heart of our city: brownsvillecic.com/big

Business Financing

Access funding designed for Brownsville entrepreneurs and small businesses. The eBridge Fund provides accessible financing options for those unable to secure traditional loans or seeking better rates. Get started here: fund.ebridgecenter.org