COMING UP
This week!
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.
STARTUP TEXAS APPS OPEN
This is the final Startup Texas cohort funded through our EDA grant, and applications are open now. If you have been waiting for the right moment to take your venture seriously, this is it!
Selected founders get a program package worth more than $200,000, which includes the program itself plus a full year of incubation at the eBridge Center. You will meet for weekly mentorship every Tuesday morning and spend the next few months sharpening your business ahead of Demo Day on December 10. The program is built for founders in emerging fields like tech, manufacturing, healthcare, aerospace, green energy, cybersecurity, and more.
The application window runs June 22 through August 10, 2026, with the program starting August 31.
PRETTY BIG DEAL
Watch Eric Quintero, Director of Community Development, explain BIG LIFT
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.
Apply now • District 1
Aplica ahora • District 1
Learn More • Districts 2, 3, and 4
EBRIDGE FUND
Got a business plan and a bank that keeps saying no?
Here in Brownsville, the eBridge Fund might be your answer. It’s a revolving loan fund for Cameron County, built for local entrepreneurs when the big banks aren’t cutting it.
Warbler Coffee, Pluton Brewery, Cero Grados. They all started right here, and they’re still going strong. When you pay it back, your neighbor gets their shot. So if you’re ready to grow, we’re ready to talk.
Learn about eBridge Fund
Read the Success Stories
MORE FROM BCIC
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.
BIG 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