THIS WEEK
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.
This week we’re looking at Cero Grados. Cristina Guillén and Cristina Muñoz run a frozen yogurt shop with keto, lactose-free, vegan, and classic options, so pretty much everyone who walks in finds something. To get the doors open, they took an eBridge Fund loan and put it toward equipment and renovating the space. They say the application moved fast and the staff walked them through it. 🚀
Learn about eBridge Fund
Read the Cero Grados Success Story (Español)
CALM BEFORE THE STORM
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If a hurricane or flood hit tomorrow, would you know what to do? That was the question on the table when BCIC and the Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Program filled the eBridge Center last week for a free info session built to help small business owners prepare before the next disaster and recover after one.
Experts from the SBA, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension walked the room through what matters most when storm season arrives. Attendees left 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 the whole community recover, and what recovery tools Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has on hand.
Two lucky attendees also took home generators of their own. Thank you to Megan Rodriguez from Prairie View A&M and everyone who came out for a timely session!
SBA “Prepare for Emergencies” Guide
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