Early-Stage Food Incubator Program is designed to fill in the gap created by the Covid-19 pandemicwhich exacerbated inequitable food access in communities with historic disinvestment within the foodecosystem by providing access to capital as well as technical assistance to help regenerate the foodindustry. The goal of this program is to increase access to culturally relevant and nourishing food on theSouth and West sides, increase business ownership and jobs in the food industry, create stronger andmore sustainable local food economies and increase local sourcing and supply of locally grown andregionally produced foods.

This program was designed alongside the Food Equity Council, a private-public partnership dedicated totransforming Chicago’s food system into one that is just and equitable. The BIPOC Food businessworkgroup, one of the 4 workgroups of the Food Equity Council, is committed to exploring ways that theCity can support BIPOC Food Businesses, with a focus on access to capital.

The Early-Stage Food Incubator Program is a part of the Chicago Recovery Plan, the City’s plan tocreate an equity-based investment strategy to catalyze  sustainable economic recovery from theCOVID-19 pandemic. The Chicago Recovery Plan invests holistically in communities and industrieshardest hit by the pandemic to support equitable economic recovery across the city.

Website: https://www.chicago.gov/earlystagefoodincubator.html

Press Release

Topline: The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Early-StageFood Incubator Program provides support for food entrepreneurs in communities with inequitable foodaccess, where the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated existing disparities within the food industry.The Early-Stage Food Incubator programs were designed after intensive community engagement withthe Food Equity Council and seek to help expand, enhance, and restore the food industry using an equityand community-based approach.

The Build Momentum Food Business Incubator made possible by the Office of the Mayor and BACP was happy to hightlight Cohort 1 participate Sweetest Redemption.
The delicious dessert rolls are available at Momentum Coffee Austin or at www.sweetestredemption.com 

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