The People's Money (2022-2023)
Your Money, Your Community, Your Voice.
Changes at "NYC MicroLab: Big City Problems... Small Business Solutions "
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What problem would you like to solve?
NYC faces many problems that it will take innovation and experimentation to solve in various areas. The height of the pandemic showed that we had to be flexible in approach and nimble in how we solve problems and create access. For example, BKLVLUP proposed using hyperlocal restaurants to provide culturally relevant food to seniors and families in need. This would diminish the food shortage and simultaneously provide a means of keeping these small businesses afloat. We wanted to apply for city funding but the numbers of dinners that had to be served in an area made it impossible for the small restaurants in our community to provide the service without being overwhelmed or going out of business. The numbers didn't work. We realized that there were many areas where the current way that funding is allocated means that we don't allow for risk to try new things and apply hyperlocal solutions to existing problems. Therefore smaller, newer businesses and organizations without capacity are often unable to try their programs and meet the targeted needs of the people they know best how to serve.
Why is it important to solve? Why is it relevant for the community?
This is important in two ways. If we don't allow for smaller organizations and businesses to get access to funding to try new approaches, we become stagnant in terms of solutions and we can't drill down to finding the best solutions for the most widely diversified set of people. Also, small, mostly BIPOC businesses, never get the chance to build capacity or get funding for their innovative approaches.
What idea do you have to address the problem?
Every RFP the city releases should have a portion set aside to support experimental projects by hyperlocal, mostly BIPOC microbusinesses with $50K to $100K pots to resolve targeted problems that the city has identified as pivotal to the general welfare. In turn, these small businesses would be required to hit certain milestones and participate in specific capacity building programs (i.e., SBS trainings, governance structure building, MWBE certification filing, mentorship, etc.) to access the funds to implement their ideas.
Who would that help?
This would help microbusinesses in underserved communities by allowing them to build organizational experience capacity, increase access to capital, and lower the barrier to entry for small businesses to obtain city contracts. It would also help the city to test out new theories of the case with lowered risk to solve the pressing needs we face.
What neighborhood would benefit from your idea?
East Flatbush and every other historically underserved community in NYC.
This is BKLVLUP proposed solution
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+["
What problem would you like to solve?
NYC faces many problems that it will take innovation and experimentation to solve in various areas. The height of the pandemic showed that we had to be flexible in approach and nimble in how we solve problems and create access. For example, BKLVLUP proposed using hyperlocal restaurants to provide culturally relevant food to seniors and families in need. This would diminish the food shortage and simultaneously provide a means of keeping these small businesses afloat. We wanted to apply for city funding but the numbers of dinners that had to be served in an area made it impossible for the small restaurants in our community to provide the service without being overwhelmed or going out of business. The numbers didn't work. We realized that there were many areas where the current way that funding is allocated means that we don't allow for risk to try new things and apply hyperlocal solutions to existing problems. Therefore smaller, newer businesses and organizations without capacity are often unable to try their programs and meet the targeted needs of the people they know best how to serve.
Why is it important to solve? Why is it relevant for the community?
This is important in two ways. If we don't allow for smaller organizations and businesses to get access to funding to try new approaches, we become stagnant in terms of solutions and we can't drill down to finding the best solutions for the most widely diversified set of people. Also, small, mostly BIPOC businesses, never get the chance to build capacity or get funding for their innovative approaches.
What idea do you have to address the problem?
Every RFP the city releases should have a portion set aside to support experimental projects by hyperlocal, mostly BIPOC microbusinesses with $50K to $100K pots to resolve targeted problems that the city has identified as pivotal to the general welfare. In turn, these small businesses would be required to hit certain milestones and participate in specific capacity building programs (i.e., SBS trainings, governance structure building, MWBE certification filing, mentorship, etc.) to access the funds to implement their ideas.
Who would that help?
This would help microbusinesses in underserved communities by allowing them to build organizational experience capacity, increase access to capital, and lower the barrier to entry for small businesses to obtain city contracts. It would also help the city to test out new theories of the case with lowered risk to solve the pressing needs we face.
What neighborhood would benefit from your idea?
East Flatbush and every other historically underserved community in NYC.
This is a BKLVLUP proposed solution
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