The City of Miami Beach Economic Development Department is pleased to provide you with this monthly business newsletter that includes the latest information and resources available for our business community.



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Miami Beach Celebrates National Women's Small Business Month

Miami Beach will observe National Women's Small Business Month this October. During this celebratory time, we pay tribute to women who have positively influenced and enriched our community, including recognizing the achievements and contributions of Stephanie Vitori, owner of Cheeseburger Baby.

Click here to read more.

Miami Beach Convention Center Named One of 30 Best Convention Centers in the US

Congrats to our very own Miami Beach Convention Center who landed on The Wall Street Journal's 30 Best Convention Centers in the U.S. ranking.

Click here to read more.

BUSINESS RESOURCES

The FedEx Entrepreneur Fund

In partnership with Hello Alice and the Global Entrepreneurship Network(GEN), FedEx® has launched the second round of the FedEx® Entrepreneur Fund to support entrepreneurs in the United States by providing them with $300,000 in grants and educational resources. This program is designed to offer entrepreneurs the necessary funding, resources, and networks to enhance the success of their businesses.

Through the FedEx® Entrepreneur Fund, thirty (30) grants of $10,000 each will be awarded to entrepreneurs who have a connection to the military and/or entrepreneurs with disabilities.

A subset of grant recipients will also be considered for participation in FedEx’s Accelerator Program, a digital community space which will be home to monthly business coaching workshops, mentorship, networking and more.

Applications are due by October 6, 2023. Click here to apply.

Hello Alice Small Business Growth Fund

The Small Business Growth Fund is back for the third and final round of 2023! In partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) and with funding from Etsy and Progressive, the Small Business Growth Fund provides small business owners the capital they need to make their next move. Recipients will receive $5,000-$25,000 grants to help accelerate their growth and achieve their goals.

For more information and to apply click here. Applications are due by October 27, 2023.

Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce

Small Business Meet-Up

With the rapid pace of things changing for Small Businesses, we invite you to join the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce for your chance to meet other business owners, talk strategy and get the latest on business opportunities every Tuesday afternoon. To register click here.

GMCVB Tourism Business Enhancement Presents: Unlocking Small Business Success -Exploring Tourism Opportunities Workshop

October 24, 2023

This workshop is designed to empower small business owners with the knowledge, expertise, and actionable strategies that are essential to harness the potential for business growth and prosperity. The tourism industry offers a wealth of opportunities for small businesses to thrive, and this workshop serves as a comprehensive guide to unlock those opportunities.  To register click here.

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AVAILABLE

Looking for retail space? Consider this North Beach location at 7143 Collins Ave or this corner space in the heart of Mid-Beach at 451 W 41st St. If South Beach is on your list consider 736 Collins Ave.

To view other available properties, click here.

BUSINESS NEWSFLASH

Making Strides 2023

October 28, 2023

Join the City of Miami Beach on Saturday, October 28, 2023, for the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at loanDepot Park!

Click here for more information.

LOCAL EVENTS

Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce

Annual Meeting

October 10, 2023

Join the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce for the Installation Ceremony for new Chairman of the Board of Directors, Richard Segal and meet the new President & CEO, Brittnie Bassant.

For more information and to register, click here.

JIS Fall Show

October 13 - 16, 2023

The JIS Fall Show, formerly JIS October, is one of the largest jewelry tradeshows and brings together a variety of manufacturers, wholesalers and brands right in time for the holidays, one of the most important restocking seasons of the year. 

Exhibitors from popular domestic and international jewelry producing regions, including Hong Kong, Italy, South Africa and Turkey display their latest sample lines, present large inventories of finished merchandise, offer some of their best pricing specials of the year and build relationships with new and repeat customers.

For more information and to register click here.

LGBTQ National Task Force Gala

October 14, 2023

The National LGBTQ Task Force Gala is the premier annual celebration of South Florida’s LGBTQ+ community. The Gala is a night for LGBTQ+ people and their supporters to unite as a community, honor our heroes, and support the work of advancing equality for all LGBTQ+ people and their families. The event is produced by the National LGBTQ Task Force.

To purchase tickets click here.

eMerge Americas Presents

CELEBRAR: A DEI Series Event

October 18, 2023

eMerge Americas is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and sharing the story of diversity in our community.

Explore the stories of Latin and Hispanic Heritage in the #MiamiTech community.

Join as we merge with Chris Adamo & Natalia Martinez-Kalinina’s “Miami Tech Happy Hour” for a night of networking, music, and a pitch event shining a light on Hispanic Changemakers’ + Leaders’ POV. To register, click here.

American Maritime Forum

October 24 - 25, 2023

American Maritime Forum will bring the maritime industry together to discuss the current situation in the industry, identify the best practices and evaluate the necessary technologies in order to be competitive and move forward!

IGGS Group will be hosting the American Maritime Forum in Miami Beach on October 24 and 25, 2023. This eagerly awaited event holds great importance for the maritime sector, uniting key players from local, American, and global domains. To register click here.

Tech Beach Retreat Miami

October 25 - 27, 2023

Tech Beach Retreat (TBR) Miami presented by Google, hosted at AKA Hotel, Brickell, combines the most innovative startup, corporate, and investor communities of LATAM, the Caribbean & North America in beautiful Miami with the goal of advancement and capitalization on growth opportunities.

For more information click here.

GMCVB Annual Meeting

October 26, 2023

Join GMCVB Chairman of the Board, Bruce Orosz, and GMCVB President & CEO, David Whitaker,

as they share highlights from the past year and plans for the year ahead. All ticket proceeds to benefit the Florida Disaster Relief Fund to help those affected by Hurricane Idalia. To register click here.

South Beach Slam

November 17-19, 2023

Get ready for the South Beach Slam – Miami Beach’s first amateur doubles pickleball tournament.

Whether you are a pickleball all-star or a newbie looking to smash your way to Miami Beach glory, the South Beach Slam has something for everyone. 

This is a doubles-only tournament, so sign up with a partner or as a single and you will be paired with a player of your same skill level. To ensure fair play across the board, players must have a DUPR rating prior to registering, or at the very latest, by Friday, October 27 to allow plenty of time for tournament scheduling. Not sure of your rating? No problem – sign up for your free DUPR Account at mydupr.com and log as many matches as possible and let the app do the rest.

For those registering as a duo, the partner with the higher DUPR rating determines the bracket. As an example, if you’re a 3.8 and your partner is a 3.1, then 3.5 is the correct spot. If you are registering as a single entrant, please be sure to have your DUPR rating confirmed prior to registration to ensure you are placed in the correct skill bracket. Teams or individuals who are in the wrong bracket will need to be moved to a correct bracket, provided there is adequate space.

We anticipate this event selling out quickly! As such, we highly suggest registering for a DUPR account today so you are ready when the registration window opens. Registration details will be made public on the City of Miami Beach’s social media channels in the upcoming weeks, so be sure to follow us to be the first to know!

See you at the “kitchen”! 

City of Miami Beach Weekly Meetings

Stay up to date on all of our upcoming meetings. From Commission meetings to committee meetings, please click here for a full list with links to participate.

Temporary Commission Chambers

at Miami Beach Convention Center

Due to Commission Chamber renovations, all City Commission, Commission Committees and Land Use Board meetings through October will be hosted on the second floor of the Miami Beach Convention Center at 1901 Convention Center Drive in meeting rooms 222-225. Locations for November and December meetings will be shared next month.

Beyond attending in-person meetings, residents, businesses and stakeholders can continue to watch these meetings live on the city’s website, our government-access cable television station MBTV (Breezeline Channel 660, AT&T U-verse Channel 99, and Hotwire Fision Digital Access Channel 395), Facebook page, YouTube page and via Zoom. Viewers can also continue participating via Zoom.

Click here for more details. Visit www.miamibeachfl.gov/calendar to see a monthly view of all city meetings.

BUSINESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

City of Miami Beach Vacant Storefront Cover Program

The City of Miami Beach relaunched the Vacant Storefront Cover Program in a continued effort to improve the appearance of vacant, street-level commercial buildings and support the lease-up of retail spaces throughout the Miami Beach.



First unveiled in 2019, this initiative supports property owners, brokers, realtors and property managers by wrapping vacant storefront windows free of charge with one of ten (10) artistic designs preapproved by the City.

Click here to learn more about the program and how to get started. Interested brokers, realtors, property owners and managers should apply here and email the completed application to Mbbiz@miamibeachfl.gov.

North Beach Community Redevelopment Agency Facade Improvement Program

The North Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (“North Beach CRA") is excited to announce that the Chairperson and Board of Directors of the CRA authorized creation of the North Beach CRA Commercial Façade & Residential Property Improvement Program (“Programs). The purpose of the Programs is to assist business and property owners to improve, repair, and preserve older buildings; stimulate investment in and revitalization of private property and highlight historic architecture to foster a sense of place that is attractive and welcoming to the entire community, whether visitor, resident, shopper, or merchant.

Those portions of the building that are visible from a public street are eligible for the Programs. Program funding awards consist of matching grants of seventy percent (70%) the cost of eligible projects, up to an amount not to exceed $20,000 per application provided on a reimbursement basis for expenses paid on completed work. Reimbursable grants will be awarded for projects to be completed within twelve (12) months. Fifty percent (50%) of the grant award is eligible to be disbursed upon satisfactory completion of fifty percent (50%) of the approved project improvements.

To be eligible for grant reimbursement, expenses must be related to improvements made to the street-facing exterior of properties, including:



• Restoration or rehabilitation of the buildings original and/or historic construction materials
• Stucco and/or clapboard restoration
• Painting
• Windows, framing installation, glass, and/or door repair or replacement
• Signage
• Awnings
• Porch replacement and/or carpentry
• Exterior lighting installation, repair, or replacement
• Façade or masonry renovation or repair

For additional information and access to the Programs, please click here.

Interested applicants may contact the North Beach CRA by telephone at 305.673.7572 or schedule an in-person appointments at the North Beach CRA District Office located at 962 Normandy Drive (Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.)

Miami Beach Expedited Plan Review and Permitting Incentive Program

The City of Miami Beach is committed to diversifying the local economy by attracting and retaining companies in targeted industries like, financial services and technology. As part of this effort, the City is also offering an Expedited Plan Review and Permitting Program to incentivize targeted relocations, including expansions and associated development for companies. Click here to review full program guidelines.

Miami Beach Job Creation Incentive Program

The City of Miami Beach is offering the Job Creation Incentive Program (JCIP), a performance-based incentive adopted by the City Commission. The program aims to strategically attract new financial service companies and technology firms while helping existing businesses expand in Miami Beach to increase the number of high-wage jobs. Click here for more info and application details.

How to Apply for a Business Tax Receipt and a Certificate of Use

The choices you make affect your business operations, taxes, legal requirements, and revenue. View what you need to operate a business in Miami Beach here.

Plastic Free Miami Beach

Register your business at Miami Beach - Rising Above (mbrisingabove.com) List of Participating Plastic Free MB Businesses

Pop-Up Venue Permit

Pop-up venues are temporary retail spaces that can be used to promote and sell products of all types, ranging from food and beverages, clothing or unique gifts. The concept has the potential for low overhead, low risk and is a great way to introduce yourself to the market, generate buzz, increase sales and extend the reach and exposure of your business. To apply for a City of Miami Beach Pop-Up Venue permit click here.

PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Looking for Bid Opportunities?

If you would like to be notified of available competitive solicitations released by the City of Miami Beach, you must register your company through Periscope S2G, Supplier-to-Government by clicking here. Registration is easy and will take only a few minutes. Refer to the guide for instructions on how to register and submit an electronic bid here.

Become A Registered City of Miami Beach Vendor 

To read more and to register click here.

This Month in Miami Beach History: Colony Theater

Miami beach is home to Miami New Drama, the resident theater company at the historic Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road. The regional theater company was founded in 2016 by Venezuelan playwright and director, Michel Hausmann, and playwright, director, and Medal of the Arts winner, Moises Kaufman. In October 2016, Miami New Drama took over operations of the Colony Theatre, and since then, the 417-seat Art Deco venue hosts Miami New Drama's theatrical season as well as other live events.

CONTACT US

Visit MBBIZ.com or contact the Economic Development team here for more information on resources, finding the perfect location(s) for your business expansion or sharing  ideas for future topics. 

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE

Missed a prior edition? Check out previous newsletters and business spotlight stories here.