Businesses
Benefiting Businesses
Buildings need occupants and communities need business activity to thrive – so we banded together with Main Street Alabama, ASBDC, and EDPA to support the businesses we encounter through the ALtogether Coalition.
Our statewide partners provide the following services:
ASBDC
The Alabama SBDC Network specializes in one-on-one business advising and educational training for small businesses. Through 10 in-person offices across the state or online, ASBDC is the “front line” for business assistance services, and advice across the entire business spectrum (from service industry to high-growth tech startups).
MSA
Main Street Alabama is a 501©(3) organization focused on bringing jobs, dollars, and people back to Alabama’s historic communities. Economic development is at the heart of this statewide organization’s efforts to revitalize downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. Main Street Alabama is the state coordinating program of Main Street America and utilizes the proven Main Street Four-Point Approach to help communities organize themselves for success, create vibrant public spaces through design, promote their districts, and enhance their economic base.
EDPA
Started in 2006, Alabama Launchpad is the state’s most active early-stage seed fund investor, driving innovation and job growth through startup competitions and ongoing mentoring for Alabama entrepreneurs. In 2022, after almost $6 million invested into 110 companies, EDPA hosted its first sponsored cycle, with a focus on social impact. Each of the finalist companies included a focus on a public benefit as part of their for-profit business plan.
BCA
BCA is Alabama’s chamber of commerce whose purpose is to improve the business climate across the state. BCA has been a coalition partner from the start; during COVID, they provided a series of technical assistance services to businesses experiencing negative impacts from the pandemic, and have supported and promoted the work of the ALtogether coalition and driven our strategic decisions about programming that impacts their membership ever since.
OPAL’s primary means of supporting businesses is through pre-development assistance. We work with emerging developers and businesses that want to improve property they own through our Property Development Assistance Program.
We also engage Alabama-based Disadvantage Business Enterprises (DBEs) and with large CAPEX projects ($5M+) tied to an existing or potential facility in Alabama.
DBEs in Real Estate & Construction
If you are a minority-, woman-, or veteran-owned business in the real estate sector or the construction trades, we want to know about you. OPAL has a goal of engaging disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) on our investments across Alabama, and we are always looking for new partners in real estate professional services (development, engineering, architecture, etc.) and in construction.
Large CAPEX businesses with dedicated facility
For businesses with a physical footprint that will require a substantial amount of spending (typically $5M or more in investment) and dedicated facility, we (along with our partners at ASBDC and EDPA) can assist with site identification and capital stacking. Let us know how we can assist through this confidential submission link.