Philadelphia’s Commerce Department – A Front Door for Local Businesses
The Philadelphia Department of Commerce is the City’s primary economic development agency, working to help businesses launch, grow, and thrive in every neighborhood. Through a mix of one-on-one business support, technical assistance programs, and partnerships with nonprofit providers, it connects entrepreneurs to the resources they need to navigate regulations, access funding, and build critical business skills. The Department itself is a municipal government agency, not a Black‑owned business, but many of its programs and funded partners strongly support Black-owned and other minority-owned businesses throughout Philadelphia.
Location, Contact Details, and Online Access
The Department of Commerce is centrally located in Center City, with staff who also work directly in neighborhoods across Philadelphia.
How to Reach the Philadelphia Department of Commerce
- Website: Philadelphia Department of Commerce – One-on-One Business Support – https://www.phila.gov/departments/department-of-commerce/for-businesses/one-on-one-business-support/
- Main City website (Commerce home): https://www.phila.gov/departments/department-of-commerce/
- Main office location: City Hall and adjacent City offices in Center City, Philadelphia, PA 19107 (Commerce is housed within City government offices at the heart of downtown).
- Email for business support: business@phila.gov (Mayor’s Business Action Team/Commerce business assistance).
- Phone for business assistance: 215-683-2100 (for help with opening, operating, and growing a business in Philadelphia).
- Google Maps directions: Search “Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19107” or “Philadelphia Department of Commerce, Philadelphia PA” in Google Maps to generate customized directions from your location.
Through its website, entrepreneurs can also access maps of neighborhood business service managers and links to partner organizations that provide specialized assistance.
One-on-One Business Support: Meeting You Where You Are
The Commerce Department’s one-on-one business support is designed to make city government more approachable and practical for entrepreneurs. Instead of forcing business owners to navigate complex agencies alone, the Department connects them with dedicated staff who can guide them through each step of starting or operating a business in Philadelphia.
Business Service Managers in Your Neighborhood
Business service managers (BSMs) are Commerce staff who work directly in the neighborhoods and communities of Philadelphia.
Their role includes:
- Helping you understand zoning, licensing, and other city requirements for opening your business.
- Connecting you to city programs, grants, and services relevant to your industry and location.
- Serving as a point of contact when challenges arise, such as construction impacts, neighborhood issues, or changes in regulations.
On the Department’s website, you can “meet your area’s business service manager” and “view a map of business service managers and their assigned neighborhoods,” which makes it easier to find the person responsible for your part of the city. This neighborhood-based model is especially important for Black-owned and other minority-owned businesses that may be located in historically under-resourced areas and need a strong advocate within City Hall.
Business Technical Assistance Program (BTAP)
In addition to its own staff, the Department of Commerce funds a network of nonprofit organizations through the Business Technical Assistance Program (BTAP). These organizations offer specialized services such as business training, lending support, English language assistance, and legal aid.
The BTAP assistance providers listed in the city document include:
- Entrepreneur Works – Provides business skills training and lending support; phone: (215) 545-3100.
- Community First Fund – Offers business skills training and lending; phone: (267) 236-7000.
- Kiva (Philadelphia program) – Focuses on lending via crowd-funded microloans; phone: (215) 683-2153.
- SCORE Philadelphia – Provides business skills training and mentoring; phone: (215) 231-9880.
- The Business Center for Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise – Delivers business skills training; phone: (215) 247-2473.
- The Enterprise Center – Offers business skills training and lending; phone: (215) 895-4000.
- Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians – Provides business skills training, English language assistance, and lending support; phone: (215) 557-2626.
- Women’s Business Development Center – Specializes in business skills training; phone: (215) 790-9232.
- Women’s Opportunities Resource Center (WORC) – Offers business skills training and lending; phone: (215) 564-5500.
Many of these organizations work closely with Black entrepreneurs, immigrants, women, and other historically marginalized groups, making the Department’s funding a critical tool for equitable business development.
Not a Black-Owned Business, but a Key Ally
It is important to be clear: the Philadelphia Department of Commerce is part of city government, not a privately owned company, and therefore it is not a Black-owned business. However, its programs are intentionally structured to support Black-owned businesses and other minority-owned enterprises by improving access to funding, skills training, and tailored guidance.
Ways it supports Black and diverse businesses include:
- Funding nonprofit technical assistance providers that have deep roots in Black and immigrant communities, such as the Enterprise Center and Entrepreneur Works.
- Deploying business service managers who work directly in neighborhoods, including many majority-Black areas, to help entrepreneurs navigate city processes and connect to resources.
- Promoting city grants, facade improvement programs, and commercial corridor support that often benefit small, locally owned shops and service businesses run by people of color.
By combining public funding with community-based partners, the Department of Commerce acts as a powerful ally for Black-owned businesses, even though it is not Black-owned itself.
Types of Support Available for Philadelphia Businesses
The Department’s one-on-one support framework covers a wide range of needs, from startup questions to expansion planning.
Key types of help include:
- Starting a business in Philadelphia – Guidance on required registrations, licenses, permits, zoning, and inspections to legally open your business.
- Finding the right location – Connecting you with business service managers and partner organizations that know local commercial corridors and can advise on neighborhood fit.
- Accessing financing and grants – Referral to technical assistance providers for loan preparation, microloans, and sometimes city or partner grant opportunities.
- Improving business skills – Workshops and coaching on planning, financial literacy, marketing, and operations through BTAP organizations.
- Navigating challenges – Help when facing construction disruptions, changing regulations, or neighborhood issues that affect your business.
These services are particularly valuable for first-time entrepreneurs who may not have existing networks in banking, legal services, or commercial real estate, which often includes Black and immigrant business owners.
Neighborhood Focus and Community Impact
One of the Department’s strengths is its neighborhood-centered approach. Rather than expecting every business owner to come downtown, the Commerce team goes out into communities and builds relationships with local entrepreneurs and corridor managers.
This approach helps:
- Ensure that commercial corridors in North, West, and Southwest Philadelphia, as well as other neighborhoods, receive attention comparable to Center City.
- Support small, locally owned establishments—such as barbershops, corner stores, childcare centers, and restaurants—that are often owned by Black and brown families and serve as anchors in their communities.
- Make city resources feel more accessible and responsive, especially to residents who may not have had positive experiences with government in the past.
Through its network of technical assistance providers, the Department also extends support to entrepreneurs whose first language is not English, ensuring that language is less of a barrier to starting or growing a business.
Partner Organizations and Their Role
The assistance providers funded through BTAP each bring specialized expertise and target audiences. For example, the Enterprise Center has a long history of working with minority entrepreneurs and has deep roots in West Philadelphia, while organizations like the Welcoming Center focus on immigrants, and WBDC and WORC emphasize women entrepreneurs.
These partners help with:
- Business planning and time management.
- Loan packaging and connecting with lenders.
- Navigating legal issues such as contracts and entity formation.
- Building English language and communication skills for business.
By financing these providers, the Commerce Department ensures that support is culturally competent, community-based, and tailored to different populations, including Black-owned and immigrant-owned businesses.
Using the Department of Commerce as a Business Owner
For a Philadelphia entrepreneur, the Department of Commerce can serve as a central hub and first stop.
A typical pathway might look like this:
- Reach out via email (business@phila.gov) or phone (215-683-2100) to explain your idea or existing business and ask for guidance.
- Get connected to a neighborhood business service manager who understands your community and can walk you through city processes.
- Receive referrals to technical assistance providers for help with business planning, financing, legal matters, or language support.
- Stay in touch with your BSM and providers as your business moves from idea to launch to growth.
This ongoing relationship can be especially valuable for Black and other minority entrepreneurs who may be breaking new ground as the first business owners in their families or networks.
Getting Directions to Visit the Department or Partners
If you want to visit the Department of Commerce or related city offices in person, the easiest way is to navigate to City Hall in Center City.
To get directions:
- Open Google Maps in your browser or on your phone.
- Search for: “Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19107” or “Philadelphia Department of Commerce, Philadelphia PA”.
- Select “Directions” and enter your starting point, choosing driving, transit, walking, or biking.
If you are visiting a BTAP partner such as the Enterprise Center, Entrepreneur Works, or another listed provider, search for that organization’s name in Google Maps along with “Philadelphia, PA” to generate precise directions. This flexibility allows you to meet with city staff downtown or connect directly with a neighborhood-based organization closer to your business.
By combining central coordination at City Hall with neighborhood-based managers and a strong network of nonprofit partners, the Philadelphia Department of Commerce functions as a critical support system for the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, including many Black-owned and minority-owned businesses that drive neighborhood vitality and local jobs.