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Project: Pop-Up Medford

A Microenterprise Assistance Program  

Program Summary 

The City of Medford is partnering with a strategic business consulting firm, UpNext, to host a retail pop-up in a Medford storefront. Through Project: Pop-Up Medford, UpNext will develop and implement a comprehensive program to activate 68 High Street in Medford Square as a pop-up retail incubator, for use by eligible microenterprises. Participating in a pop-up is a lower-risk way for microenterprises to test new uses, collaborate with other microenterprises, and grow their consumer base, all while contributing to the vibrancy of the retail district. 

The City invites business owners, makers, creators, and entrepreneurs to apply for Project: Pop-Up Medford. The assistance program aims to support up to three (3) microenterprises with a short-term, free retail storefront in Medford and business development support. The program will run from May 2025 to July 2025. The program is open to microenterprises – businesses with 5 or fewer full-time employees, including owners. Business owners must be Medford residents and not exceed income thresholds. More details on eligibility below.  

This assistance program is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The program is subject to the availability of CDBG funding from HUD and to the continued eligibility of the City to receive such funds.   

Program Benefits 

Participants of Project: Pop-Up Medford will have access to the following:  

Physical Space & Resources

670 SF of turnkey retail space at 68 High Street

Fully paid rent and utilities, including Wi-Fi

Flexible fixtures, furniture for set-up, and signage

Retail set-up for a maximum of three-months

A shared store space with multiple entrepreneurs

The Pop-Up Playbook—an online course for how to run a great pop-up shop

Pop-in Strategy—a mini-course on increasing revenue & offsetting rent costs

Retail marketing foundations and a social media launch calendar

Stipend to support business activities, like staffing, operations, marketing, compensation, etc.

Eligibility 

For full details on Project: Pop-Up Medford, please visit our Program Guidelines.   

Interested applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria: 

  1. Microenterprise: An Applicant’s business must have 5 or fewer Full Time Equivalent employees, including the owner(s). 

  1. Residency: The owner of the Applicant business must be a Medford resident. 

  1. Income Restriction: The total household income of all members of the Applicant’s household (including all persons aged 18 and over) must be equal to or less than the following amounts: 

Visit HERE for information on what is and is not included in the calculation of household income. 

Applicants will be asked to provide documentation on the total income for their household including, but not limited to, tax returns, pay stubs, etc. 

Applications  

Applications are submitted to UpNext, and applicants will be evaluated on eligibility, retail readiness, and concept viability. Applications are open now and will be accepted on a rolling basis.  

Please click below to submit your application: 

application

Successful applicants will be requested to provide documents for verification. If the applicant does not submit the requested information within 5 business days, the review process will be terminated. 

After the determination of eligibility is completed and verified by the City of Medford, UpNext and the applicant will enter into an agreement for the program participation. 

Additional Information 

If you have any questions about the program before submitting your application please contact the Kayla Myros, Economic Development Planner, at the Office of Planning, Development, and Sustainability via email at kmyros@medford-ma.gov or via phone 781-393-2480.