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Community Business Builders

Medford’s Microenterprise Education Program

Program Summary

The City of Medford is launching a multi-week educational course for business owners. The City is partnering with Roads Consulting Group to provide this program. The course is a series of classes to help entrepreneurs start and run a business in Medford. Classes will cover topics such as accounting, budgeting, financing, marketing, and sales.

By the end of the program, participants will have developed a business plan, prepared for presenting loan applications, and honed their elevator pitch. The program will introduce participants to business resources in Medford and Massachusetts.  There will be one-on-one guidance with Roads Consulting Group staff and peer-to-peer mentorship. 

This program will run from March 2026 through the end of May 2026. This is a Microenterprise Technical Assistance program funded by the Community Development Block Grant.

Program Description

The City of Medford and Roads Consulting Group will launch a 12-week educational course. The Program will run for 12 consecutive weeks with one class per week. There will be:

  • 8 Group Classes: focused on foundational skills, peer-to-peer learning, and applied practice.
  •  Personalized Consulting Sessions delivered one-on-one to guide participants through business plan completion and individual problem-solving.

The Program will be delivered in a hybrid format, combining in-person sessions in Medford with remote learning opportunities. This increases accessibility while ensuring strong engagement. Guest experts will provide specialized instruction during in-person sessions.

The cohort will be comprised of up to ten students who intend to open or currently operate a Microenterprise. Participants in the Program will be Medford residents who qualify as low-to-moderate income.

For full information about the program, see the Community Business Builder Guidelines:

Guidelines

Eligibility Criteria

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).

2.      Residency: The owner of an Applicant business must be a Medford resident.

3.      Income Restriction: The total income must be equal to or less than the following amounts for all family members of the Applicant residing in their household (including all persons aged 18 and over): 

The image presents a table displaying the number of persons in a family and the corresponding income amounts for each family size.

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.

4.      Conflicts of Interest: The City of Medford must follow the regulations outlined in Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 268A, and the standards in 24 CFR 92.356 concerning conflicts of interest. Individuals who currently hold or have previously held roles related to activities supported by CDBG funds, or who have the ability to participate in decision-making processes or access privileged information regarding these activities, are prohibited from obtaining any financial interest or benefit from a CDBG-assisted activity. They are also prohibited from having an interest in any contract, subcontract, or agreement related to such activities or their proceeds, either for themselves or for individuals with whom they have family or business ties, during their tenure or for one year after.

Application Process

1.     All Applicants are required to submit an application:

Application

2.      Applicants will be requested to provide documents for eligibility verification:

  • Completed Self Declaration of Income form to confirm your household income eligibility as a low- or moderate-income. The Self Declaration of Income form is available for download HERE.
  • For the applicant and each working member of their family 18 years or older: 3 months of paystubs OR their most recent personal federal tax return. For a list of all income which must be reported visit HERE.
  • Proof of residency in the form of a utility bill, lease, mortgage, or other identification showing permanent residence.
  • Business entity records to show operation of a microenterprise, including, but not limited to formation documents, operating agreements, payroll records, annual reports, and bylaws (if applicable).

3.      After the determination of eligibility is completed and verified by the City of Medford. Roads Consulting Group will interview the Applicant for program readiness. If selected to participate, the Applicant will enter into an agreement for participation in the Program.

Additional Information

This 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. Review and acceptance of Applicants will be subject to applicable HUD regulations.

If you have any questions or would like additional information about the Microenterprise Education Program, please contact Kayla Myros at kmyros@medford-ma.gov or 781-393-2480.

If you need reasonable accommodation in order to complete your application, please contact Frances Nwajei at (781)-393-2439 or fnwajei@medford-ma.gov. While the municipality will do its best to accommodate you, certain accommodation requires the hiring of outside contractors who may not be available if requested immediately before the application is due.