Small and Growing Businesses

Small businesses are a powerful and important driver of economic growth and job creation around the globe. The Citi Foundation supports the growth of these enterprises by funding access to technical assistance and investment capital. However, capital and technical assistance are not enough to guarantee success. These small enterprises must also focus on addressing such issues as environmental sustainability, growing resource scarcity, changing business practice standards, and shifting regulations if they are going to succeed in a rapidly changing global economy. Accordingly, the Citi Foundation is also focused on efforts to help small and growing businesses respond to changing realities in the marketplace and adopt new models for achieving financial and environmental sustainability. The Foundation is particularly interested in activities that support green enterprise development that generates "triple bottom-line" economic, environmental and social benefits.

What are Small and Growing Businesses?

Small and growing businesses are generally defined as enterprises that employ 5 to 100 individuals, generating up to $1 million in revenues.