The BEDC Business Assistance program serves small business owners in Seattle's inner city communities. Primarily focused on Seattle's Central Area, Rainier Valley, White Center, South Park and Chinatown/International District, the program generally serves clients that have been in business for at least one year and have three or more employees.

BEDC makes exceptions, on a case-by-case basis, when there are unique circumstances that make businesses outside these communities compelling candidates, such as:

• Location — White Center and Skyway
• Ownership of the company — if the owner lives in one of the target communities but has their business in another location
• Who the company employs — if they employ significant numbers of people from the target communities
• Learning opportunities for students — the company faces a business challenge that might offer a significant educational opportunity for UW Business School students

BEDC continues market research on changes in the location of low-moderate income communities, the demographics of the communities in which we work, and the ownership of the businesses in target communities.