Why establish a legacy business program?
High dollar capital projects often displace or disrupt legacy businesses and as metro economy continues to grow, we want to ensure there’s a formalized platform for these legacy businesses continue to thrive.
What programs will be offered?
The inaugural program will offer a dedicated legacy business registry and each legacy business will receive decals to display at their business. As the program continues to develop, grant funding and other resources will be specifically dedicated to registry.
• Public recognition by elected officials.
• Social media marketing toolkit
• Ability to display 1-2 minute promotional video on the City’s website.
• Access to specialized training opportunities
Why do I have to provide cultural and historical impact on Birmingham?
The City of Birmingham is committed to revitalizing neighborhoods and providing the cultural and historical impact of each business allows us to continue to tell the story and forge partnership to expand the legacy business resource toolkit.
Does my business still qualify if it has been in business for 25 years or more, but has more than 20 employees?
We encourage you to still apply as each application will be reviewed individually. On average, small businesses with less than 25 employees are at a higher risk of disruption due to the lack of access to resources.
What if historical documents such as an original Business Registration Certificate are not available?
We encourage you to still apply as each application will be reviewed individually. Please submit as many historical documents as possible to help tell the story of your neighborhood impact.
If my business has existed collectively for 25 years or more, but not continuously, would it still be eligible?
At this time, the Legacy Business Program does require 25 continuous years of business in the city of Birmingham.
Can my business still be classified as a legacy business if it has undergone significant re-branding or major changes in ownership over the course of its 25 or more years in business?
When the current ownership is not the original owner and has owned the business for less than 25 years, the applicant will need to provide documentation of the existence of the business prior to current ownership to verify it has been in operations for 25+ years.
