Bellevue - Cultural and Economic Development

08/24/2026

The application for the Space Northwest Accelerator Program is open! Be sure to apply before the application closes on August 31.

08/07/2026

The City of Bellevue is working on Downtown Livability 2.0, a focused update to the Downtown land use code first adopted in 2017. As Downtown continues to grow, the city is evaluating how the existing code is functioning and identifying opportunities to strengthen support for a vibrant, welcoming and accessible urban core. A major aspect of the code amendments will be identifying challenges businesses have had with the City’s Land Use Code and permitting processes and what actions the City can take to further encourage small businesses to locate Downtown.

In addition to encouraging business Downtown, the proposed land use code amendment (LUCA) reinforces longstanding policy guidance, including maintaining the emphasis on open space, pedestrian activity and overall vitality. The effort also responds to code challenges identified in recent years and supports historic development patterns along Main Street in Old Bellevue. Additional updates will refine the amenity incentive program, enhance support for the Grand Connection and continue to encourage housing in the city’s core.

We want to hear more from the business community to better understand how the code can be improved to better support existing small businesses and encourage new businesses to locate Downtown. Your input is valuable as we plan the next steps for a welcoming, thriving, and people‑centered downtown. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts using the survey link below, and feel free to pass it along to friends, neighbors, and others in your community.

08/05/2026

Applications for Startup425 Accelerator are open!

The Startup425 (S425) Accelerator is a 15-week educational program designed to help new entrepreneurs rapidly develop their business idea and launch a company while learning essential business skills.

With multiple tracks to meet the needs of different founders, the S425 Accelerator is designed for:

♦️First time small business entrepreneurs looking for guidance and support
♦️Potential founders considering a startup idea
♦️Early-stage founders looking to raise capital for the first time

Admissions preference is given to founders living or building in one of the six Startup425 partner cities (Bothell, Bellevue, Renton, Redmond, Kirkland, and Issaquah), but any founder located in western Washington is eligible for consideration.

Weekly sessions meet virtually via Zoom on Tuesdays, 6-8pm PST. The orientation session for admitted founders will be at 6pm on Monday, August 24th with the first accelerator session on Tuesday the 25th, and the last program session will be on Tuesday, December 8th.

08/04/2026

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Uncommon Thinkers Awards!

Greater Seattle Partners and GeekWire are honoring the innovators shaping the future across Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties, from various sectors such as aerospace and AI to biotech, cleantech, manufacturing, and more. Do you know an inventor, scientist or entrepreneur driving meaningful change? Nominate them by September 18! Honorees will be featured in GeekWire and recognized at the GeekWire Gala on December 10.

07/31/2026

Applications for the Great Seattle Export Accelerator program are open. If you're a small and medium-sized business in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, this program empowers companies to expand their global reach. By providing the tools and resources to grow exports, this accelerator program can help businesses increase profits, diversify risk, and create new job opportunities, fueling economic growth across the region. Applications close on August 28.

To learn more and apply, visit:

Greater Seattle Export Accelerator Go global. Increase profits and diversify risks. Complimentary export assistance for Greater Seattle businesses. The

07/28/2026

Just a reminder! This Thursday, July 30 from 6–7 PM, the City of Bellevue will be hosting an online info session where you can learn more and ask questions about the proposal to simplify the square footage business tax and transition Bellevue’s business license from a one‑time fee to an annual renewal.

Join the online session here:

https://bellevuewa.gov/events/bellevue-tax-information-session

If you can’t make it but would like to learn more and share your feedback on the proposed changes, please visit our webpage and survey:

https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/finance/business-taxes/tax-notice

The City of Bellevue is inviting business owners and operators to provide feedback on two proposed updates to the city’s square footage business tax and licensing system. The changes are designed to make it easier for businesses to calculate their square footage tax and to support improved, more a...

07/27/2026

Startup425 is hosting not one, not two, but three events this Wednesday, July 29 for ! Join us at Bellevue City Hall for a full afternoon and evening of Eastside innovation.

Eastside Summit 3
1pm-4pm

Eastside founders Social
4pm-6pm

Startup425 AI Demo Day
6pm-8pm

To RSVP, please visit: https://www.startup425.org/upcoming-events

We look forward to seeing you there

Take a look a look at upcoming Startup425 Events and full calendar.

07/24/2026

The Port of Seattle Business Accelerator program application for the 2026 cohort is open and will close on July 31. This program is designed to empower small businesses, especially those owned by women, minorities, or disadvantaged business enterprises (WMDBEs) to grow their capabilities and successfully compete for government contracts, particularly with the Port of Seattle.

To learn more and apply, visit:

The 2026 Business Accelerator Program is a comprehensive business development initiative designed to empower small businesses, especially those owned by women, minorities, or disadvantaged business enterprises (WMDBEs) to grow their capabilities and successfully compete for government contracts, par...

07/23/2026

We want to hear from Bellevue businesses!

The City of Bellevue is proposing an update to simplify its square footage business tax to provide an easier-to-understand calculation method for business owners. The city is also proposing to transition Bellevue’s business license from a one-time fee to an annual renewal.

Explore the square footage update calculator and take our survey to share your feedback.

We're also hosting an online info session on Thursday, July 30 from 6-7PM where you can learn more and ask questions.

To read more and complete the survey, please visit:

The following notices discuss legislative changes, explain tax application to specific situations, or address certain issues. They are correct at the time of publication; however, they may change subject to changes in statute. If you have questions regarding these notices, please contact the City of...

07/15/2026

Join us on July 29 in celebrating "Startup425 AI Intensive: Demo Day" and meet the cohort of Eastside entrepreneurs who completed an 8-week journey of scoping, building, and coding using cutting-edge AI tools to develop their working software MVPs.

The live showcase highlights the incredible innovation happening right here in our six partner cities (Bellevue, Redmond, Renton, Issaquah, Kirkland, and Bothell).

Register at startup425.org or visit the link in bio.