St. Louis Economic Development Partnership

08/31/2026

St. Louis entrepreneurs: Join the USI CDFI Bootcamp & Challenge, a FREE business development program designed to help you grow your for-profit business and compete for up to $50,000 in funding!

Over 5 virtual sessions, you’ll receive expert-led training, one-on-one coaching, and peer collaboration on essential topics like customer discovery, business strategy, financial management, and pitch development.

Applications close September 5th!
https://usi-cdfi.org/bootcamp-pitch-challenge/

08/28/2026

The 2026 Festival of Nations is this weekend! Experience the cultures of over 80 nations through delicious cuisine, captivating music, and stunning arts. This annual event, produced by the International Institute St. Louis, is the region's largest multicultural celebration, and attracts over 100,000 attendees.

On Saturday, stop by St. Louis Mosaic Project and IMSTL booth to learn more about their mission and meet the team!

08/24/2026

The Wedge Innovation Center in Alton, Illinois, has already reached 75% capacity in just over a year of operation. It features over 55,000 sq ft of co-working space and amenities. Both day passes and yearly leases are available for those seeking office space.

HRIF, managed by STL Partnership, provided the Wedge $8M in NMTC in 2023.

The Wedge Innovation Center opened in downtown Alton, Illinois, in April 2025. What started as a historic building has been transformed into a 55,000-square-foot coworking space complete with a gym, mother’s room, private offices, and a rooftop view of downtown Alton that can’t be beat. After ju...

08/21/2026

Yesterday, Elevator Co-Warehousing celebrated their STL grand opening at 1230 Macklind Ave. With 130 business spaces, this facility is designed to support the region’s entrepreneurial community. Elevator St. Louis offers flexible month-to-month leases, private offices, warehousing, and coworking spaces, and is already welcoming around 70 businesses.

STL Partnership helped Elevator secure a revolving loan fund to help with startup expenses. To learn more about how we can help your business, visit our website.

Flexible warehousing, coworking, and office space offered for small businesses On Thursday, August 20th, Elevator Co-Warehousing held a grand opening of their second Missouri location, Elevator St. Louis. The event…

08/19/2026

Aurenar and Pairidex, 2 STL bioscience startups announced major seed funding rounds in the millions recently. These funds will be used for a clinical trial and a commercial launch, respectively.

"Both companies attracted more investor interest than the amount of money initially sought, a promising sign..."

https://ow.ly/5UmX50ZBt1a

08/17/2026

ServMO has announced the recipients of the 26-27 AmeriCorps Planning and Operational Grants. These grants will strengthen communities & boost civic engagement through service & volunteering. Congrats to all recipients, including multiple organizations in STL!

ServMO announces the recipients of 2026-2027 AmeriCorps Planning and Operational Grants. As the organization responsible for overseeing AmeriCorps programs in Missouri, grants awarded by ServMO will strengthen communities and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.

08/11/2026

Today @ 2pm! Join a workshop focused on employee management: from hiring the right employees to retaining your best workers. Presented by Rhonda Travers. Located at our West County Business Incubator. https://ow.ly/MhLh50Zy54R

08/10/2026

Applications close tomorrow for the St. Louis County Port Authority CIF grant! To be eligible, you must be a non-profit located in or primarily serving St. Louis County. This year, the grant maximum is $300,000. Turn in your application now! https://ow.ly/PIJA50Zy4P4

08/05/2026

Applications for the St. Louis County Port Authority Community Investment Fund Grant close Tuesday, August 11. Visit our site to learn more and turn in your application now! https://stlpartnership.com/port-authority/cifa/

08/04/2026

"Rung for Women boasts a major boost to the economic mobility of women who go through its ranks... its last six cohorts have seen 70 salary increases (totalling more than $1.4 million) averaging $20,381 each" Read more about this fantastic St. Louis nonprofit:

On a beat like economic mobility, few data points are more eye-catching than a local nonprofit—one seeking to uplift women in St. Louis, specifically—saying that graduates of its programming are making tens of thousands more dollars each year, on average, than before their participation. Rung fo...