Sacramento businesses can now apply to the City’s Economic Gardening program, which provides 40 hours of advanced market research consulting and up to $50,000 in matching grant funds to support business expansion.
The program pairs local companies with business experts from the National Center for Economic Gardening, who uses key market research to help business leaders identify new customers, differentiate from the competition, and uncover market opportunities. City consultant Berkeley Strategy Advisors also provides technical advisory support to businesses throughout the program.
To qualify, companies must already be established in the city of Sacramento, have five to 99 employees, and approximately $1 million to $50 million in annual revenue. Businesses planning expansion into new markets, growing operations or staff, or pursuing major contracts or partnerships are encouraged to apply.
“The Economic Gardening program helps local companies make data-driven decisions that accelerate growth,” said City of Sacramento Project Manager Michael Young. “The expert business intelligence and matching grant opportunity help business increase revenue, create jobs, and expand operations while keeping that growth here in Sacramento.”
For Executive Autopilots, a Sacramento-based aircraft avionics repair and installation station currently participating in the program, the research was clarifying.
“The data helped us see where demand for modern avionics upgrades is growing and how we can position our services to reach those customers,” said Andrey Kalchenko, co-owner of Executive Avionics. “We’re using the insights to guide new equipment investments that will help us compete for additional and more complex projects in a more effective and competitive manner.”
After completing the research phase with the National Center for Economic Gardening, businesses are eligible for up to $50,000 in grant funds that they must match to implement the growth strategies identified during their consulting.
Since its inception in 2020, 32 local companies have participated in the Economic Gardening program, including six companies selected for the most recent cohort in 2025.
Interested businesses can learn more and apply online by April 20 on the City’s website.
