Cook County Small Business Source

Building a Scalable Small Business Support Ecosystem

Cook County partnered with Next Street to create a coordinated small business support system that expanded access to capital, advising, and resources for entrepreneurs across the region.

Next Street helped design and launch the Cook County Small Business Source, a centralized platform connecting businesses to funding, technical assistance, and a network of local support organizations.

Our Approach

• Built a centralized small business support platform

• Coordinated a network of 30+ Business Support Organizations

• Delivered advising, educational programming, and technical assistance

• Supported deployment of grant funding at scale

Results

• 67,000+ small businesses supported

• $67.1M in grant funding deployed

• $50M in ARPA grants distributed to 3,000 businesses

• 30+ partner organizations engaged

• 66% of participants identified as people of color

• 50%+ of participants identified as women

Next Street Solution

• Ecosystem Assessment & Strategy: A data-driven approach to mapping your small business ecosystem, identifying gaps, and designing strategies that drive growth and measurable impact.

• Small Business Resource Hub: A centralized hub that connects, engages, and supports small businesses through a unified digital experience—driving participation, improving outcomes, and enabling scalable growth.

Impact

Created a nationally recognized model for equitable capital deployment, ecosystem coordination, and small business support at scale.