Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship

Expanding Access to Capital Through Ecosystem Coordination and Digital Infrastructure

As states deployed SSBCI funding, many faced challenges connecting small businesses—particularly SEDI-owned businesses—to trusted capital providers and support resources.

Next Street partnered with IIE, the Milken Institute, and ecosystem stakeholders to strengthen capital access infrastructure through digital platforms, ecosystem coordination, and stakeholder engagement.

Our Approach

• Developed capital access and ecosystem engagement strategies

• Launched California Small Business Loan Match

• Built and managed the IIE Knowledge Network and Hub

• Improved coordination across lenders, technical assistance providers, and public sector partners

Results

• 130,000+ website views generated

• 4,700+ small businesses engaged

• 65% of applicants matched with funding partners

• $1M+ in loans funded

• 200+ ecosystem stakeholders engaged

• 18 jurisdictions supported through learning cohorts

Next Street Solutions 

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

• Small Business Resource Platform: A centralized platform that connects, engages, and supports small businesses through a unified digital experience—driving participation, improving outcomes, and enabling scalable growth. See how the platform works .

The Impact

Created scalable infrastructure that expanded access to capital, strengthened ecosystem coordination, and improved engagement across the national small business support ecosystem.

Read the latest IIE newsletter:

How we Helped

As a strategic advisor, Next Street collaborated with Hyphen to establish IIE’s core objectives, approach, and structure, creating a strong foundation for the initiative’s impact. Following the launch of IIE, Next Street took on the role of Main Street vertical lead, focusing on developing innovative, flexible lending solutions for Main Street businesses, particularly SEDI-owned small businesses, leveraging SSBCI capital. In this role, Next Street partnered with IBank to launch California Small Business Loan Match—a streamlined, one-stop resource powered by CRF Connect—that connects SEDI small businesses with vetted, responsible lenders enrolled in IBank’s SSBCI Loan Guarantee program. Next Street led the go-to-market strategy for this platform, deploying a multi-channel outreach approach to increase SEDI small businesses’ awareness of the available capital access.

In addition to its role as Main Street lead, Next Street spearheaded IIE’s Knowledge Network, a hub for shared tools, resources, relationship-building, communication, and knowledge sharing across the IIE ecosystem (this includes initiative funders, partners, SSBCI officials/jurisdictions, and other organizations with missions tied to IIE). As part of this effort, Next Street launched and continues to manage the IIE Hub—an innovative online platform serving as both a data repository and a real-time collaboration space for IIE partners and state administrators. Beyond fostering engagement within the IIE Hub, the Knowledge Network has facilitated a learning cohort for SSBCI Technical Assistance (TA) administrators, manages The Pulse, IIE’s official newsletter, and creates additional spaces for collaboration and knowledge exchange, including roundtables and other live and virtual events with IIE stakeholders.

Our Impact

Within six months of California Small Business Loan Match’s launch, Next Street’s efforts have generated over 130,000 website views, with 4,700 pre-applicants, of which about 65% were matched with funding partners, resulting in 21 funded loans totaling over $1 million. Notably, 71% of these loans have supported women-owned businesses, and 67% have supported businesses owned by people of color. Next Street continues to hone and expand efforts in California as well across other jurisdictions with the goal of ensuring awareness of and access to capital to SEDI-owned small businesses. To learn more about Next Street’s work in California and its impact, check out our case study here.

Through the Knowledge Network, Next Street has supported 13 IIE Hub communities, including seven dedicated to Treasury Working Groups. Leveraging the IIE Hub platform, roundtables, and The Pulse newsletter, the Knowledge Network has reached over 200 stakeholders within the IIE Ecosystem. Through the KN’s TA Learning Cohort, Next Street provided support to 18 jurisdictions, facilitating three live sessions along with ongoing asynchronous community-building on the IIE Hub. The Knowledge Network continues to uplift best practices, resources, and advances critical advocacy discussions through additional forthcoming learning cohorts, the Pulse, and roundtables, all in service of moving IIE’s mission forward.