Hello all! 

We are excited to take this moment to talk a little bit about the Community Navigator program and the tremendous opportunities this program brings to local businesses, non-profits, and creative individuals.

The Community Navigator Program

(Description sourced from the City of Austin Website)

The Economic Development Department’s Community Navigator Program supports local businesses, non-profit organizations, and creative professionals impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Local entities can apply for no-cost assistance from Community Navigators for one-on-one coaching, virtual classes, and applying for government and philanthropic support. This program was approved by Austin City Council from Austin’s allocation of the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). 

To be eligible, local entities must be located in the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The Austin-Round Rock MSA includes Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties.  

A Community Navigator refers to an organization that has specialized knowledge and can assist small business owners with connecting to a web of support, resources, and information. These connections allow small business owners to grow and thrive. 

Registrants can choose to receive services from a number of trusted and reliable Community Navigator Partners or be assigned one by the City’s Economic Development Department. 

The Community Navigator Resource Partners

Art Spark Texas is proud to partner with the City of Austin and the Community Navigator Program as we assist with stakeholder engagement and technical registration assistance. We encourage all of our community members to see if they can benefit from this program by requesting services from one or more resource partners below: 

• Austin Revitalization Authority 
• Business & Community Lenders (BCL) of Texas 
• Economic Growth Business Incubator 
• Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) 
• Mission Capital 
• On the Money Finance LLC 
• The Volt Studios 
• Visual Matters Consulting 

We had the opportunity to chat with some of these program partners to learn more about the services they provide through the program. Read about their offerings on Art Spark’s Community Navigator Program Page. Visit the City of Austin Website for a complete list of program partners, service options, and entities served. 

Registration

Apply for Community Navigator assistance today! For technical assistance with registration, follow this tutorial video to help you navigate the City of Austin Economic Development Department’s application portal. For further assistance or if you have any questions about the program, email [email protected].