The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) is a nonprofit research and strategy organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, and the leading authority on U.S. inner city economies and business development. Founded in 1994 by Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter, ICIC supports public and private sector decision makers with analysis and programs that lead to urban investment, jobs and growth.
Eligibility for the 2013 Inner City 100
To apply for the list, companies must complete a brief, one-page application form. Companies that qualify based on that application are then invited to complete a survey and provide financial documentation to verify self-reported sales figures.
To qualify for the 2013 Inner City 100, a company must
- Be an independent, for-profit corporation, partnership or proprietorship that is not a bank or holding company
- Be headquartered in or have 51% or more of its physical operations in economically distressed urban areas
- Have ten or more full-time employees in 2011
- Have a five year operating sales history (2007-2011) that includes an increase in sales from 2010 to 2011 with sales of at least $200,000 in 2007 and $1 million in 2011
How do companies benefit?
The Inner City 100 list receives substantial national and local media attention and is featured in a major national business publication. Past winners have cited meeting major investors, winning multi-million dollar contracts and gaining increased credibility as direct results of appearing on the list. Inner City 100 companies receive access to a curriculum led by Harvard Business School professors, high-ranking Fortune 500 executives and innovative thought leaders specializing in inner city business development. They are also invited to the Inner City 100 CEO Forum, a full day of executive education at Harvard Business School specifically geared for inner city firms such as yours.
Does your company qualify?
For more information about the Inner City 100 program, click here, or contact Alex Rodriguez at 617-297-3140 or arodriguez@icic.org.
THE DEADLINE FOR COMPLETED APPLICATIONS IS OCTOBER 31, 2012.
**Any information provided on this application will be used by ICIC and its publishing partner to determine eligibility for the Inner City 100 program and list to be published in the spring in 2013.