The City of St. Louis Park is committed to providing assistance to businesses and helping them succeed.

Small business liaison

The city's small business liaison can assist and be a resource to anyone thinking about starting, expanding or relocating a business in St. Louis Park. The liaison can:

• Explain and help navigate the city approval process effectively and efficiently, so you avoid expensive surprises or delays.
• Assist in communicating with city departments.
• Answer questions regarding city policies and programs, processes, permits, services and licensing.
• Search available properties.
• Provide contact information for additional helpful resources.

Contact

Jase Pater at jpater@stlouisparkmn.gov or 952.924.2523

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Small businesses may now apply for economic relief grants

Hennepin County Small Business Recovery Fund

Businesses in Hennepin County that have experienced significant financial and operational hardship due to the recent federal immigration enforcement surge can now apply for financial support through the Hennepin County Small Business Recovery Fund.

About the Fund:
To help mitigate the impacts of the immigration enforcement surge, the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HCHRA) is making approximately $2 million available in the form of grants. These funds are designed to help businesses impacted by the surge overcome short-term financial hurdles, enabling them to remain in business in their communities and to prevent widespread blight in Hennepin County.

Funding Details:

• Total available: $2,000,000

• Grant amounts: $3,000–$10,000

• Eligible businesses:

  • Locally owned, for-profit businesses with a physical establishment in Hennepin County that experienced significant loss in revenue during the period from December 1, 2025, to February 28, 2026, due to recent immigration enforcement actions

  • An employer of fewer than 50 FTE employees
  • Annual revenue of at least $25,000 and not more than $4 million

• Use of funds: Two months' commercial rent or mortgage payments

• Application Timeline: Applications will be open from March 18 - 25, 2026

Visit the Hennepin County Small Business Recovery Fund to learn more and apply.

Minneapolis Foundation Economic Response Fund - no longer accepting applications

Small businesses in Minnesota affected by recent federal immigration enforcement can now apply for financial support through the Economic Response Fund, launched by the Minneapolis Foundation and distributed through seven nonprofits. 

About the fund:
The Economic Response Fund provides short-term stabilization grants to help small businesses address urgent needs caused by reduced revenue, workforce disruptions, temporary closures or safety concerns. Funding decisions are made by seven nonprofit partners with deep experience supporting small businesses and grants are awarded on a rolling basis until all funds are distributed. 

Funding details:

• Total available: $4 million
• Grant amounts: $2,500 - $10,000, based on need and available funding
• Eligible businesses: Up to 40 employees, currently operating or temporarily/permanently closed
• Use of funds: Payroll, rent, inventory, operational costs or other urgent business needs

Visit the Minneapolis Foundation to learn more and apply. 

Salt Cure Restaurant Recovery Fund

Restaurants in Minnesota impacted by recent economic disruptions can now apply for financial support through the Salt Cure Fund.

About the Fund:
The Salt Cure Fund provides need-based grants to help restaurants with priority given to small, independent restaurants to stabilize during ongoing challenges. Applications are reviewed on a rolling, weekly basis to get support where it is needed most.

Funding Details:

• Total available: $500,000

• Grant amounts: $2,500–$10,000 in first grant round

• Eligible businesses: Minnesota-based restaurants, currently operational or temporarily closed

• Use of funds: Help cover hardships impacting ongoing restaurant operations

• Application Timeline: Applications will be open from February 16 - 23rd, 2026

Visit the Salt Cure Restaurant Recovery Fund to learn more and apply. 

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Resources from partners

Visit the community resource page under "Legal assistance" for practical help and information related to business rights, so local businesses can thrive together. Here you will find contact information to the ACLU MN, Minnesota 8, and Unidos MN and other important local, state, and national resources. Elevate Hennepin and NextStage can also provide technical assistance to businesses, including legal assistance, at no cost to the business. 

For your convenience, the city has pulled some of these resources directly from the following websites:

City of Minneapolis Immigrant and Refugee Affairs - Private property signage

ACLU MN 

• When ICE shows up at work (poster pdf)
• When ICE shows up at work (card pdf)
• Know Your Rights with ICE presentation (pdf)
  (available in English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong)

Minnesota 8 

• Know Your Rights Digital booklet (available in multiple languages)

Unidos MN

• Fourth Amendment poster - print and post on business property (pdf)
• No Entry Without Warrant Signed by a Judge - print and post on business property (pdf)
• Specific language on No Entry - print and post on business property (pdf)
• Fourth Amendment Workplace information (Google doc)

Hennepin County federal response - This Hennepin County webpage provides up-to-date information on county and federal emergency responses, including available assistance programs, disaster recovery resources, and guidance for residents and businesses during emergencies or disruptive events. It serves as a centralized hub for understanding what support may be available and how to access it when needed.

Elevate Hennepin - Federal response resources page provides timely updates and information for small businesses experiencing disruptions. It includes announcements on available and upcoming financial assistance, emergency resources, technical assistance, and support programs to help businesses respond to short-term challenges and plan next steps.

While the city is providing a link to these sites the city does not own or produce any of these resources. Any printing is the responsibility of property owners and leaseholders. If you utilize this signage, you are doing so at your own discretion and assume any associated legal risks. 

If your business has experienced disruption due to recent federal enforcements activity, financial assistance may be available. Organizations such as the The Salt Cure and Main Street Alliance are expected to offer financial support in the coming months. Businesses are encouraged to connect with these organizations for information and updates. The city will also share updates as additional information becomes available.

Please explore these resources, share with employees and connect directly with advisors and organizations that can tailor support to your specific business needs. If you have questions or would like assistance getting started, please feel free to reach out to Jase Pater, economic development specialist, at jpater@stlouisparkmn.gov.

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Small business support

Looking to start or grow a business? The city’s small business support program offers free, one-on-one, confidential business consulting to help entrepreneurs through the process. This program provides small business owners with access to the technical assistance and financing options they need to succeed. Contact Hiromi Yokoi, business advisor, at hiromi@nextstagemn.org or 612.331.0210 to schedule a video meeting.

Elevate Hennepin

Elevate Hennepin, an initiative from Hennepin County, is designed to support businesses of all sizes in their efforts to grow, create jobs and evolve. Through this program, businesses can access no-cost advising, find business events, and identify local, state and federal business-support resources. Businesses can receive up to 25 hours of consulting from each advisor in a variety of topics.

General business resources

• Business Connection – The Minneapolis Regional Chamber hosts bi-monthly Business Connections meetings on the first Thursday of every other month for businesses to connect, learn and grow from one another. For more information, visit SLP Business Connections or contact Amy Sicard at asicard@mplschamber.com for more details or to be a featured speaker

• GreaterMSP — A regional economic development agency that promotes job creation, provides regional marketing and assists in business expansion and recruitment.
  
  
• MBMentors - A nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners. Through a team of experienced volunteer business professionals, providing free, confidential mentoring, coaching, workshops, and business planning guidance to help businesses start, grow, and succeed.
   
• Minneapolis Regional Chamber — Works to improve the business environment and provides networking and professional development services.

• Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) — Small Business Hub
  One-stop-shop for all of DEED's resources for small business including financing, starting a business, resource guide and expansion assistance. 

• Small Business Development Center, University of St. Thomas — Two programs are offered with the first, a self-paced course developed in partnership with the Opus College of Business and the SBDC, designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs test their business idea, write a business plan, assess risk, and prepare for legal, financial, and ethical operations. The second program is the Community Entrepreneurship Program, a 10-month, hands-on initiative consisting of a six-week business training bootcamp, personalized mentorship, consulting, resource connections, micro-grant, and networking to help launch or grow a business.
  
  
• SCORE — Provides free and confidential advice to entrepreneurs and small business owners in every industry.

Financing resources

The City of St. Louis Park is committed to assisting the establishment, growth and expansion of local businesses. Visit the financing resources page for more info.

Property search

Searching for a business location in St. Louis Park? Use the property search tool to find available business property in the city. It includes listings of retail, industrial and multi-family properties for sale or lease. The listings are provided and maintained in partnership with Minnesota Commercial Association of Real Estate.