ICIC now accepting applications for the 2014 Inner City 100, a national ranking of America’s fastest-growing urban businesses

ICIC, the leading authority on inner city economies and the businesses that thrive there, is now accepting applications for the 2014 Inner City 100.  The Inner City 100 is a national ranking of the 100 fastest-growing urban businesses in America published annually in FORTUNE. 

This year, the Inner City 100 has a new dimension: 10 x 10.  The list will be comprised of fast-growing businesses within 10 high-impact industry categories: Construction; Manufacturing; Professional Services; Food and Beverage; Retail; Media and Communications; Software and Information Technology; Transportation and Logistics; Healthcare and Biotechnology; Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, and Tourism.  Applicants self-select their industry category and are ranked against their industry peers according to revenue growth. 

Businesses can apply online through Friday, May 2nd.

To qualify, a business must meet the following criteria:  

• Be an independent, for-profit corporation, partnership or proprietorship that is not a public company, bank, or a holding company
• Be headquartered in an economically distressed urban area
• Have ten or more full-time employees in 2013
• Have a five year operating sales history (2009-2013) that includes an increase in sales from 2012 to 2013 with sales of at least $200,000 in 2009 and $1 million in 2013

Winners not only receive recognition in FORTUNE, but are also invited to attend the Inner City 100 Symposium and Awards in Boston on October 16th where they gain national visibility, networking opportunities and management education from Harvard Business School professors.  Past Inner City 100 winners have cited meeting major investors, winning multi-million dollar contracts and gaining new customers as a direct result of appearing on the list. 

The Inner City 100 is part of ICIC’s movement to spotlight and support urban businesses that are driving job and economic growth in America’s underserved markets. The 750 unique businesses in the Inner City 100 alumni network collectively generate $2.1 billion in annual revenues, have created over 76,000 new jobs and employ over 107,000 people.

For more information about Inner City 100 criteria or the application process, visit innercity100.com or contact Sathya Vijayakumar at 617-238-3013, or svijayakumar@icic.org.

Senior Communications Analyst
ICIC
(617) 238-3010
mduggan@icic.org

The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) is a national nonprofit founded in 1994 by Harvard Business School professor Michael E. Porter. ICIC’s mission is to promote economic prosperity in America’s inner cities through private sector engagement that leads to jobs, income and wealth creation for local residents. ICIC supports urban businesses through the Inner City 100, Inner City Capital Connections and 10,000 Small Businesses programs. Learn more at www.icic.org or @icicorg. 

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