About Building for Growth (BFG) in New Jersey
- Overview: A tuition-free executive education program that helps BIPOC-, women-, and/or veteran-owned construction contractors in New Jersey increase capacity and develop sustainable growth strategies
- Structure: This hybrid program offers both in-person classes hosted at Kean University and virtual classes via Zoom
- Curriculum: The 6 modules comprehensively cover all the key elements needed to be a successful construction firm. View the class curriculum here
- Time commitment: This program runs for 18 weeks, with weekly 2-hour classes every Wednesday from 6:00-8:00 pm. The time commitment is about 3-4 hours per week
- Key deliverable: Throughout the program, you will be integrating what you learn into a business plan so that by the time you graduate you have a thorough & customized business plan designed to fuel your growth, with feedback and support from the BFG staff
Program Criteria
To be eligible for the BFG program, your company must be:
- An independent corporation in the construction industry
- At least 51% BIPOC-owned and/or woman-owned and/or veteran-owned and/or located in an over-burdened community*
- Have annual revenues of $1MM-$10MM and/or be on course to exceed $2MM within the next 3 years
- Headquartered in New Jersey, or perform a significant percentage of contracts in New Jersey
“Overburdened community” means any census block group in which: (1) at least 35 percent of the households qualify as low-income households; (2) at least 40 percent of the residents identify as a minority or as members of a State recognized tribal community; or (3) at least 40 percent of the households have limited English proficiency. Not sure if you’re located in an over-burdened community? Apply to find out.
Once you submit the application, you may be directed to a Calendly page where you can select a time for an interview with a BFG representative. Upon completion of the program, participants will become part of ICIC's
Inner City Alumni Network (ICAN), which serves ICIC's 8,000+ alumni by providing ongoing professional development, visibility and recognition, and a network through which they may explore collaboration and contracting opportunities.
If you have any questions along the way, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at
BFG@icic.org.