2026 Building for Growth in New Jersey Initial Application

About Building for Growth (BFG) in New Jersey

Overview: A tuition-free executive education program that helps 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. 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
Headquartered in New Jersey, or perform a significant percentage of contracts in New Jersey
Represent or be located in an overburdened community*

*Not sure if this applies to you? 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 9,000+ 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.

Is your company an independent corporation in the construction industry? *This question is required.BFG is designed specifically for construction businesses in the trades (e.g. electrical subcontractor, painting contractor, GCs, etc.). Design-build firms also qualify if a significant portion of revenue is generated from the build side.

Is your company based in New Jersey? *This question is required.

You indicated your company is not headquartered in New Jersey. What percent of your work (in terms of number of projects) are based in NJ? *This question is required. This question requires a valid percent format.