Bergen County Economic Development

What Bergen County Economic Development does

Bergen County Economic Development (BCED) is a division of Bergen County government in New Jersey that operates the Bergen County Business Resource Network (BRN), a free business assistance platform created in 2020 by County Executive James J. Tedesco and the Board of Commissioners in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The organization serves the county's 49,000+ business entities across 70 municipalities, providing free one-on-one counseling, grants and loan facilitation, workforce development support, and access to the SizeUp data intelligence tool for competitive benchmarking, demographic analysis, supplier discovery, and location optimization. The BRN coordinates a multi-agency partner network including the Small Business Development Center at Ramapo College, SCORE mentors, NJEDA (offering up to $50,000 in Main Street Acquisition Support Grants and free e-commerce consulting), Bergen Community College, the Bergen County Job Center, NJBAC, and UCEDC.

All services are provided at no cost to businesses, with BCED funded through public tax revenues rather than commercial revenue. The organization employs 1-10 staff led by Director Joanne Cimiluca and Deputy Director Michael J. McPartland, with Economic Development Representative Greer Galgano and Tourism Strategist LaKreisha Jean on the leadership team. Bergen County itself represents a substantial addressable market with a 979,000+ population, $170 billion tax base, $103,915 median household income, 499,000+ skilled workers, and a AAA Bond Rating. The go-to-market motion is community-led, reaching businesses through the bergenforbusiness.com website, email newsletter alerts, social media, partner referrals, and workshops.

BCED's competitive positioning rests on its regulatory authority as a government entity, coordinated multi-agency ecosystem, and countywide distribution reach. Services are delivered through direct in-person assistance at One Bergen County Plaza in Hackensack, self-service online tools (SizeUp), partner organization counseling, and a local business mapping service. The organization does not generate commercial revenue and has no funding rounds, M&A activity, or disclosed budget allocation.

Name

Bergen County Economic Development

Legal name

Bergen County Division of Economic Development

Website

https://bergenforbusiness.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bergen County Economic Development is a government division operating the Bergen County Business Resource Network (BRN), providing free business assistance, data intelligence tools, and partner-coordinated services to 49,000+ businesses across 70 municipalities in Bergen County, New Jersey.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Business Service Centers (56143)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Small business assistance
• Business resource network
• Data benchmarking tools
• Government grants navigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Economic Development Services: As a Bergen County government division, BCED is funded through public funding and tax revenues. All services provided to businesses are free of charge - no revenue is generated from small business assistance programs. The organization connects businesses to grants, loans, and incentives from partner agencies like NJEDA.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bergen County Economic Development operates the Bergen County Business Resource Network (BRN), a county government division that delivers free business assistance, data benchmarking, and resource navigation to local small businesses and entrepreneurs. Core offerings include the SizeUp business intelligence tool for competitive and demographic analysis, one-on-one counseling through partner mentors (SBDC, SCORE, UCEDC, Bergen Community College), grant and loan navigation (NJEDA), workforce recruitment support, and tourism strategy services across Bergen County's 70 municipalities.

Product overview

The Bergen County Business Resource Network (BRN) is a unified platform of business support services created by Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco and the Board of Commissioners. The core product is the SizeUp Business Intelligence Tool, a free data analytics platform that helps businesses with competitive benchmarking, demographic analysis, and location optimization. This core platform is supplemented by grant programs including the NJEDA Main Street Acquisition Support Grant (up to $50,000 for closing costs) and NJEDA E-Commerce Support Program (free consulting services). Additional modules include one-on-one business counseling via SBDC, SCORE mentorship, graphic design and social media assistance, UCEDC training workshops, and local business mapping. All services are provided at no cost to businesses in Bergen County, New Jersey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SizeUp Tool: A data intelligence tool that helps businesses compare performance against competitors, find suppliers, analyze demographics, and determine optimal advertising locations.

Products and services

• SizeUp Business Intelligence Tool

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to $50,000 reimbursement for closing costs through NJEDA Main Street Acquisition Support Grant
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Small Business Development Center at Ramapo CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SBDC provides free one-on-one business counseling to Bergen County businesses through the BRN network. SBDC counselors offer expertise in business planning, financial analysis, and growth strategies. They also help interpret data from the SizeUp tool and connect businesses to additional resources.
• SCORE Mentors (Northeast NJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCORE provides no-cost business assistance consulting through experienced mentors. Mentors offer guidance on business strategy, operations, marketing, and financial planning. SCORE counselors are available for referrals from the BRN network to provide personalized mentoring sessions.
• New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNJEDA offers small business loans and grants accessible through the BRN. Programs include the Main Street Acquisition Support Grant (up to $50,000 for closing costs) and E-Commerce Support Program (free digital marketing consulting). NJEDA is a key funding partner for Bergen County small businesses.
• Bergen Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBergen Community College provides grant-funded small business training, leadership training, and apprenticeship opportunities. The college also supplies trained SizeUp support specialists who assist businesses in using the data intelligence tool.
• Bergen County Job CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bergen County Job Center provides recruitment coaches and workforce development services. The center helps businesses find and screen skilled workers and connects job seekers with employment opportunities in Bergen County businesses.
• New Jersey Business Action Center (NJBAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNJBAC provides information on license renewals, business filings, and accounting through the BRN. They also offer business starter kits for planning, operating, and growing businesses. Services include licensing and regulatory guidance.
• UCEDCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCEDC provides free training workshops for small businesses and also offers small business loans and grants. The organization conducts workshops on various business topics accessible to Bergen County businesses through the BRN network.
• Bergen County Executive's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBergen County Executive James J. Tedesco and the Board of Commissioners created the BRN. The Executive's Office provides oversight and political support for economic development initiatives across Bergen County's 70 municipalities.
• Bergen County Chambers of CommerceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal chambers of commerce in Bergen County serve as referral channels and community connectors, directing local businesses to BRN resources and promoting economic development programs within their business communities.
• SizeUpcoreTechnology or IntegrationSizeUp is a data intelligence tool integrated into the BRN platform. It provides businesses with competitive benchmarking, demographic analysis, supplier discovery, and location optimization capabilities. The tool is offered free of charge to Bergen County businesses.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA): State-level economic development agency that funds small-business grants and loans (e.g., Main Street Acquisition Support Grant, E-Commerce Support Program) distributed through the BRN. It is a key upstream partner and the closest higher-level comparable in mission.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): Federal agency providing funding programs, counseling, and contracting support to U.S. small businesses. A broader, federal-level incumbent that the BRN effectively localizes through its partner network.

Direct peers

• New Jersey Business Action Center (NJBAC): State-level 'one-stop' business assistance center offering licensing, filings, and starter kits. Directly comparable to Bergen County Economic Development as a government-backed business service center, though operating statewide rather than at the county level.

Others

• SCORE: National nonprofit mentor network that provides free one-on-one business counseling to SMBs. It is a core BRN delivery partner and a functional comparable for the mentoring/advising layer of the offering.
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC): Nationwide SBA-affiliated network of business counselors providing free consulting. The SBDC at Ramapo College is a BRN partner, and the network as a whole is the closest functional analogue to the agency's counseling capabilities.
• UCEDC: New Jersey nonprofit providing small-business training workshops and access to loans/grants. A direct BRN delivery partner whose workshop and training offerings are functionally similar to BRN's small-business education programming.
• Bergen Community College: Local community college that delivers grant-funded small-business training, leadership training, apprenticeships, and trained SizeUp support specialists through the BRN. Functions as both an educational partner and an extension of the agency's delivery capacity.
• SizeUp: Data intelligence platform provider whose tool the BRN offers free to local businesses. Functionally comparable as a business benchmarking and market intelligence provider and a key technology ecosystem partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/bergencountynj?lang=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/bergengov
• Instagraminstagram.com/bergencountynj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bergenforbusiness

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bergen County Economic Development