Buffalo Economic Renaissance

Business Development in Buffalo NY

In 1978, the City of Buffalo established the Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corporation (BERC) as a public-private partnership organization eligible to receive federal economic development aid and designed to more appropriately involve the private sector in City economic development initiatives. BERC is a Section 501(c)(4), not-for-profit local development corporation pursuant to the statutes of New York State. BERC also qualifies under HUD and EDA regulations to receive funding as a local development corporation. It is a membership corporation that meets SBA requirements. BERC was modeled after the Philadelphia (PA) Industrial Development Council (PIDC). BERC's semi-independent operation is representative of most urban economic development corporations nationally. Unlike many of its counterparts in other medium-sized U.S. cities, BERC is a comprehensive, effective and successful economic development corporation. It successfully places a high priority on creating jobs, recruits and maintains excellent and aggressive staff, and enjoys a close working relationship with the City of Buffalo, the ECIDA, New York State, the federal government and area banks. BERC offers several incubator locations: - The Beverly A Gray Business Services Incubator - Buffalo Free Trade Complex (BFTC) - Can-Am Building - Market Arcade Complex - River Rock Industrial Incubator - William Gaiter Parkway