The City of Austin Small Business Development Program (SBDP) has denied Austin Independent Business Alliance contracted funding of $60,800 in 2013 for the IBIZ Districts®, in part because we would not violate our privacy policy and surrender personal email addresses of local business owners. 

Our policy states: “We do not share, sell or otherwise reveal any email addresses of our members, newsletter subscribers or customers. These addresses include those gathered in contests, through our website, by request, in IBIZ Districts®, or through membership.” 

While Austin has a history of providing millions of dollars in incentives for big businesses to come to Austin, city leaders had never devoted meaningful resources to growing our local business community until 2008, when AIBA was approached by the City of Austin through the SBDP. They had seen the success of what we were doing and wanted to participate by providing economic development funds to market the IBIZ Districts®. 

AIBA has worked diligently for many months through every level of management and leadership at the City to resolve this, but our voices have fallen almost entirely on deaf ears. It is appalling that a City department can violate their own contract five ways with total impunity. 

Tell the City of Austin to devote funding to locally owned businesses.

Austin Independent Business Alliance

IBIZ Districts website:  http://www.austinibiz.com/