Client: City of Manchester
Government Partners: Mayor’s Office and Economic Development Department
Location: Manchester, New Hampshire
Engagement: Three year small business support initiative
DMC Focus: Program design, implementation, business engagement, application support, professional service coordination and business capacity building
Deo Mwano Consultancy designed and implemented Manchester’s 360 Business Support Capacity Building Program in partnership with the City. The $2.8 million initiative supported more than 75 small businesses over three years and deployed approximately $2 million directly as grants. DMC connected business owners with professional services and managed the pathway from application through partner service delivery.
The challenge
Small businesses recovering from the pandemic needed financial support and access to expertise. A grant could help fund an investment, but owners also needed assistance identifying priorities, accessing services and completing the steps required to participate.
DMC’s account of the Manchester initiative describes owners balancing daily operations with unfamiliar application requirements and limited administrative capacity. Minority owned and immigrant run businesses could face additional barriers involving language, networks and knowledge of local systems. These conditions made direct guidance an important part of the support model.
DMC responsibility
DMC helped design the initiative with the Mayor’s Office and ran its implementation, coordinating connections between applicants and professional service partners. The work linked public funding with marketing, website development, point of sale systems, legal services, accounting and business digitization.
The federally funded initiative also involved federal fiduciary reporting requirements. DMC’s role required attention to program delivery and the accountability associated with public investment.
Program at a glance
| Program measure | Reported scale |
|---|---|
| Total initiative | $2.8 million |
| Direct grants | Approximately $2 million |
| Businesses supported | More than 75 |
| Engagement duration | Three years |
DMC approach
Design a program connecting capital with expertise
DMC worked with the City to develop a capacity building model that paired direct grants with access to professional support. This connected the financial resources available to businesses with the services needed to carry out practical improvements.
Support owners through the application process
DMC managed connections beginning with business applications and continuing through partner service delivery. Its published account emphasizes direct assistance with requirements and federal registrations, helping owners navigate unfamiliar steps while managing their businesses.
Help owners identify useful business priorities
DMC describes helping owners recognize needs beyond their initial requests for equipment or physical upgrades, including digital marketing, operational efficiency and customer engagement. This guidance connected immediate requests with opportunities to build business capacity.
Coordinate access to professional services
The program brought together several forms of support suited to different business needs. Marketing and website development addressed customer visibility and digital presence. Point of sale systems and digitization offered tools for business operations. Legal and accounting services connected owners with specialized expertise.
Delivered value and documented results
The initiative supported more than 75 businesses over three years, with approximately $2 million deployed directly as grants within a $2.8 million program. These figures demonstrate the scale of investment and business participation. The delivered support included connections to marketing, websites, technology, legal and accounting services.
DMC’s contribution extended from designing the support model to running its delivery. The program created a pathway through which owners could access financial resources and professional assistance within one coordinated initiative.
Why the work mattered
The Manchester engagement illustrates how a municipality can connect economic development funding with practical support for business owners. Capital and professional expertise addressed different needs within the same initiative, while program coordination connected owners to available help.
DMC capability demonstrated
This project demonstrates DMC’s ability to design and run a municipal business support initiative, coordinate service partners, assist owners through program participation and work within the accountability requirements of federal funding. It shows how DMC translates a public investment strategy into practical support for local businesses.