Published September 2026
Local entrepreneurs now have a single place to turn for help. ACCESS FV, the new Fredville Small Business Enterprise program, gathers the City's support for small firms into one initiative.
Through ACCESS FV, Fredville companies can tap into training, practical information, networking events and other resources meant to help them expand and compete. Firms hoping to sell goods or services to the City will also get a clearer view of upcoming contract openings, along with guidance on each step of City purchasing.
The Management Services Department runs the program.
"Our small businesses give Fredville its character," said the Assistant Director of Management Services. "When they grow, our whole local economy grows along with them."
The goal is simple: every local business owner should know what support, contacts and openings are out there, both for working with the City and for building ties across the wider business community.
The assistant director added that small business success ranks near the very top of the City Council's priorities, and that the new offerings are designed to create openings that pay off for the entire community.
Kickoff Symposium on October 22
Business owners can get started at the ACCESS FV Small Business Symposium on October 22 at the Mabel Pruitt Center. During the half-day program, attendees will hear about contracting opportunities on the horizon, spend time networking with City buyers and fellow owners, and learn where to find help as they grow.
Standing up a small business enterprise program, and widening the circle of suppliers who bid on City contracts and projects, appears among the goals the City Council set for 2026. Council members adopted the ACCESS FV framework at their April 7 meeting.
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