The Sustainable Business Program is no longer receiving funding, however some valuable resource information has been archived and is being made available for a limited time. If you need assistance with starting or growing your business, please call our main number at 210-458-2020 or visit the main website at www.iedtexas.org.
Thank you.
What is a sustainable business?
It's a business that "demonstrably, measurably and progressively reduces its pollution or waste and is transitioning toward hyper-efficient uses of energy, water and materials."
UTSA Institute for Economic Development expands workshop training, office locations to Washington Place building
Two economic development programs move from Durango Building to Washington Place, 215 S. San Saba, located one block east of the UTSA Downtown Campus
The UTSA Institute for Economic Development has recently expanded to office space adjacent to its Downtown Campus facilities. The new offices are located at 215 S. San Saba, known as Washington Place. The move was necessitated by program growth in UTSA’s economic development portfolio, which last year served 37,800 entrepreneurs.
Two specialized business assistance centers have relocated to the new space, which will officially be known as the Institute for Economic Development at Washington Place. These programs are the Contracting Resource Center and the Sustainable Business Program. The main reception number is 458-2458. (All staff numbers are the same.)
The Contracting Resource Center provides technical assistance, advising, networking and training to small business owners wanting to expand their business via public contracts and as private sector suppliers. Directed by Terri Williams, a 1990 graduate of UTSA (B.A. Political Science), the center also features specialty services in energy saving solutions, veterans businesses, and women-owned business opportunities. For a list of the Contracting Resource Center’s training classes, see here.
The Sustainable Business Program assists small businesses in becoming more efficient, profitable and environmentally friendly. The staff, under the direction of Robert Velasquez, holds training events including "green bag" lunches, sustainable business practices, disaster resilience, sustainable manufacturing practices and green technology commercialization. A link to all their training classes is here.
A new initiative to establish a San Antonio Clean-Tech Business Incubator will also be co-located at Washington Place. This office is coordinated by the Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute and the College of Engineering.
"As the San Antonio economy picks up steam, the demand for UTSA’s business development services has increased dramatically, and through this expansion we are ready to respond," said Bob McKinley, associate vice president of economic development at UTSA.
The nearly 8,000 square-foot facility features a reception area, offices, a conference room and a large training room with a capacity for 40 people. Washington Place, which also houses some City of San Antonio and private offices, features about 20 visitor parking spaces and adjacent to a UTSA faculty/staff parking lot.
