City of Boulder Partners with Cities Work to Enhance Boulder’s Small Business Environment

The City of Boulder is partnering with Cities Work to better support local entrepreneurs and small businesses by making it easier to start, operate and grow a business in Boulder. Cities Work is the Institute for Justice’s nonpartisan regulatory consulting team which partners with cities like Boulder - free of charge - to explore ways to make it cheaper, faster and simpler to start a business.

“Small businesses are essential to Boulder’s economy and character,” said City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde. “Through this partnership, we are taking practical steps to make it easier to start and grow a business in Boulder, while maintaining a regulatory environment that prioritizes health, safety and the long-term interests of our community. Our goal is not just to make small improvements quickly, but to lower barriers to doing business in Boulder. This work will benefit both businesses and community members by promoting a diverse and sustainable local economy.”

Through this partnership, Cities Work and the City of Boulder will:

• Conduct a comprehensive review of city processes, especially those affecting common business operations and dynamic activities
• Identify opportunities to streamline and simplify permit applications
• Improve online tools and information to make navigating regulations easier
• Assess fees and consider adjustments to reduce barriers for small business owners
• Foster a more supportive and predictable environment for local entrepreneurs

“This partnership is a testament to the City of Boulder’s commitment to its entrepreneurs,” said Dylan DelliSanti, Activism Policy Associate at the Institute for Justice. “We look forward to working together to make it cheaper, faster and simpler to start and grow a small business in Boulder.”

Cities Work is an initiative of Institute for Justice (IJ), which partners with city leaders across the country to make it cheaper, faster and simpler to start businesses by identifying and rectifying regulatory barriers to entrepreneurship. IJ is a national public interest law firm that advocates for entrepreneurs throughout the country.

This partnership is an initiative of the city’s newly created Office of Cultural and Economic Development (OCED), which will be fully operational Jan. 1, 2026. The OCED was established to strengthen the city’s support for businesses, economic vitality and Boulder’s vibrant cultural life. By uniting arts and culture, economic development and business support teams under a shared vision, the city is taking a more integrated and strategic approach to fostering cultural and economic vibrancy.