Help for every stage, and projects to inspire.
Lancaster has a deep bench of resources including mentors, lenders, and networks for small businesses. See some of those below. We've also gathered some of the cool local projects bringing our community together, from event calendars to podcasts, plus bigger projects to watch in housing, workforce, and community.
This is just a short list of the amazing resources we have in Lancaster. To find more resources, check out the Cultivate Lancaster Digital Hub
How to use this list
Start with a mentor at Cultivate Lancaster, ASSETS, or the SBDC. Get your paperwork in order with the PA Business One-Stop Shop. Then find your people at TCF, or through a chamber of commerce or Lancaster Young Professionals. Not sure where to start? Take a look at the list below!
The Candy Factory (TCF)
Future Lancaster is brought to you by TCF.
Founded in 2010, The Candy Factory is a coworking community and social club in downtown Lancaster built around connection, collaboration, and supporting local business.
Our bigger vision is to create a dedicated Entrepreneur Hub by 2028 and that work is already underway.
Today, founders and small business owners can connect with one another, access resources, learn, and grow within the TCF community. Organizations including ASSETS, Cultivate Lancaster and Ben Franklin Technology Partners already have a presence in our space, and we partner with Ben Franklin each month to host Feed the Founders.
Over the next few years, we’re building on that foundation to create a more connected ecosystem where entrepreneurs can find the people, resources, programs, and support they need in one place. Join us!
- 370+members, many of them business owners
- 4th Thuof every month: Feed the Founders, free for founders
- 2028our goal for the Entrepreneur Hub
Mentoring + training
Mentorship partner
Cultivate Lancaster Entrepreneurship Coalition
A coalition for Lancaster's entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses. It offers one-on-one mentorship and a digital hub of local resources.
Visit site
PA Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
Free, confidential one-on-one consulting and training for new and existing businesses, in partnership with the SBA and the state.
Visit site
Staff at The Candy Factory
ASSETS
Business training, mentoring, and microlending, with a focus on women, people of color, and social enterprises.
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Duke Street Business Center
A business library inside Lancaster Public Library, with specialist librarians and business databases you can use for free.
Visit site
Tec Centro
Adult education, bilingual training, job readiness workshops, and career pathways.
Visit site
Central PA
York LaunchBox
A Penn State entrepreneur support organization for early-stage businesses and product development in York and Lancaster, with low- or no-cost programs plus free legal and intellectual property help.
Visit site
Tandem Center for Shared Business Success
A Lancaster nonprofit, founded with the Lancaster Chamber, that helps owners share success through profit sharing and direct employee ownership, including succession planning that keeps a business rooted here.
Visit site
Funding + government
Staff at The Candy Factory
Ben Franklin Technology Partners
Startup funding and business support for tech-based startups and small manufacturers in Pennsylvania.
Visit site
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
Federal loan programs, step-by-step guides, and a national network of partners, including the SBDC and SCORE.
Visit site
PA Business One-Stop Shop
The state’s first stop for planning, registering, licensing, and growing a business.
Visit site
Formerly Community First Fund
FINANTA
Lending and support that help low-wealth communities, people of color, and women build businesses and wealth.
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EDC Lancaster
Lancaster County’s economic development nonprofit, helping with financing, site selection, and expansion.
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Ideal for nonprofits
Lancaster County Community Foundation
Lancaster County's community foundation, pairing local ideas with the power of endowment. It offers grants and scholarships and helps donors and organizations invest in community projects.
Visit site
PA Programs and Funding (DCED)
The state's searchable list of programs, grants, loans, and tax credits from the PA Department of Community and Economic Development.
Visit site
City of Lancaster Grants & Programs
Grants and programs from the City of Lancaster for residents and business owners, from housing repairs to neighborhood and facade projects.
Visit site
Central PA
White Rose Ventures
A venture firm investing in Central Pennsylvania founders and operators, with capital, business support, and a growing network of startup collaborators across the region.
Visit site
Lancaster City
City of Lancaster: Business
The city's hub for business owners: how to start a new business, the business registration form, licenses, and the tax and redevelopment programs that apply inside the city.
Visit site
Lancaster City
Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ)
State tax credits of up to $100,000 a year for for-profit companies less than eight years old in target sectors inside the city KIZ, coordinated by Lancaster City Alliance under the state KIZ tax credit program. The Candy Factory sits inside the KIZ zone.
Visit site
Statewide
Keystone Opportunity Zones (KOZ)
Designated zones across Pennsylvania where businesses, property owners, and residents can qualify for significant state and local tax benefits, with priority consideration for other state assistance.
Visit site
Lancaster City
City Revitalization + Improvement Zone (CRIZ)
About 130 acres of the city where certain state and local taxes help finance development, plus the CRIZ Small Business Financial Assistance Fund of grants and loans.
Visit site
Statewide
Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator: Impact Grant
Up to $17,000 for established creative businesses, with $50,000 to $2M in annual revenue, whose plans also deliver community impact. Grantees join a peer cohort with one-on-one coaching. Applications close December 31, 2026.
Visit site
Networks + community
Lancaster Chamber of Commerce
The county’s largest business organization, with events, programs, and advocacy for Lancaster businesses.
Visit site
Southern Lancaster Chamber of Commerce
Affordable networking, mixers, and an annual conference for businesses in southern Lancaster County.
Visit site
Northern Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce
Morning mixers, lunch-and-learns, industry tours, and a Women in Business series for the northern county.
Visit site
Discover Lancaster
The county’s official tourism organization. Partner businesses get listed in visitor guides and co-op marketing.
Visit site
Lancaster Young Professionals
Grow your network and skills while giving back, alongside Lancaster’s current and future leaders.
Visit site
Free meetup
Kick-Ass Female Entrepreneurs
A free networking group where entrepreneurs share encouragement, knowledge, skills, and advice.
Visit site
Central PA
Keystone Merge
A monthly entrepreneur gathering across the Harrisburg, York, and Lancaster region. Meet other founders over drinks and conversation on the first Thursday of the month, in person or online.
Visit site
Featured above
The Candy Factory
A coworking community and social club in downtown Lancaster with 370+ members. Drop in for events, clubs, and monthly gatherings like Feed the Founders, or find a desk, office, or meeting space.
Visit site
Central PA
Keystone Business Alliance
Central PA's LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce and an NGLCC affiliate, serving eight counties since 2007 with monthly networking mixers, events, and LGBT Business Enterprise certification.
Visit site
Free meetup
Tech Lancaster
A social meetup for anyone curious about technology, with short talks and plenty of time to meet people. Open to every experience level, and every event is free.
Visit site
Free meetup
WordPress Lancaster
A free local group for anyone who uses WordPress: casual bloggers, business owners, designers, developers, and the SEO folks who make sites easier to find.
Visit site
More resources
Lancaster City Alliance
Programs and support for businesses and neighborhoods in the city of Lancaster.
Visit site
Leadership Lancaster
Programs that identify and prepare the leaders who will help guide the county in the years ahead.
Visit site
Lititz PA (Venture Lititz)
Venture Lititz's guide to the borough's shops, restaurants, events, and attractions, and a good look at how a small town promotes its downtown businesses.
Visit site
Statewide
PA Downtown Center
The only statewide nonprofit dedicated to downtown revitalization, with training, planning help, and affordable services for Pennsylvania communities of every size.
Visit site
National
Main Street America
A national network helping older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts thrive, with programs, research, and the Main Street Approach.
Visit site
Central PA
Keystone Innovation Collaborative
A running map of Central Pennsylvania's tech and startup ecosystem, listing the regional organizations, funders, and support programs working across the midstate.
Visit site
Statewide
Coworking PA
A network of independently owned, community-driven coworking spaces across Pennsylvania. Its Coworking Passport lets members work from participating spaces around the state.
Visit site
Local projects
Cool things our neighbors are building for Lancaster. Know a project we should feature? Tell us about it.
Lancaster Patchwork
In Beta - A living culture map and calendar for Lancaster. Follow local venues, organizations, and groups, and see what's happening around town, all in one place.
Visit project
Projects to watch
Big efforts shaping Lancaster's future, from housing to workforce to the places we share. We're cheering these on. Know one we should follow? Tell us about it.
Housing
Lancaster Housing Works
A new way to fund middle-income rental housing, with a goal of 350 new units in five years for the educators, EMTs, mechanics, restaurant workers, and neighbors who power Lancaster County.
Follow the project
Community
Sunnyside Nature Preserve
The City of Lancaster's first nature preserve: 70 acres on the Conestoga River with trails, kayaking, outdoor classrooms, and a new environmental center. The final site plan is set for adoption this fall.
Follow the project
Plans + reports
What the city and its partners are planning next, and where to get your own event in front of more people.
Plan
Lancaster Stadium District Plan
Lancaster City Alliance's summary presentation of the small area plan for the stadium district, covering how those blocks could grow and connect to the rest of downtown. (PDF)
Read the plan
Plan
2026–2028 Tourism Plan for Lancaster City
The first cycle of the city's tourism master plan: a destination management organization, a unified city brand and website, and campaigns meant to bring more visitors to local businesses.
Read the plan
Submit an event
Visit Lancaster City event calendar
Add your event to the city's public calendar. It is open to events and businesses located in Lancaster City, and there are guidelines to read before you submit.
Submit your event
Find the right connections.
Get involvedTell us what's missing
Descriptions are short summaries. Check each organization's website for current programs and eligibility.