Issue #7

Global ambition. San Francisco address.

🌐 Including SF International Week 2026,

• 32+ International conferences
• 15+ International festivals
• 50,000+ International Pokemon fans were presented in San Francisco only in August

It's the first day of school in SF Some students are stepping into a brand-new campus.

How long do different S.F. home projects take? See the permit data

S.F. visitors head for record spending as big sporting events and Pokémon championship draw tourists

SFCED supports the city and companies at every stage of growth—from startup to expansion across the San Francisco Bay Area.



Local Business Support

• Vacant to Vibrant: Low-interest loan program to fill commercial vacancies and foster business activity in downtown San Francisco.

State Business Support

• CPCFA Tax Exempt Bond Financing Program: Lower-cost tax-exempt bond financing for projects in solid waste, water treatment, or carbon capture.
• CEC Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program: Up to $79M available for public DC fast-charging stations along major travel corridors.
• Accelerate California: Over $16 million in capital support and other resources to uplift small businesses.
• Cost-Share for Federal Geothermal Energy Funding Opportunities: A $3 million cost-share funding opportunity for eligible federal geothermal energy awards.
• Charger Service Skills Accelerator: Up to $6M in grant funds for the qualified workforce needed to service EV charging equipment.
• Quantum Fast Challenge: Learning Lab offers $2.7M in funding for quantum workforce training and applied research statewide.

International Business Support:

• State Trade Expansion Program (STEP): The STEP Grant program provides funding to help small businesses expand into global markets by offsetting the costs of exporting, including trade missions, international marketing, and participation in overseas trade shows.

Sustainability

Resilient Together: FiDi Disaster Preparedness

Sept 22

September is National Preparedness Month. Yes SF and the American Red Cross are bringing the FiDi community together to talk about how we can stay prepared and resilient together.

Learn more here.

Signature Event

San Francisco International Week

August 10-14

What a way to kick things off the inaugural week! Over 600 guests (with 65 consulates and international govt groups, 13 cultural organizations, and 8 ethnic chambers of commerce and various accelerators) joined us for Opening Night.

Guests savored rich flavors from 34 merchants representing 23 countries, sipped specialty cocktails by The Occasions and squared off in open-play tables led by Mr. Mahjong's. Signal x LOVB (League One Volleyball) and the LPGA joined in too, spotlighting where international community meets sports.

A heartfelt thank you to the partners who brought the evening to life:

• Title Sponsor: Turkish Airlines
• Community Partner: Justworks
• Design & Production Partners: Last Wave Production, Singapore Global Network, Standard Event Rentals, Truly Loved Events, and Hudson Pacific Properties

The celebration continued!

Specialized sessions built for professionals in international trade and global business, alongside ecosystem partner ran all week — 9 events total with more than 1,200 attendees throughout the week.

Help High School Seniors See Their Skills and Job Matches | (September 10)

Upcoming webinar on SkillSight, a career-exploration tool that helps high school students can uncover their unique skills and explore career paths aligned with their strengths.

Learn more here.

KSA Founders Pitch Day | Physical AI, Robotics and More | (September 21)

If you are a builder, investor, industry innovator or simply curious about what’s emerging out of the Korea startup community, this is your chance to meet KSA founders.

Learn more here.

2026 Marconi Awards Gala and Institute Forums | (November 4-6)

An inspiring convergence of pioneering innovators, researchers, and industry leaders, celebrating groundbreaking achievements while shaping the future of AI, wireless technologies, and internet resilience into a cross-sector institute forum presented by Marconi Society.

Learn more here.

AI & Digital Skills Scholarships Opportunity by Harrisburg Business Institute 

Exclusive opportunity for SF business community: Receive a 95% scholarship toward eligible online executive and professional programs at Harrisburg Business Institute. The scholarship can be applied to eligible programs, including AI, Cybersecurity, Data Analysis, Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Business & Management, and more.

For the scholarship code, please contact sponcedeleon@sfchamber.com

The San Francisco Center for Economic Development (SFCED) is a program within the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Foundation (SFCcF).

Learn more about SFCc Foundation programs:

• SFCED
• Yes SF
• UniteSF
• The Job Forum
• Leadership San Francisco (LSF)
• Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE)