What we do

The BronXchange connects Bronx institutions and nonprofit organizations with high-road, local businesses in order to meet their local purchasing goals and support a more sustainable, equitable, and democratic local economy.

We connect

institutional purchasers with local vetted B2B Bronx-based vendors that can meet procurement needs and offer favorable pricing.

We provide

shared business services and customized support - both online and offline - to streamline transactions and facilitate local sourcing.

We promote

sustainable and equitable business practices to improve the Bronx economy and build community wealth.

why BronXchange

The BronXchange was developed by the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative (BCDI), a network of community and labor organizations, non-profit institutions, and small businesses working together to build a foundation for economic democracy in the Bronx. We believe that the Bronx already holds many of the resources needed to address its greatest challenges. By leveraging our existing assets we can achieve an equitable, sustainable, and democratic local economy. For more information about BCDI please visit our website at www.bcdi.nyc.

Challenge

The Bronx economy presents a vexing paradox: though residents, institutions, and local businesses spend billions of dollars each year, very little wealth stays within our communities to improve the economic prospects of local residents. Instead, most of this spending bypasses local businesses, contributing to the Bronx’s ranking as one of the poorest urban counties in the United States.

Opportunity

Redirecting local purchasing power will keep more dollars circulating in the Bronx. This means increased investment in our neighborhoods, which can be transformative for local businesses owners and their employees, families, and communities.

Results

Accessing new markets through the BronXchange will allow Bronx entrepreneurs to expand their businesses, hire their neighbors at fair wages with good benefits, provide new training and asset-building opportunities for their employees, and improve health outcomes and environmental quality in the Bronx.