Team Massachusetts debuts 'Business Front Door' portal to help child care and small businesses find state resources

State economic development staff demonstrated an online tool called the Business Front Door during a virtual briefing for early education providers, saying the platform will centralize state programs and pair businesses with a single navigator who curates recommendations and helps get answers across agencies.

Naomi Berlin, who identified herself as staff in the Executive Office of Economic Development, said the tool is intended to help businesses "start, stay, and grow here in Massachusetts" by connecting them to programs they might not know exist. "This is a minimum viable product," Berlin said, adding that developers expect to improve the platform over time and welcome user feedback.

The Business Front Door uses a short registration form — business name, industry, employee size and location — to pair a business with a Team Massachusetts navigator. For businesses in the child care sector, Berlin said, the system routes requests to a navigator from the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC). The navigator can either return tailored program recommendations on the site or follow up by phone or email to coordinate cross‑agency answers.

Gabby Santan…