Birmingham’s Shipt today announced a new program to help small businesses grow in the e-commerce sector.

LadderUp is open to grocery/beverage, health, beauty, and floral/gifts retailers.

If selected, small business owners will go through an eight-week course on driving sustainable growth, building finances and efficiency, marketing, e-commerce basics, using Shipt, and the basic legal knowledge needed to run a business. E-commerce company Shopify is also partnering with Shipt to teach a course in the program and provide no-cost access to its platform.

Applications are open through March 6.

Birmingham is one of five cities chosen for the first round of the program, along with Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, and Washington, D.C.

The program was created to benefit the approximately 20,000 small businesses in the Birmingham area. LadderUp also has a goal of at least 50% LGBTQ+ and Black, Indigenous, and people of color participation.

Shipt CEO Kamau Witherspoon said Shipt is putting food insecurity and equity “at the forefront of its work.”

“Working with small businesses to build up their capabilities is a key part of our commitment to help create healthier, more resilient and equitable communities,” Witherspoon said.

“We recognize the unique role that we can play in both combating hunger in under-resourced communities and boosting small, local retailers that are so vital to communities across our country.”

Upon completion of the program, Shipt will provide participating retailers $5,000 to invest in their e-commerce.