One Chicagoland business. One mission.
The New Business Project was founded in 2024 by Chicago Fleet Wraps, who saw new businesses repeatedly launch underprepared in ways that hurt their first customer interactions. CFW contributes professional vehicle graphics at no cost — design, materials, installation, all free for any qualifying recipient. We are actively recruiting partners across nine more service categories to scale the program.
Founded
by
Founding partner
Meet the founding business.
Chicago Fleet Wraps has been operating in Chicagoland for over two decades. They saw the same problem repeatedly and put a real service on the table — not just logo placement and a press release.
Chicago Fleet Wraps
Established 2001 · 19,400+ vehicles wrapped · Chicago, IL
A vehicle wrap company that's been installing graphics on Chicago vehicles since 2001. Over 19,400 wraps to date. Their work spans single-vehicle small-business jobs all the way up to 600-vehicle Rivian fleet rollouts for Amazon DSP and Blue Origin.
CFW operates a heated, climate-controlled installation bay in Chicago - the kind of facility where vinyl actually adheres in winter. Their reasoning for founding the program is straightforward: businesses they help in their first 90 days remember it. Some come back two or three years later when they need a full $5,000 wrap. The first install is loss-leader marketing. The relationship is the asset.
Contributes to TNBP
Free design, materials, and professional installation of up to 8 sq ft of die-cut cast vinyl graphics on each recipient's vehicle. Same Avery MPI 1105 or 3M IJ180-CV3 vinyl used on $5,000 commercial wrap jobs. All work performed at the CFW Chicago bay.
Why this exists
Most new businesses spend their first 90 days on the basics.
Filing the LLC with the Illinois Secretary of State. Opening a Chase business checking. Getting the EIN from the IRS. Buying a domain. Picking a logo. Marketing comes last - usually long after the truck has been driving around unmarked for months and the founder has been working from a kitchen table for half a year.
The New Business Project covers two of the first essentials - a branded vehicle and a real workspace - so when your business shows up to job number one anywhere in Chicago or the surrounding counties, it looks legitimate from day one.
Ready to apply?
If your Illinois business license is under 90 days old and you're in Chicagoland, the program is open to you.