Incentives & Financial Assistance

We recognize the financial challenges of establishing a business. There are many incentive options provided by community colleges and local, state and federal entities.

Assistance is provided in the form of tax increment financing (TIF), loans and/or forgivable loans and education and tax credits. Incentives are based in part on job creation, capital investment, the ability to meet certain wage standards, quality of employment, and economic benefits for the state and local community.

What's available

State

The High Quality Job Creation Program provides qualifying businesses tax credits to offset the cost incurred to locate, expand or modernize an Iowa facility. To qualify for this flexible assistance package that includes tax credits, exemptions and/or refunds, a business must be a non-retail or non-service business and meet wage requirements.

Community Colleges

Iowa Employee Training Programs provides funds for screening and assessment, travel for training purposes, in-plant instruction, costs of training facilities, equipment, supplies and more. The program is paid for by the new employees' withholding taxes at no cost to the employee or the company. These taxes may be diverted for a 10-year period to pay for up-front costs of training.

Local

Local assistance may involve Tax Increment Financing (TIF), revolving loan funds, utility incentives, property tax rebatement/abatement and more.

Federal

Federal USDA Rural Development offers businesses in most of our area that are eligible to apply for a $1 million, zero interest loan.

Contact us to help identify which programs best suit your business. 

See Tax Structure for more information.