LOCAL INCENTIVES

City of Tallahassee/Leon County Targeted Business Pilot Program
The Targeted Business Pilot Program (TBPP) is an initiative to induce business growth that is beneficial to the City of Tallahassee and Leon County. The program is designed to help implement the City and County's long-term vision for economically viable and environmentally sustainable growth.

The TBPP offers incentives to new and existing businesses that create value-added jobs within the City of Tallahassee and Leon County. The program seeks to reward businesses that will diversify the economy, are suited to the City and County's business mix, and will generate revenue growth from the sales of goods and services outside the local economy. The program also seeks to reward businesses that locate in designated target areas for economic growth and development; that build environmentally sensitive projects; that do business with other local businesses; and that practice good corporate citizenship.

Funds awarded under this program would be used to reimburse 1) up to 100% of the cost of development fees and 2) a portion of the capital investment of the business project based on ad valorem taxes paid. The amount of funding would be based on a scoring system evaluated by a review committee with final approval and award granted by the City and County Commissions, respectively. The higher the score obtained, the greater the percentage of development fees and ad valorem taxes that are reimbursed.

For projects located within the city limits, the County will match the amount of ad valorem taxes reimbursed by the City. For projects located in the unincorporated area, the county will calculate the tax reimbursement using the city ad valorem millage rate. The maximum number of years that the ad valorem tax reimbursement can be awarded for is ten years.

STATE INCENTIVES

Florida Enterprise Zone Program

Enterprise Zones are areas targeted for economic revitalization. The Florida Enterprise Zone program offers financial incentives to businesses located in designated areas found in urban and rural communities. These incentives are offered to encourage private investment in the zones as well as employment opportunities for the area's residents.

As a result of the Program, nearly 26,000 new jobs have been created in Florida and the State has provided $26.6 million worth of tax incentives to businesses since 1997.

The Tallahassee/Leon County Enterprise Zone was recently announced with an effective date of January 1, 2003. Almost twenty square miles in size, the Enterprise Zone is located in the central, southern and western portions of the community and lies both within the corporate limits of Tallahassee and in portions of unincorporated Leon County.

Tallahassee/Leon County Enterprise Zone Map (424 kb)

Tallahassee/Leon County Enterprise Zone Parcel ID Search

In the Tallahassee area, both Gadsden and Wakulla counties have designated Rural Enterprise Zones.

Wakulla County Enterprise Zone Maps (938 kb)

For additional information on the Enterprise Zone Program in Florida, please visit Enterprise Florida's comprehensive web-site detailing the tax advantages and economic incentives available to businesses located within zone boundaries.

Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund Program (QTI)

The Qualified Target Industry (QTI) Tax Refund Program is a tool available to Florida communities to encourage quality job growth in targeted high value-added industries.

Pre-approved applicants who create jobs in Florida receive tax refunds of $3,000 per net new full-time equivalent Florida job created; $6,000 in an Enterprise Zone or Rural County. For businesses paying 150 percent of the average annual wage, add $1,000 per job; for businesses paying 200 percent of the average annual salary, add $2,000 per job. New or expanding businesses in selected targeted industries or corporate headquarters are eligible.

Qualified Target Industry (QTI) Tax Refund Target Industries


Quick Response Training Program (QRT)

The Quick Response Training Program (QRT) is customer-driven and designed as an inducement to secure new value-added businesses to Florida as well as provide existing businesses the necessary training for expansion. Through this incentive, Florida is able to effectively retain, expand and attract employers offering high-quality jobs. The program is flexible and structured to respond quickly to meet the business’s training objectives. Workforce Florida, Inc., the state’s public-private partnership created to coordinate job-training efforts, administers the program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Economic Development Transportation Fund (Road Fund)

The Economic Development Transportation Fund, commonly referred to as the "Road Fund," is an incentive tool designed to alleviate transportation problems that adversely impact a specific company's location or expansion decision. The elimination of the problem must serve as an inducement for a specific company's location, retention, or expansion project in Florida and create or retain job opportunities for Floridians.

Matrix of Key Enterprise Florida Incentives

Urban Job Tax Credit Program

The Florida Legislature created the Urban Job Tax Credit Program in 1997 to encourage the creation of jobs in urban areas of Florida (section 212.097, Florida Statutes). The Program provides tax credits to eligible businesses that are located within the 13 Urban Areas designated by the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development (OTTED) and hire a specific number of employees. In the Tallahassee Urban Area, the credit is $1,000 per qualified job and can be taken against either the Florida Corporate Income Tax or the Florida Sales and Use Tax, but not both.

Detailed reference map of eligible locations within Tallahassee (666 kb)

General boundary map of eligible locations within Tallahassee (13 kb)

Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)

A CRA is a public organization that works to improve a specific area (called a Community Redevelopment District) in a community through redevelopment and economic investment. There are currently 174 redevelopment districts in Florida; 119 of which are downtown districts.

The Tallahassee CRA, created in 1998, consists of over 1,450 acres of residential, commercial/retail and industrial land uses, all conveniently located near the heart of downtown Tallahassee. Included within the boundaries of the redevelopment area are (1) thirteen neighborhood communities; (2) seven major commercial/retail areas; and (3) numerous mixed-use areas. In addition, the area borders parts of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and the Florida State University (FSU). Extensive City infrastructure, including water, sewer, electricity and gas, are available throughout the redevelopment area.

Detailed reference map of eligible locations within Tallahassee (840 kb)

CRA Information Brochure (69 kb)

Incumbent Worker Training Program

The Incumbent Worker Training Program is funded by the Federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and administered by Workforce Florida, Inc. Through this program, Florida is able to provide training to currently employed workers to keep Florida’s workforce competitive in a global economy and to retain existing businesses.

High Impact Performance Incentive Grant (HIPI)

The High Impact Business Performance Incentive Grant is a negotiated incentive used to attract and grow major high impact facilities in Florida. Grants are provided to pre-approved applicants in certain high-impact sectors as designated by the Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development (OTTED).

Once recommended by Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) and approved by OTTED, the high impact business is awarded 50 percent of their eligible grant upon commencement of operations and the balance of the awarded grant once full employment and capital investment goals are met.

Capital Investment Tax Credit

The Capital Investment Tax Credit is used to attract and grow capital-intensive industries in Florida. It is an annual credit against the corporate income tax for up to 20 years in an amount up to five (5%) percent of the eligible capital costs generated by a qualifying project. Eligible capital costs include all expenses incurred in the acquisition, construction, installation, and equipping of a project from the beginning of construction to the commencement of operations.