Incentives, Financing and Special Programs

Tools to start and grow.
8,500

Workers at 239 businesses trained by the Vermont Training Program between 2018-2022 

$10.8million

In grants in 12 counties by Northern Border Regional Commission in 2023 

586

New Vermonters participated in the Remote Worker or New Worker relocation grant programs in 2019 & 2020  

$15.3 million

Downtown and Village Center Tax Credits Awarded to 159 Projects Between 2019-2023  

In Vermont’s broad economic development landscape there’s room for businesses large and small to grow.

Businesses can leverage programs focused on training and workforce development, environmental mediation, restoring historic downtown buildings, building rural economies, and more to start up or expand.

Some Vermont businesses look for help training their workers on new equipment in order to expand into new markets—the Vermont Training Program and the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive can helpOthers see an opportunity for growth in an old historic mill or downtown building—downtown tax credits, sales tax reallocation, and tax increment financing can help make that happen. A one-person company may experience growth that requires them to hire more people—the Vermont Center for Enterprise & Technology can help with seed capitalWhat starts out as an idea on paper becomes the intellectual property of a small business that changes 

an entire sector—UVM Innovations can help obtain funding for tech commercialization.  

Vermont’s incentive programs have been rated amongst the best. Our financial tools can help businesses adjust to changes in the market, assist businesses in certain geographic areas, and grow their workforce. Professionals at the Agency of Commerce & Community Development and our Regional Development Corporations are ready to help you identify the best source for your need and support you through eligibility and applications processes. 

 State of Vermont signature programs 

Building Success with help from Vermont

Using multiple state programs, family business Blake Hill Preserves and Artisans Park, where it’s located, expanded to bring new vitality to the community of Windsor, Vermont.

Vermont Can Help Your Business.

Explore some of the organizations and programs available to support businesses, innovators, and entrepreneurs.

Description
The Brownfields Initiative promotes the productive reuse of sites that are currently abandoned or not fully utilized due to contamination on the site. By providing financial assistance for cleaning up these sites, Vermont continues its commitment to environmental stewardship, community investment, and economic growth.
Federal and state rehabilitation tax credits help to stimulate private investment, create jobs, restore historic buildings and jump start the revitalization seen in Vermont’s Designated Downtowns and Village Centers. Successful projects range from small bed and breakfasts and rental apartments to multimillion dollar downtown redevelopments.
Municipalities and the developer of a qualified project may jointly apply for a reallocation of sales taxes on construction materials. Qualified projects must be located within a designated downtown district and may be eligible for a reallocation of sales taxes on construction materials.
The Agency of Natural Resources administers a number of grant and loan programs through its three departments.
Investments are needed at many stages in a business growth. These investments can take different forms, starting with "friends and family" and moving to more institutional investors. Following are links to some of the many resources available in Vermont. Capital sources from outside Vermont and foreign sources are also active in Vermont.
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Farms & Markets provides additional connections to options for business loans and financing.
Opportunity Zones are a tax incentive aimed at increasing private investment in low-income census tracts. Investors in these zones receive preferential tax treatment when they invest in a newly created “Opportunity Fund.” Find Vermont Opportunity Zones HERE
REDI, a program of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, helps rural communities access the funding they need for community and business development. REDI provides grant writing assistance to rural communities and small businesses interested in applying for federal funds and other funding sources when applicable.
STEP provides funding assistance to eligible Vermont businesses to support entry into foreign markets or expand international export activity through trade shows, trade missions, market research, and export education.
TIF is a tool that municipalities use to finance improvements for public infrastructure like streets, sidewalks and storm water management systems. TIF leverages additional private investment that builds and renovates the housing, commercial, and retail space needed to grow jobs and the economy.
UVM innovations enables new and existing companies to commercialize new technologies that benefit society.
Through active coaching, mentorship, coworking spaces, community events, investment, and smart introductions, VCET serves entrepreneurs and companies from start to scale.
The Vermont Community Loan Fund is a mission-driven, community-focused alternative lender providing loans and other resources to local businesses, community organizations and nonprofits, early care and learning providers, and developers of affordable housing who don’t qualify for a loan from a traditional lender.
Vermont boasts the nation’s most progressive local investing regulations, making it easier for small businesses to raise much needed capital from their friends, families, customers and neighbors who want to invest in their local economy.
Since inception, VEDA has helped businesses and farms create jobs for Vermonters and enhance Vermont’s working landscape.
VEOC is a statewide non-profit that provides information and resources to owners interested in selling their business to their employees, employee groups interested in purchasing a business, and entrepreneurs who wish to start up a company with broadly shared ownership.
The Vermont Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is a program of the National Science Foundation. It offers funding opportunities for the private sector, faculty, undergraduates, and high school teachers and students.
In partnership with the Vermont Small Business Development Center, Vermont APEX Accelerator (Formerly VT PTAC) offers services to Vermont businesses looking to pursue U.S. federal research and development funding.
The Vermont Small Business Offering Exemption allows Vermont businesses and start-up companies to raise up to $2 million in capital by selling shares in their company to in-state investors. The regulation allows for a simplified process to reduce the regulatory burdens and costs usually associated with securities registration.
WCEDP promotes economic development in the southeast corner of the state by providing funds to stimulate job creation through business start-up, expansion, or relocation; encourage entrepreneurial activity; and strengthen the economic development infrastructure to ensure a strong foundation for transformational economic activity.
The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative supports innovative entrepreneurs at the forefront of Vermont’s working lands economy through technical and financial assistance to help growing businesses thrive.