Colorado offers a host of incentives for entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes.
Please visit the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade's (OEDIT) webpage OEDIT.colorado.gov for additional programs and more detailed information. If you feel your business might qualify for any of these incentives, please contact Region 9. Additional business resources can be found at Southwest Colorado Disaster Assistance.
The Job Growth Tax Incentive provides a state income tax credit to businesses that create jobs that would otherwise not occur in Colorado without this program.
Required: A business may not start the proposed project in Colorado (including locating or expanding in the state, hiring employees related to this project or making material expenditures for this project) until a final application has been submitted to the EDC and approved.
The Colorado First and Existing Industry grants are jointly administered by OEDIT and the Colorado Community College System. The program helps fund customized training to help establish Colorado companies and nonprofits remain competitive in their industry, adapt to new technology, and prevent layoffs. The grants will also fund customized training for net new hires at companies relocating or expanding in Colorado. In Southwest Colorado, please contact the SW Colorado Community College, 970-247-2929 ext. 7238 for more information.
Local government and community organizations can offer incentives such as fee waivers, expedited land use review and approval, actual cash payments, grant sponsorship, etc. Region 9 can serve as a resource.
Local Government Incentives in an Enterprise Zone
Any city, county or special district within an enterprise zone is authorized to negotiate with individual taxpayers who have qualifying new business facilities:
a) an incentive payment or property tax credit equal to not more than the amount of the increase in property tax liability over pre-enterprise zone levels; and
b) a refund of local sales taxes on purchases of equipment, machinery, machine tools, or supplies used in the taxpayer's business in the enterprise zone.
For example, if the Town's mill levy of a vacant lot is a $100, then when a building is built and equipment installed, the Town's mill levy might increase to a thousand dollars, the increase of the $900.00 is something the town could waive. Usually, this is phased over time, for example, the first year, 100% of the tax increase is abated, the second year it is 80%, the third year it is 60%, etc.
The Rural Jump-Start Zone program is a tax relief program for new businesses and new hires who locate into certain designated areas called Jump-Start zones. Designated counties in Region 9's service area include Archuleta, Dolores, Montezuma, and San Juan. This program is jointly administered by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), the Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC), and the Colorado Department of Revenue.
The program offers the following benefits:
• Relief from state income taxes for the new business
• Relief from the state sales & use tax for the new business
• Relief from county and municipal business personal property tax for the new business
• Relief from state income taxes for the employee
Advance Industry Opportunities
Proof of Concept Grant: This grant uses funding to identify and pull technologies from research institutions where they were discovered and connect them to the private sector where they can be developed into products for commercialization.
Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grant: This grant uses funding to support companies using technologies developed in proof of concept grants and other early stage start-ups that have created viable products that meet a market need and that can be created or manufactured in Colorado and exported globally.
Infrastructure Funding: This grant uses funding to accelerate commercialization and innovation of advanced industry products and services by building capacity and workforce for the advanced industries ecosystem. The application for this grant is open twice a year in the spring and fall.
Export Accelerator Program: This is a financial assistance program for aspiring and current Colorado exporters. The grant program supports eligible small and medium-sized business through funds to offset international business development and marketing costs.
The state of Colorado offers Historic Preservation Grants for properties listed on a local, State, or National historic register. Acquisition and Development grants involve physical work (preservation, restoration, or rehabilitation) and usually require that the applicant provide a 25% match. Grant funds are available to publicly owned properties, or to privately owned properties in partnership with a non-profit or public entity. More information is available at their website or the History Colorado Preservation Planning Unit at 303- 866-3392.
Federal and state tax laws provide tax incentives for certain projects in historic buildings. These credits allow taxpayers to reduce, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, the amount of income tax they owe to the government. The amount of credit that can be obtained is calculated as a percentage of the overall rehabilitation costs associated with the project-
Applicants are urged to contact History Colorado’s Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (OAHP) as early as possible to ensure that all requirements are met when applying for these programs.
