Incentives

Tax Abatement
The City of Bedford and Lawrence County have elected to provide tax abatement for both new and existing companies that are making new investment in both real and personal property. Under state law, local governments have the option of granting tax abatement for up to 10 years. On average, tax abatement can provide nearly 50 percent savings from property taxes over the life of the abatement.

Training
The Indiana Department of Commerce offers assistance from the Skills Enhancement Fund (SEF) program. This flexible training program will provide partial reimbursement for a wide variety of training costs. Eligible costs include instructional materials, instructor salaries, and travel to training sites.

EDGE
The Department of Commerce may offer Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credits based on the added payroll for Indiana jobs. The payroll taxes withheld from those new employees, effectively 3.1% in Indiana, are the basis for the credits. Tax credits can be awarded up to that amount for a period not to exceed ten years. The credits awarded are first applied against any Indiana corporate income tax liability, and any excess amount earned is refunded directly to the company.

Infrastructure
The Department of Commerce may assist the community by helping to provide public infrastructure through the Industrial Development Grant Fund (IDGF), to serve the company`s facility. Assistance may be provided to support the opening of the new plant or at any time in the future if a plant expansion necessitates additional public improvements.

Permitting Assistance
The Office of the Ombudsman serves as a liaison between companies, communities, local economic development organizations, and regulatory agencies. They can provide permit application assistance and tracking and help to establish early communication with the technical staff of regulatory agencies to ensure that permits are efficiently processed. This service is an effort to minimize the amount of time spent on regulatory compliance. This office stands ready to assist in every way possible as we work through the process of obtaining the permits necessary for your operation.

Tech Fund
The IDOC, in partnership with the Department of Workforce Development, created the Technology Enhancement Certifications of Hoosiers (TECH) Fund to help Indiana businesses train existing information technology professionals. The maximum award to any one company is $50,000 and can be used for costs associated with IT professionals earning recognized certifications in systems administration, systems engineering, and software development.

 

 

Hoosier Business Investment Tax Credit
Under new legislation passed by the Indiana General Assembly, a business may be eligible for a credit against future Indiana tax liabilities worth up to 30% of the capital investment made in Indiana during the calendar years 2004 and 2005.

Energy Policy
Loans or grants through the Indiana Department of Commerce`s Energy Policy Division (EPD) might also be available. The EPD administers the Recycling Promotion and Assistance Fund, which may provide a zero interest loan of up to $1 million dollars to support the use of recycled materials. The programs promote economic development by encouraging the responsible use of natural resources and helping businesses increase the energy efficiency of manufacturing processes. Companies may be eligible for either, but not both.

Small Business Loans
Lawrence County Economic Growth Council offers a small business loan program through the USDA. Loan funds may be available for qualifying emerging or expanding small business or industry at extremely attractive rates and terms.

Department of Workforce Development
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) may also offer assistance through the following:

Employee Recruitment
DWD`s Customer Self-Service System (CS3) is a sophisticated Internet-based job matching system with the ability to match the company`s job orders for new workers with the skills of job seekers all over the state. The system increases the company`s access to qualified workers, contributes to diversity in the potential labor pool and ensures that only those individuals most likely to meet the company`s job criteria are seen. Through CS3, DWD can assist in the recruitment, screening and selection of employees based on qualifications specified by a company.

On-The-Job Training
The On-the-Job Training (OJT) program is a great opportunity to begin your next career. On-the-job training offers unemployed or underemployed Hoosiers training for a new career while earning a paycheck. The benefit to OJT is that you can start your new career today, instead of traditional training which must be completed before starting your career. With this program you will be trained while working, so you start earning a paycheck while being trained.
 
Additional information on many of these programs can be found at www.in.gov/doc/

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