was created to bolster our state’s inventory of available facility locations served by utility and transportation infrastructure. Sites improved under the program are kept at and ready for future business prospects seeking locations for new or expanded operations.The State of Ohio will sell $150 million in bonds during a seven-year period to fund the availability of Job Ready Sites Program grant awards. The grants may be used to offset costs traditionally incurred in industrial and commercial site development, from acquisition of real property to utility upgrades to construction buildout of speculative facilities.
Advanced Energy and Efficiency Programs
The Ohio Development Services Agency works to grow the economy of the state by connecting companies and communities to financial and technical resources, increase efficiency and deploy advanced energy technologies. Businesses can access program information to improve thier energy efficiency or deploy renewable resources 
here.
Economic Development Grants
With the
Economic Development Grants, funds can be used for the acquisition of machinery and equipment, new building construction, building acquisition, on-or-off site infrastructure improvements, and other fixed asset investments. Finds are available for manufacturing, research and development, high-tech, corporate headquarters, and distribution projects. Given the demand for limited grant funds, qualified projects must involve substantial job creation or retention. More information about this grant can be found on the
Ohio Development Services Agency website.
Columbia Gas of Ohio Jobs Growth Fund
The Columbia Gas of Ohio (COH) Jobs Growth Fund program is a $1.55 million grant program. The funds provide financial assistance to new and existing companies that create new jobs within COH’s service territory. The grant awards range from $50,000 - $250,000. COH will fund approximately 2 to 4 industry and regionally diverse projects per year. The funds will be awarded through April 2012 or until funds are exhausted. To learn more information about this program, please view the
PDF or visit this
website.
Roadwork Development (629) Funds
Roadwork Development (629) Funds are available for public roadway improvements, including engineering and design costs. These funds are available for projects primarily involving manufacturing, research and development, high technology, corporate headquarters, and distribution activity. Projects must typically creat or retain jobs. Grants are usually provided to the local jurisdiction and require local participation. View the
pdf for more information or visit this
website.
Alternative Fuel Transportation Grant
The
Alternative Fuel Transportation Grant improves air quality through grants to businesses, nonprofit organizations, school systems or local governments for the purchase and installation of alternative fuel, refueling, blending, or distribution facilities and terminals. Current incentives are focused on retail fuel distributors and school systems. More information on the program can be found
here.
Ohio Capital Access Program encourages lending to businesses creating or retaining jobs by establishing a unique loan “guarantee” reserve account at a Capital Access Program lending institution. The State, the lender, and the business each make a small contribution to the account. The reserve account is available to the lender for recovery of losses associated with any loan the lender has enrolled in the program. More information on this program can be found
here.
Ohio Minority Business Direct Loan Program
Ohio Minority Business Direct Loan Program provides fixed low interest rate loans to certified minority-owned businesses that are purchasing or improving fixed assets and creating or retaining jobs. Visit
this website for more information.
Ohio Minority Business Bonding Program
Ohio Minority Business Bonding Program provides bid, performance, and payment surety bonds to state-certified minority-owned businesses that are unable to obtain bonding through standard surety companies.
Click here for more information on this program.
Ohio Third Frontier
Ohio Third Frontier is a $1.6 billion initiative to expand Ohio’s high-tech research capabilities and promote innovation and company formation, which in turn will create high-paying jobs for generations to come. For more information on Ohio Third Frontier,
click here.
Ohio Venture Capital Authority
Ohio Venture Capital Authority seeks to drive entrepreneurial growth, job creation, and economic prosperity in Ohio by creating a “fund of funds” portfolio of seed and early stage capital investments. The Ohio Venture Capital Authority includes 17 funds resulting in almost $100 million in investments to Ohio companies. Visit
this website for more information.
Workforce Guarantee Program
The goal of the
Workforce Guarantee Program is to provide 100 percent reimbursable training grants to employers in targeted industry sectors that are creating at least 20 job positions with qualified entry-level and incumbent workers. Projects will be funded up to $750,000 and the amount per project will be determined on a threshold training investment of $3,000 per participant. For more information
click here.
Appalachian Training Investment Program
Appalachian Regional Commission's (ARC) Appalachian Training Investment Program (ATIP) assists smaller companies (fewer than 500 employees) in defraying a portion of the costs associated with employee training. More information can be found for this program
here.
Community Services Block Grants
Community Services Block Grants are granted to non-profit Community Action Agencies. The agencies coordinate and link public and private resources, and focus these resources on specific poverty issues at the community level. Funds are expended for a broad range of services, which include:
• Employment
• Education
• Income
• Management
• Housing
• Emergency services
• Nutrition
•
Linkages (information and referral counseling, outreach, senior services and family development).
For more information on this program,
click here.
Distressed County
The
Distressed County status qualification is also based on low per capita income, high rates of poverty and unemployment. In the past, the distressed county program focused mainly on providing public facilities, clean drinking water, sanitary waste disposal, and human resource projects such as literacy training. In 2000, the Commission approved the creation of a new enhanced program for these counties. The program has a two parts: capacity-building effort and a telecommunications/information technology initiative. Again, only applicants in distressed counties are eligible for these projects with funding requests up to 80 percent. Visit
this website for more information.
Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund
The
Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund is a key financial component to help a community build economic capacity by providing funding for brownfield redevelopment. Brownfield redevelopment allows a community to reclaim and improve its lands, making property viable for new development. Visit the
Clean Ohio website for more information.
Click Here to contact the Ohio Development Services Agency.