The Michigan Business Development Program is an incentive-based program available from the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF), in cooperation with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The program is designed to provide grants, loans, and other economic assistance to businesses for highly competitive projects in Michigan that create jobs and/or provide investment. Any business seeking to qualify for assistance from the Michigan Business Development Program must create a minimum of 50 new jobs, unless it qualifies as a high-technology activity, in which the business only needs to create a minimum of 25 new jobs.

This program is performance based, and the participating company in conjunction with the MSF will set benchmarks for the company to meet as the investment project progresses. All projects are subject to an application and a due diligence process conducted by the MEDC. Support from the local municipality is also required for all projects. The Michigan Business Development Program is an advantageous program for Michigan companies because it incentivizes major expansion or relocation projects that spur job creation, by offering financial assistance with long-term and flexible terms on loans and grants. For more information, go to www.michiganbusiness.org/4aac33/globalassets/documents/reports/fact-sheets/michiganbusinessdevelopmentprogram.pdf

The Jobs Ready Michigan program was created by the Michigan Strategic Fund to meet the skill needs of companies that are expanding or relocating to Michigan. This program is formulated to be responsive and flexible to the specific skill needs of companies. It also addresses the costs associated with recruiting and training individuals for careers that are high-wage, high-skill, or high-demand. This program can be used for a variety of activities related to recruitment and training including employee recruitment expenses, customized training development plans, instructor and training materials costs, purchase of equipment related to training, construction of training facilities, and on-the-job training costs. Eligible companies include any company that is physically located and operating in the state of Michigan, or plans to be re-locating and operating in the state of Michigan. All applicants will be subject to the approval of the Michigan Strategic Fund. For the complete list of guidelines and application process, go to www.michiganbusiness.org/4a817d/globalassets/documents/reports/fact-sheets/jobs-ready-mi-program.pdf

Public Act 198 of 1974 allows for the abatement of industrial property taxes in order to encourage eligible businesses to make new investments in Michigan. These abatements encourage Michigan manufacturers to build new plants, renovate aging plants, promote the establishment of high tech facilities, and/or expand existing plants. Industrial plants eligible for abatement are those that primarily manufacture or process goods by physical or chemical change. Related facilities for Michigan manufacturers are also included, such as office, warehousing, and research and development. New equipment and machinery is no longer available for abatement with the elimination of the personal property tax. This incentive is advantageous for companies because it significantly reduces the property tax, putting more money back on a company’s bottom line.

The tax abatements are approved and granted by the legislative body of the city, village, or township that the company’s property is located, however before approval, an Industrial Development District or plant rehabilitation district must be established through the municipality. The length of the abatement, up to twelve years maximum, is also determined through the local unit of government. The State Tax Commission grants final approval and issues the abatement certificate. For more information, contact our office at 586-469-5285 or call the MEDC Customer Contact Center at 517-373-9808. Click here to learn more.

Public Act 210 of 2015 encourages the rehabilitation of commercial property by abating the property taxes generated from new investment for a period of up to ten years. In order to be eligible, commercial buildings or groups of contiguous buildings of commercial buildings must be 15 years old or greater, an area of the commercial rehabilitation district no less than three acres in size, and primary use must be commercial enterprise or multifamily residential use. This incentive can be utilized by a wide variety of enterprises, ranging from office, engineering, research and development to supermarkets and retail. Property that is not eligible is land used from professional sports stadiums or casinos.

The Commercial Rehabilitation Exemption Certificates are approved and granted through the municipality’s legislative body. All cities, villages, and townships are eligible, but they must establish a Commercial Rehabilitation District in order to grant the exemption certificate. Rehabilitation is defined as changes to qualified facilities that are required to restore or modify the property to an economically efficient condition. The following improvements are included: improvement of floor loads, correction of deficient or excessive height, new or improved heating, ventilation, and lighting, and improved structural support. For more information, visit https://www.michiganbusiness.org/4aef87/globalassets/documents/reports/fact-sheets/commercialrehabilitatiionact.pdf

Public Act 255 of 1978 encourages the replacement, restoration and new construction of commercial property by abating the property taxes generated from new investment for a period of up to twelve years. As defined, commercial property for which the primary use is commercial business enterprise is eligible for land and/or building improvements to make the property more economically efficient. Eligible businesses include office, retail, engineering and research and development, among others. The Commercial Redevelopment Act distinguished between ‘replacement’ facilities and ‘restored’ facilities. Replacement facilities are commercial properties and buildings that are acquired, constructed, or altered for the purpose of substituting for an obsolete commercial property. In order to receive the abatement for this type of building, the property must be zoned mixed-use, or be located in an established downtown revitalization district. Restored facilities are eligible, obsolete buildings and/or properties that have been altered or changed to improve economic efficiency by improving floor loads, expanding or minimizing ceiling heights, replacement heating, ventilation, and lighting equipment as well as improving the structural foundation. For restored facilities, the property taxes are based upon the previous year’s taxable value and 100% of the mills levied. That taxable value is frozen for the duration of the certificate. For new or replacement facilities, the property taxes are based upon the current year’s taxable value and 50% of the mills levied.

Before an enterprise is granted the Commercial Redevelopment Exemption Certificate, the city, village or township must establish a Commercial Redevelopment District. The exemption certificate must then be approved by the municipality’s legislative body. For more information, visit www.michiganbusiness.org/4a8181/globalassets/documents/reports/fact-sheets/com_redev_act-255.pdf

Brownfield grants and loans are available from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) for projects that promote economic development and reuse of brownfield properties. Brownfield properties are those in which the redevelopment or reuse of the property may be complicated by the presence or perception of contamination. Redeveloping and revitalizing these types of properties can minimize urban sprawl, protect the environment, return abandoned properties to tax rolls, and create economic opportunities. Eligible activities the grants and loans can pay for include environmental evaluations/assessments, baseline environmental assessments, due care planning and implementation, response activities, demolition, lead, mold, and asbestos abatement. For more information please visit: https://www.michigan.gov/egle/0,9429,7-135-3311_29262---,00.html

Using grant funds from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Macomb County administers a brownfields revolving loan fund program for companies looking to clean up a contaminated site in order to expand their business. This revolving loan fund provides financial assistance to any public or private entity that owns a contaminated site and is not responsible for the contamination, and helps to clean up the site so it is redevelopment ready.

The low-interest loan funds are available for clean-up activities on eligible sites impacted by Hazardous and/or Petroleum substances. Sites eligible for hazardous funding are those sites with the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants, such as, but not limited to: heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, asbestos and sites contaminated with controlled substances.

Click here to access the Project Preliminary Application (Step One)

Click here to access the Property & Borrower/Subgrantee Eligibility Determination Form (Step Two)

Applicants must meet the following qualifications: 

The cleanup will be protective of human health and the environment

The applicant has a financial need for assistance

The applicant welcomes community involvement

The proposed cleanup and redevelopment project is technically and financially feasible

The applicant and its partners have the capacity, expertise, and financial means to perform the project, or at least a reasonable strategy for assembling these requisites

The cleanup and/or redevelopment project will result in significant economic, environmental, and social benefits to the community.

For more information, contact Amanda Minaudo of Macomb County Planning and Economic Development at Amanda.Minaudo@macombgov.org

Created as part of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, an Opportunity Zone is a place where long-term investment provides progressive tax benefits for individuals who convert unrealized capital gains into certified Opportunity Funds. As required by Congress, Opportunity Zones were identified by states based on census tract information and then certified by the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury.

Macomb County is home to 17 Opportunity Zones in six communities: Clinton Township, Eastpointe, Mount Clemens, Roseville, Sterling Heights and Warren.

To explore them, as well as information about recent investments, available properties and existing infrastructure, visit Macomb County’s GIS mapping tool. Also download a copy of the Opportunity Zone Prospectus booklet.

Macomb County is ready to assist managers of Opportunity Funds and connect them with Opportunity Zone properties. Our professional team of business consultants provide free and confidential services. We can help to determine if other tools – such as New Market Credits, Low-Income Tax Credits, or Commercial and Industrial Tax Exemption Certificates – can help with financing.

To learn more about our services, contact Curt Chowanic at Curt.Chowanic@macombgov.org or call 01 586-469-5285.

For more information about Opportunity Zones and Opportunity Funds, visit: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/opportunity-zones-frequently-asked-questions.

Check out Macomb County Opportunity Zones Interactive Map.

Macomb Community College offers the Michigan New Jobs Training Program (MNJTP) for employers looking to hire new employees. If a business is locating to or expanding an existing building within the county, Macomb Community College can provide flexible funding to cover the cost of training the new employee(s) by diverting the state withholding taxes back to the company. Businesses can gain a competitive advantage through virtually cost free training. This program defines new jobs as those which are created through a business expansion effort, that have not existed at any point in the company’s history. These jobs must pay at least 175% of the minimum wage to be eligible for the program. They must also be new, direct hires. For more information on the Macomb Community College program and other workforce development programs, please go to //www.macomb.edu/business/workforce-development/index.html For more information about the statewide program, go to //www.mcca.org/uploads/ckeditor/files/Michigan%20New%20Jobs%20Training%20Program_One%20Pager.pdf

Businesses that are looking to fill job openings can take advantage of an incentivized training program through the Macomb/St. Clair Michigan Works office called the On-The-Job Training program. In exchange for training an employee who is considered economically disadvantaged or that has a skills gap, a business can be reimbursed up to 50% of the new employee’s hourly wage for a maximum of 480 hours. The participating company must meet several requirements for the program, including a starting pay of at least $14 per hour, the employee must also be a direct-hire and working a full-time position. For more information, //www.macomb-stclairworks.org/ojt/

Certified in 1987, the Transportation Economic Development Fund was created to assist in the funding of highway, road, and street projects necessary to support economic growth. Their mission is to increase the ability of the state to compete in the global market, to serve as a compound for the economic growth of the state, and to improve the quality of life in the state. The TEDF is administered through the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Office of Economic Development (OED), and provides resources for the government and businesses to work together to meet the often extensive and urgent demands. The road agencies that are eligible for funding include county road agencies, cities, villages, and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). For more information please visit: www.michigan.gov/mdot/programs/grant-programs/transportation-economic-development-fund

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) is a long-term financing tool available to help with the cost for upgrades to reduce energy and water waste for commercial property owners. PACE can finance 100% of upfront cost and spread it out up to 25 years at a fixed rate so that the savings from the project are greater than the yearly PACE loan repayment. The PACE special assessment is non-recourse and “runs with the land.” The owner can sell the property and the new owner simply picks up the payments (and energy savings). Up to 100% of the project’s hard and soft cost can be covered under a PACE special assessment. No upfront costs are required. Businesses should see immediate positive cash flow and on average save at least 30% on utility bills along with reducing their impact on the environment by becoming energy efficient. Energy efficiency upgrades include projects such as solar energy, geothermal, lighting, insulation, low-flow toilets, and much more. Qualified properties include commercial, industrial, multi-family, agricultural, nonprofits, and new construction. Under Michigan’s PACE statute, the sgs must be guaranteed on all projects of $250,000 and up. For more information please visit: leanandgreenmi.com/about-pace/how-pace-works/

Under the administration of the MEDC’s Export team, the Michigan State Trade and Expansion Program (MI-STEP) provides financial assistance for small and medium sized export companies to develop or expand export-related activities. This program is designed to spur job creation by empowering Michigan businesses to export their products. Its objectives are to increase export sales by Michigan businesses, increase the number of new-to-export companies, and increase entry into new markets by companies already exporting. Whether your company is new to exporting or has been exporting for years, this program is ideal for reaching new business growth levels.

Eligible companies may qualify for up to $15,000 in assistance to offset 75 percent of approved expenses per fiscal year. These types of activities include overseas trade missions, international trade show participation, foreign market sales trips, and foreign market research. The program now also funds international website design, development, and translation. In order to qualify for MI-STEP funds, a company must have 500 or fewer employees or otherwise be in accordance with Small Business Administration guidelines, must have two years of domestic sales, and be in good standing with the Michigan Department of Treasury and other regulatory agencies.

Your company must be an export-ready U.S. company seeking to export goods or services of U.S. origin or have at least 51% U.S. content

Interested companies can complete the intake form at michiganbusiness.org/services/international-trade/mistep/

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Food Export’s Branded Program is now open. If you are a food processor and expanding your business internationally, you need to take advantage of the savings. You can be reimbursed up to 50 percent for five years for your marketing activities to get your products sold in a new country. Reimbursement is available for expenses associated with advertising and promotion outside of the United States, including radio, television, billboards, print and direct mail. Macomb County companies have utilized this program and now are selling food products in other countries. Those same companies are now utilizing the five-year rule to get into additional countries. Since the funding is on a first-come, first-serve basis, please reach out to us as soon as possible so we can get information out to you. Learn more at //www.michigan.gov/mdard/business-development/international-marketing/cash-reimbursement

Businesses of all sizes can lower their monthly utility costs by implementing a few simple energy efficiency measures. Energy Efficiency Program offers comprehensive incentives for both electric and natural gas users designed to help businesses increase energy efficiency, impacting their bottom line in a positive way. There are rebate incentives available for the installation of energy efficient equipment, including lighting, controls, HVAC, and refrigeration. These energy efficient rebates also offer free energy assessment and can help you shop efficient products. Incentives are provided in the event of equipment replacement or building retrofit. For more information, visit https://www.dtebizrebates.com/

Several Macomb County communities have programs in place to assist building owners make needed improvements through a Downtown Development Authority or Tax Increment Finance Authority. These include:

Center Line offers matching grants of up to $10,000 for eligible façade improvements.

Clinton Township DDA shall reimburse an applicant any amount up 50% of the cost of the project, limited to a maximum reimbursement of $5,000.

Eastpointe offers businesses within its DDA matching funds of up to $3,000 that meet eligibility requirements.

Mount Clemens offers matching grants of up to $10,000 for eligible façade improvements.

New Baltimore offers awards for up to 50% of the total cost of a qualified facade, with a maximum grant of $2,500 per project. 

Richmond’s Project Clean-Up -- the first $2,000 a business owner spends, they are eligible for a 50% reimbursement (up to $1,000). If the business spends more than $2,000 on a project, they will receive a dollar-for-dollar match until their grant reaches $2,000.

Richmond's Downtown Revitalization Program assists in the rehabilitation of vacant buildings. It offers up to $15,000 in matching funds. Established business may also qualify for a facade improvement grant.

Roseville offers a reimbursement program. Property owners must enter an agreement with the city before facade improvement begins. Reimbursements are made up to 50% of the costs in the applicant's business plan, up to $5,000 total.

Warren offers grants to businesses within its TIFA district boundaries. The city offers architectural assistance for 50% of the actual cost of the designs, up to $2,500. The city also offers a property improvement grant, which includes 50% of the cost of buildings and/or related exterior rehabilitation costs up to $15,000.

 

The Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC) is a multi-billion dollar public/private initiative developed by the MEDC designed to connect buyers with suppliers. Through this business-to-business network, companies are encouraged to explore procurement opportunities with both public and private entities in order to grow their business. Any business, regardless of size, is eligible to participate in PMBC’s series of matchmaking summits throughout the year. Businesses that register with this initiative have access to an online matchmaking portal where they can connect with even more business opportunities. With over 20,000 companies participating in the free PMBC-Business 2 Business program, there are endless opportunities to find new business for your company. To register, visit https://www.michiganbusiness.org/pmbc/

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation and others to launch the new $10 million Michigan Economic Opportunity Fund. This fund is a microbusiness loan program for women, veterans, and entrepreneurs of color in Michigan, who will be able to apply for up to $50,000 in loans. It will support hundreds of entrepreneurs across our state and provide opportunities for entrepreneurs who may lack access to capital and credit. These investments will help more Michiganders launch their business ideas and grow their futures in the state of Michigan.