Download a flyer for this program.

Download the program guidelines (as listed below)

View the Entrepreneurship Grant application.

PURPOSE:
To stimulate early-stage venture growth and support the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Cobb County. The Entrepreneurship Grant provides financial support to startups and entrepreneurs to assist them in growing their business, creating jobs, and maintaining their business in Cobb County.

ELIGIBILITY:

1. Business must be in Cobb County.
2. Must possess a current Cobb County business license or a business license from a City within Cobb.
3. Provide proof of participation/completion of an entrepreneurial program. (i.e., KSU Small Business Development Center, Women’s Entrepreneur Initiative, etc.)
4. Commit to remain in Cobb County for a minimum of 3 years post grant award
5. Must not have any outstanding tax, fees, or fines to Cobb County

USE OF FUNDS:

• Marketing
• Equipment, furnishings, machinery, or technology
• Operational funds to include lease payments and job retention
• Leasehold improvements and/or building renovations

INELIGIBLE USE OF FUNDS:

• Businesses engaged in the sale of alcohol or adult entertainment 
• Lending, investments, and/or other grants or scholarships
• Franchises
• Non-profit organizations
• Home based businesses or sole proprietorships
• This is not a comprehensive list of ineligible uses

PROGRAM STRUCTURE:

• Grant amount up to $10,000
• Optional one-on-one application review
• Application accepted on an open cycle until funds are depleted
• Application reviewed by stakeholder committee
• All grants must be approved by the Cobb County Board of Commissioners
• Grant recipients must maintain a record of how funds are allocated and adhere to a 6-month compliance review period to demonstrate use of funds

Please contact Economic Development staff for a complete grant incentive package by calling 770-528-2018 or email econdev@cobbcounty.org.

Grant Update: Applications submitted on or after November 1, 2023 will be reviewed during the first quarter review cycle in 2024.

The Investing in Opportunities Acts proposes a new solution to encourage economic growth and job creation, with incentives to private capital to reinvest those dollars in communities like Cobb County through Opportunity Zones.

Created by the federal government as part of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017, there are several areas in Cobb County recognized as federal opportunity zones.  Individuals investing in projects or properties within these area may be able to pay reduced capital gains taxes on returns. Review more information about this Federal Opportunity Zone Incentive Program.

Atlanta Regional Federal Opportunity Zone Prospectus

• View/download the current version of the prospectus
• View the Story Map version of the prospectus
• View the interactive map

Purpose: The purpose of the business retention incentive program is to provide services, assistance, and/or incentives to businesses that meet specific eligibility requirements listed in Section 2-171(b) to assist in keeping their business in the county under specified conditions in order to maintain jobs and tax base.

Eligibility: In order to qualify for the business retention incentive program a business must meet the following criteria:

1. Be an existing business that has been in continuous operations in Cobb County for at least two (2) years.
2. The applicant must agree to remain in Cobb County for three (3) years after the expiration of the mandatory incentives agreement.
3. Be part of one of the following business clusters as determined by North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS):
   1. Information technology and/or software;
   2. Professional and business services;
   3. Wholesale trade;
   4. Healthcare services;
   5. Research & development;
   6. Life sciences; or
   7. Travel & tourism.
4. Be a business with at least fifty (50) employees.

The business retention incentive program is not eligible to companies that meet any of the following criteria:

1. Are currently receiving incentives from the county or the Development Authority of Cobb County or the South Cobb Redevelopment Authority;
2. Are not up to date on local or state taxes;
3. To subsidize or artificially sustain businesses and industries when job losses or closing appear inevitable.

In no event shall any incentive result in payment of county funds as part of the targeted industry incentive program.
If the business moves out of Cobb County prior to the expiration of the incentives agreement or within a three-year period after the expiration of the agreement, all incentives provided to the business are to be paid back to the county.

Incentives: Companies eligible for the business retention incentive program may be
eligible for a reduction of some or all of the following:

1. Access to market data, labor force data, and real estate data;
2. Coordination with appropriate county, city, or state agencies;
3. Liaison with workforce training and assistance providers;
4. Flexible payment of system development fees;
5. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 funds as amended from time to time;
6. Inducements / grants authorized by the Development Authority of Cobb County or South Cobb Redevelopment Authority;
7. Assistance with permitting and construction processes; and/or
8. Assistance with transportation infrastructure.

A recipient of business retention incentives shall consent to enter into a contractual agreement that outlines incentives received by the business and a guideline for the recapture or reimbursement of the value of the incentives should the terms of the contract be violated by the business.

Purpose: The purpose of the targeted industry incentive program is to provide services, assistance and/or incentives to businesses that meet the eligibility requirements below to assist them in relocating their business to the county or expanding their business in the county.

Eligibility: In order to qualify for the targeted industry incentive program a business must be part of one of the following growth clusters or core clusters as determined by North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS)/Standard Industrial Classification codes:

1. Aerospace and/or advanced equipment manufacturing;
2. Information technology and/or software;
3. Professional and business services;
4. Wholesale trade;
5. Healthcare services;
6. Research & development;
7. Life sciences; and
8. Travel & tourism.

Unless otherwise provided, no incentive shall be offered or made available to an eligible business for the targeted industry incentive program unless two of the following criteria are met:

1. Add at least 25 new jobs.
2. Pay an average salary at least 1.25 times the county average for that industry as determined by the Georgia Department of Labor in the Employment and Wages Annual Report.
3. Have an estimated fiscal impact requirement of $250,000.00 to the county during the incentive period.

In no event shall any incentive result in payment of county funds as part of the targeted industry incentive program.

Incentives: Companies eligible for the targeted industry incentive program may be eligible for a reduction of some or all of the following fees:

1. Plan review fees;
2. Business license fees;
3. Flexible payment of system development fees;
4. Building permit fees;
5. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 funds as amended from time to time;
6. Inducements or grants authorized by the Development Authority of Cobb County or the South Cobb Redevelopment Authority;
7. Assistance with transportation infrastructure; and/or
8. Plan review, building permit, and business license fee incentives noted above may be reduced further when at least 10% of the new and required minimum jobs are filled by county residents living in census tracts with high unemployment rates as determined annually by the Georgia Department of Labor in the Employment and Wages Annual Report.

A recipient of targeted industry incentives shall consent to enter into a contractual agreement that outlines incentives received by the business and a guideline for the recapture or reimbursement of the value of the incentives should the terms of the contract be violated by the business.

Purpose: The purpose of the special economic impact incentive program is to provide services and business assistance to businesses that meet the eligibility requirements below to assist them in relocating their business to the county or expanding their business in the county.

Eligibility: In order to qualify for the special economic impact incentive program a business must be part of one of the following:

1. Headquarters: corporate, divisional, and/or regional;
2. Financial, insurance, and professional services (law, accounting, and other professional services that predominantly serve the Metropolitan Atlanta Region are not eligible);
3. Transportation/distribution (logistics);
4. Manufacturing; and/or
5. Emerging technologies/industries.

Unless otherwise provided, no incentive shall be offered or made available to an eligible business for the special economic impact incentive program unless two of the following criteria are met:

1. Add at least 150 new jobs.
2. Pay an average salary at least 1.25 times the county average for that industry as determined by the Georgia Department of Labor in the Employment and Wages Annual Report.
3. Invests $30,000,000 or more in the county.

In no event shall any incentive result in payment of county funds as part of the special economic impact incentive program.
 

Incentives: Companies eligible for special economic impact incentive program may be eligible for a reduction of some or all of the following:

1. Plan review fees;
2. Business license fees;
3. Flexible payment of system development fees;
4. Building permit fees;
5. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 funds as amended from time to time;
6. Inducements or grants authorized by the Development Authority of Cobb County or the South Cobb Redevelopment Authority;
7. Assistance with transportation infrastructure; and/or
8. Plan review, building permit, and business license fee incentives noted above may be reduced further when at least 10% of the new and required minimum jobs are filled by county residents living in census tracts with high unemployment rates as determined annually by the Georgia Department of Labor in the Employment and Wages Annual Report.

A recipient of special economic impact incentives shall consent to enter into a contractual agreement that outlines incentives received by the business and a guideline for the recapture or reimbursement of the value of the incentives should the terms of the contract be violated by the business.

An Enterprise Zone is an area designated by a local government as ready for development or redevelopment. Qualifying businesses locating or expanding within the Zone are eligible for certain tax incentives and other economic development incentives for job creation and capital investment in the community.

 Program Requirements

• Companies creating new jobs or bringing significant investment to the area
• Emphasis placed on redevelopment, locating in abandoned buildings or assembling tracts of land for development
• Manufacturing, distribution, land development, and industrial building

Program Incentives

• 10-year graduated tax abatement of County ad valorem tax only, no school tax abatement
• Caps on building permit and business license permit fees
• Assistance with other State incentives such as free training, job creation tax credits, and development authority financing

Purpose: An incentive from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs that provides credits to income tax liability and state payroll withholdings per job created within designated areas. The designated areas must be approved by DCA and are required to be areas near military installations.

Program Requirements

• New or existing businesses that create two (2) or more jobs
• Available for any business (not sector specific)

Program Incentives

• The maximum Job Tax Credit allowed under law - $3,500 per job created
• Use of Job Tax Credits against 100% of Georgia income tax liability and withholding tax
• Provides for businesses of any nature to qualify, not just a defined "business enterprise"

View the Cobb County Redevelopment Inventory GIS Map.

Purpose: The purpose of this program is to encourage owners of older commercial use/industrial property (20 years or more in age) in select areas and sites around the county to revitalize those properties. The objective of revitalizing these areas is to contribute to economic growth by creating jobs and improving the county’s tax base. If the type of work conducted meets the program’s requirements, subject to Board of Tax Assessors (BTA) approval, the BTA will approve a valuation schedule on those improvements for up to five years based upon an escalating percentage of the fair market value of the improvements (excluding the value of land).

Eligibility:

1. Only rehabilitative work performed after the approval of the application may be awarded an exemption amount under the program.
2. The structure being improved must be a minimum of 20 years old.
3. An approved project must be located within a corridor study area or included among those sites listed in the inventory of redevelopment sites.
4. Improvements must be the result of a single project.
5. The program incentives will not apply to personal property or the value of the land.
6. The applicant’s property taxes must be current and paid on time for a minimum of three years and the applicant must have filed timely business personal property returns for each of the three years prior to applying.
7. The program does not apply to projects built on vacant land.
8. The program will apply to projects where the building is completely demolished and replaced by a new structure, provided the existing structure is at least 20 years old.
9. Separate applications must be submitted for each tax parcel in which the owner is seeking participation in the program.
10. Appropriate building permits, and any other local, state or federal approvals, must be obtained prior to work commencement.

Incentives: Approved applicants will receive a program incentive in the form of an effective reduction in ad valorem property taxes equal to the exemption amount. The exemption amount, in a given year, is equal to a percentage of the amount of ad valorem property taxes otherwise due on the incremental project value. The property tax incentive is made possible by titling ownership to the taxable assets into the name of the Development Authority which in turn leases these assets back to a private entity. The property title reverts to the owner/applicant immediately upon the end of the lease. While the project is titled to the Development Authority under this program, subject to BTA approval, the Fair Market Value of the leasehold interest of the applicant in such assets will increase as the lease term progresses.

For the purposes of this program, the applicable percentage will be applied in the following manner:

• Year 1: 0 percent
• Year 2: 20 percent
• Year 3: 40 percent
• Year 4: 60 percent
• Year 5: 80 percent
• Year 6: fully taxable

Should the building proposed for rehabilitation also be located in an Enterprise Zone, the applicant shall not qualify for both property tax incentives. The applicant may qualify for other incentives available through the Enterprise Zone but may only do so at the discretion of Cobb County. This abatement program is not available to properties or projects within a Tax Allocation District (TAD).

The purpose of the Hospitality & Tourism – Workforce Employee Retention Grant Program is to help offset the cost of retaining and recruiting a workforce in this difficult labor market for four areas of Cobb’s hospitality and tourism industries: arts organizations, live entertainment venues, tourist attractions and craft beverage makers. 

Visit the Cobb Travel & Tourism Website to  learn about the grant amounts, eligibility criteria, the application process, required documentation, and details on how grant monies will be disbursed.

Georgia’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic includes the creation of a new Personal Protection Equipment(PPE) Tax Credit Bonus that rewards job creation that expands the manufacture of PPE and hand sanitizer in Georgia. 

When eligible, PPE manufacturers can claim an additional $1,250 in Job Tax Credits per job per year for five years. Claimed but unused PPE credits have a 10-year carry forward.

Only those jobs dedicated to manufacturing PPE or hand sanitizer may qualify. If the facility ceases to manufacture PPE or hand sanitizer, or if the jobs are no longer involved in manufacturing PPE or hand sanitizer, then the company may no longer claim the PPE bonus for those jobs. Eligibility extends to jobs dedicated to the manufacture of:

Personal protective equipment

• Any protective clothing, helmets, gloves, face shields, goggles, facemasks, hand sanitizer, and respirators or other equipment designed to protect the wearer from injury or to prevent the spread of infection, disease, virus, or other illness. Such term shall include equipment identified under 29 C.F.R. Section 1910, Subpart I.

Hand sanitizer

•  Any hand antiseptic, hand rub, soap, or agent applied to the hands for the purpose of removing common pathogens, including, but not limited to, hand cleaners and sanitizers provided for under 7 C.F.R. Section 3201.18.

Learn More

An incentive from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs that provides for a statewide job tax credit for any business or headquarters of any such business engaged in manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, processing, telecommunications, tourism, or research and development industries, but does not include retail businesses. If other requirements are met, job tax credits are available to businesses of any nature, including retail businesses, in counties recognized and designated as the 40 least developed counties. 

Program Requirements

• New or existing businesses that create two (2) or more jobs
• Available for any business (not sector specific)

Program Incentives

• The maximum Job Tax Credit allowed under law - $3,500 per job created
• Use of Job Tax Credits against 100% of Georgia income tax liability and withholding tax
• Provides for businesses of any nature to qualify, not just a defined "business enterprise"

Businesses in Georgia’s strategic industries can earn as much as $4,000 in annual tax savings for each new job created, for up to five years. The exact value of the job credits depends on two factors – how many jobs are created, and where.

Companies that create at least 50 jobs in a 24-month period – at wages that are at least 10 percent higher than the county average – may qualify for a tax credit of $2,500 to $5,000 per job. 

Georgia companies that increase imports or exports through a Georgia port by at least 10 percent may qualify for either a $1,250 bonus added to the job tax credit or an adjustment to the investment tax credit.

Georgia’s Department of Labor administers a federal tax credit to Georgia companies that hire individuals who have faced barriers to employment. The tax credit ranges from $1,200 to $9,000 per hire.

Businesses that employ at least 1,800 “net new” employees and have either a minimum annual payroll of $150 million or make a minimum $450 million investment in Georgia may qualify for the mega project tax credit.

Companies in manufacturing or telecommunications support that have operated in Georgia for at least three years are eligible to earn investment tax credits of 1 percent to 8 percent of qualified capital investments of $50,000 or more.

Companies that spend more on qualified research in Georgia may qualify for an R&D tax credit equal to a percentage of that spending increase.

Georgia businesses may offset their investment in retraining employees to use new equipment or learn new skills through a retraining tax credit. The credit equals 50 percent of direct training expenses, up to $500 credit per full-time employee, per training program.

Film and television companies may receive a tax credit of up to 30 percent of money spent on production and post-production in Georgia, either in a single production or on multiple projects. Minimum spending amount is $500,000.

Beginning January 1, 2018, eligible production companies who meet the applicable spending threshold may receive a tax credit of up to twenty percent on qualified production expenditures on eligible musical or theatrical performances or recorded musical performances. Minimum spend is $500,000 for musical or theatrical performances, $250,000 for synchronized recorded musical performance, and $100,000 for any other recorded musical performance.