The Collier County Economic Stimulus Program was established by the Collier County Board of Commissioners in 2003 to support the overall economic diversification goals of Collier County and induce new, high wage job creation throughout the community. The program is designed to support both the expansion of existing industry, as well as the recruitment of new industry to Collier County.
Companies that are eligible to participate in the Economic Stimulus Program must meet certain criteria, including:
Be in an EDC approved target industry;
Create a minimum number of new jobs;
Generate a minimum of 50% of the company’s revenue from outside CollierCounty;
Meet minimum average wage requirements for new, as well as existing employees.
All programs are performance-based and program funding is subject to availability and approval by the Collier County Board of Commissioners. To be eligible for the Economic Stimulus Program, companies must be in good standing in Collier County, complying with occupational license, property tax payments and any other local regulatory requirements.
Job and Wage Requirements by geographic area within Collier County:
Immokalee Enterprise Community: Companies locating within the Immokalee Enterprise Community must create a minimum of 5 new jobs and pay an average wage equal to or greater than 50% of Collier County’s private sector average wage.
Eastern Collier County: Companies locating in Eastern Collier County, east of Collier Boulevard, but outside the Immokalee Enterprise Community boundary, must create a minimum of 10 new jobs and pay an average wage equal to or greater than 115% of Collier County’s private sector average wage.
Western Collier County (High Impact Area): Companies locating west of Collier Boulevard must create a minimum of 20 new jobs and pay an average wage equal to or greater than 150% of Collier County’s private sector average wage.
| Local Designated Criteria
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|
|
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# of New Jobs
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% of Collier Average Wage
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| Enterprise Zone
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5
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50%
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| East Collier
|
10
|
115%
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| West Collier
|
20
|
150%
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| Inclusion in Collier County's list of Targeted Industries
|
Job Preservation Requirement:
Companies participating in the Economic Stimulus Program must maintain the qualifying jobs within Collier County for a minimum of 10 years in Eastern and Western Collier County and 15 years in the Immokalee Enterprise Community. Companies must annually report and validate to the Board of County Commissioners that the jobs are still in place. If a company does not maintain the jobs for the specified length of time, the program funding must be reimbursed to Collier County.
Program Descriptions and Eligible Amounts
Fast Track Regulatory Process Program
Through a dedicated Collier County Fast Track facilitator, this program is designed to expedite the permits and applications of qualifying companies through the local regulatory process. All county requirements must still be met by the applicant. Specific resources are provided to proactively mitigate impediments and resolve issues quickly to assist in meeting specified project timelines. The Fast Track Regulatory Process Program will accommodate all types of local permits, including, but not limited to, zoning, PUD, SDP, and building permit applications. Once qualified, this service is provided at no charge to the participating company. All job and wage requirements must be met.
Fee Payment Assistance Program
To help mitigate the cost of new construction, the Fee Payment Assistance Program will offset all or a portion of the Collier County impact fees charged. As the qualifying amounts for this program are paid on behalf of the company, those participating in this program will only incur up-front impact fee costs not covered by the program. The eligible amount is calculated by multiplying the investment of building, land and equipment by the current general revenue millage rate and for Eastern and Western Collier County, multiplying that by 10. For those companies locating in the Immokalee Enterprise Community, the factor is increased to 15. All job and wage requirements must be met.
Property Tax Stimulus Program
As an alternative to the Fee Payment Assistance Program, qualified companies have the option to participate in the Property Tax Stimulus Program. This program allows companies to be reimbursed 100% of the value of the property taxes paid in that fiscal year. Companies located in Eastern and Western Collier County may apply for this incentive for up to 10 years. Companies located in the Immokalee Enterprise Community may apply for this incentive for up to 15 years. Companies must choose at application time to either participate in the Fee Payment Assistance Program or the Property Tax Stimulus Program. All job and wage requirements must be met
Job Creation Investment Program
The Job Creation Investment Program is designed to help with the costs associated with a company’s relocation or expansion in Collier County. This program provides a cash incentive based on the number of new jobs created by the company. For companies locating in Eastern or Western Collier County, a cash incentive of $2,000 per new job created will be awarded. For companies locating in the Immokalee Enterprise Community, the incentive is increased to $3,000 per new job created. If a company chooses to also participate in the state of Florida’s Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund Program, which offers an incentive of up to $6,000 per new job created, the amount of the Job Creation Investment Program incentive is reduced to $1,000 per new job created for all locations in Collier County. The total amount of the incentive awarded will be paid to the company in equal payments over a three-year period. All job and wage requirements must be met.
Advanced Broadband Infrastructure Investment Program
To help advance the deployment of high speed telecommunications infrastructure in Collier County, this incentive will reimburse companies up to $25,000 for the costs associated with the initial installation or upgrade of advanced broadband infrastructure in commercial and industrial buildings. Application for the program must be made before the costs are incurred. Advanced infrastructure can be physical cable or wireless technology. The total amount of reimbursement awarded will be paid to the company in equal payments over a three-year period. All job and wage requirements must be met.
Job Retention Investment Program
The Job Retention Investment Program is available to targeted, high wage local companies in order to preserve the existing targeted workforce and encourage the expansion of additional high wage jobs. This program provides a cash incentive of $1000 per existing job retained in Collier County. The total amount of the incentive award will be paid to the company in equal payments over a three-year period. All wage and job requirements must be met.
For further information regarding the Collier County Economic Stimulus Program, please contact:
Economic Development Council of Collier County
3050 North Horseshoe Drive, Suite 120
Naples, Florida 34104
Phone (239)263-8989
Fax (239) 263-6021
www.eNaplesFlorida.com