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Business Financing, Incentives, & Assistance Programs 

We know growing your business has its challenges.  We can help.  Forward Lawrence is committed to providing equitable lending solutions for Lawrence County business owners. Through our organization, your business can access multiple loan programs to help overcome financing barriers and find appropriate financing sources for your project.

 

Forward Lawrence also partners with other organizational partners to provide businesses with training dollars, grant opportunities, and tax credit incentives to encourage economic growth.

 

Below is a comprehensive list of loan, grant, tax credit, and technical assistance programs available to Lawrence County, PA businesses from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, through local programs, and from other regional sources.  Forward Lawrence staff is available to help you navigate the labyrinth of public business assistance to identify the right programs for your project.  Please contact our office at 724-658-1488 or Diane Richardson directly by filling out the form below.

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Financing

Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program

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Program provides tax credits to owners of agricultural assets who sell or rent agricultural assets to beginning farmers.

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Ben Franklin Technology Partners Challenge Grant

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Provides funds to businesses through the four Ben Franklin Technology Partners for access to capital, business expertise, technology commercialization services to advance the development of new technologies and for the generation, conservation, and transportation of alternative and clean energy.

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Business in Our Sites Grants/Loans (BOS)

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Empowers communities to attract growing and expanding businesses by helping them build an inventory of ready sites. All site development activities that are required to make a site shovel-ready are eligible uses. This program is for speculative projects only. Funds cannot be used for projects that are primarily residential or recreational.

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Business Opportunities Fund (BOF)

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Installment loans, lines of credit and technical assistance for minority business enterprises, women-owned business enterprises and small businesses. Uses include cash flow (working capital) – Including most business operation and expansion expenses; Equipment – includes acquisition, delivery, installation, and renovation of new and used equipment; leasehold improvements; and acquisition of owner-occupied real estate.

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Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC)

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Tax credits to eligible businesses contributing to a Scholarship Organization, an Educational Improvement Organization, and/or a Pre-Kindergarten Scholarship Organization.

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Entertainment Economic Enhancement Program (EEEP)

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Article Act 84 of 2016 authorizes the issuances of Entertainment Economic Enhancement Program to expand the Concert Rehearsal and Tours in Pennsylvania.

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Film Tax Credit Program

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Article Act 84 of 2016 authorizes the issuance of Film Production Tax Credits in an effort to expand Pennsylvania’s film industry.

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Global Access Program (GAP)

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GAP is designed to enhance the capability of small to mid-sized Pennsylvania companies to increase export sales. GAP is administered by the Pennsylvania Office of International Business Development (OIBD) and provides up to $10,000 per award period to qualifying Pennsylvania companies to reimburse up to 75% of eligible expenses.

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High Performance Building Program (HPB)

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HPB provides financial assistance in the forms of grants and loan funds to underwrite the cost premiums associated with the design and construction or major renovation of high performance buildings in the state.

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Historic Preservation Tax Credit (HPTC)

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HPTC provides tax credits to qualified taxpayers who will be completing the restoration of a qualified historic structure into an-income producing property.

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Industrial Sites Reuse Program (ISRP)

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Grant and low-interest loan financing to perform environmental site assessment and remediation work at former industrial sites. Funds Phase I, II and III environmental assessments; Remediation of hazardous substances.

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Manufacturing Tax Credit (MTC) Program

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Program provides tax credits to taxpayers who increase their annual taxable payroll by $1,000,000 through the creation of new full-time jobs.

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Next Generation Farmer Loan Program

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Program uses federal tax-exempt financing to reduce a farmer’s interest rate for capital purchases, such as the purchase of farm land or agricultural machinery and equipment.

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Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program (OSTC)

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The program provides tax credits to eligible businesses contributing to an Opportunity Scholarship Organization.

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Rail Freight Assistance (RFA)

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Grants to build or repair rail lines or spurs.

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Renewable Energy Program (REP) – Geothermal and Wind Projects

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The Renewable Energy Program (REP) provides financial assistance in the forms of grant and loan funds to promote the use of alternative energy in Pennsylvania.

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Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit Assignment Program

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Allows companies holding qualifying Research and Development Tax Credits to apply for approval to sell those tax credits and assign them to the buyer(s).

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Rural Jobs and Investment Tax Credit Program (RJTC)

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The program will accept applications, as outlined in the Program Guidelines, between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM on Tuesday, October 13. The Program is an investment tool designed to offer rural business owners access to capital for business development in rural areas.

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Second Stage Loan Program

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Loan Guarantees for working capital for two to seven year old manufacturing, biotech and technology-oriented companies.

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Small Diverse Business Capital Access Program (SDBCA)

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Small Diverse Business Capital Access Program Overview The Small Diverse Business Capital Access Program is administered by the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) and provides low-interest loans and lines of credit to small diverse businesses that commit to creating and retaining full-time jobs within the Commonwealth.

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Solar Energy Program (SEP)

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The Solar Energy Program (SEP) provides financial assistance in the form of grant and loan funds to promote the use of solar energy in Pennsylvania.

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Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Guarantee Program

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Promotes and stimulates the general economic welfare of various regions and communities in the Commonwealth and assists in the development, redevelopment and revitalization of Brownfield and Greenfield sites in accordance with the TIF Act.

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Video Game Production Tax Credit (VGPTC)

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Article Act 84 of 2016 authorizes the issuances of Video Game Production Tax Credit to expand the video gaming production in Pennsylvania.

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WEDnetPA

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Created by the Department of Community & Economic Development and made available through the Workforce and Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania – WEDnetPA – the program provides qualified employers training funds for new and existing employees.

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Pennsylvania Dairy Investment Program (PDIP)

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Program was established under Act 38 of 2019 for research and development, organic transition, value-added processing, and marketing grants in support of Pennsylvania’s Dairy Industry.

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Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority (PEDFA) Tax Exempt Bond Program

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Tax-exempt bonds, may be used to finance land, building, equipment, working capital and (in some cases) refinancings. Uses land and building acquisition building renovation and new construction machinery and equipment acquisition and installation designated infrastructure refinancing (of bonds that were also tax-exempt initially) working capital.

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Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority (PEDFA) Taxable Bond Program

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Taxable bonds, may be used to finance land, building, equipment, working capital and refinancings. Uses land and building acquisition building renovation and new construction machinery and equipment acquisition and installation designated infrastructure refinancing working capital.

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Pennsylvania First Program (PA First)

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PA First is a comprehensive funding tool to facilitate increased investment and job creation within the commonwealth. Uses Machinery/equipment; Job training; Infrastructure; Land and building improvements; Environmental assessment/remediation; Acquisition of land, buildings, right-of-ways; Working capital; Site preparation.

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Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA)

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PIDA provides low-interest loans and lines of credit for eligible businesses that commit to creating and retaining full-time jobs and for the development of industrial parks and multi-tenant facilities. 

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Pennsylvania Minority Business Development Authority (PMBDA)

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PMBDA provides low-interest loan to businesses owned and operated by ethnic minorities. Funds Land and building acquisitions; Building construction and renovations; Machinery and equipment costs including acquisition and installation; Working capital Costs.

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Pennsylvania Regional Center – New American Development Fund

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Low-cost loans to enterprises with job-creating projects located within the state’s federally-designated EB5 regional center. The federal EB5 investor program grants eligible foreign investors the opportunity to obtain an EB5 visa if they commit to invest funds in job-producing development projects in the United States.

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Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP)

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PennTAP helps Pennsylvania companies improve their competitiveness, by providing a limited amount of free technical assistance to resolve specific technical questions or needs, while it facilitates connections to other relevant information, resources and/or programs.

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Pipeline Investment Program (PIPE)

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PIPE provides grants to construct the last few miles of natural gas distribution lines to business parks, existing manufacturing and industrial enterprises, which will result in the creation of new economic base jobs in the commonwealth while providing access to natural gas for residents.

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Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program

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The Apprenticeship Program is a statewide program which offers assistance to registered apprenticeship programs. The program’s goal is to increase apprenticeship availability to Pennsylvania employers to assist them with their talent recruitment and development.

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Qualified Manufacturing Innovation & Reinvestment Deduction

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The Qualified Manufacturing Innovation and Reinvestment Deduction was established to encourage increased investment and job creation through manufacturing in Pennsylvania

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