Focus Central Pennsylvania provides detailed information about sites and building options, workforce, infrastructure, permits and regulations, taxation, and general incentives.
Business Assistance,
The Department of Community and Economic Development and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania offer business assistance to help organizations fund their projects or start a business, find a location, expand their business, or stay in Pennsylvania.
SEDA-COG
- SEDA-Council of Governments. Central Pennsylvania’s Local Development District can assist businesses with exporting, financing, procurement, and other business issues.
- SEDA-Council of Governments Export Department.
The Export Department serves the businesses and communities of Central Pennsylvania by encouraging & facilitating economic development through growth in world trade.
- SEDA-Council of Governments Finance Department.
SEDA-COG is an Area Loan Organization and a Certified Development Corporation operating in Central Pennsylvania. We can offer small businesses access to State and Federal loans including the SBA 504 Program. - Small Business Administration 504 Program
Up to $1.3 million in long-term fixed rate financing for the acquisition of machinery and equipment (10 years) and land and buildings (20 years).- Small Business First
Funding for small businesses including low-interest loan financing for land and building acquisition and construction, machinery and equipment purchases and working capital. - USDA Intermediary Relending Program
This program offers market financing for retail, service and industrial clients to finance the acquisition of assets, working capital and limited debt refinancing. - Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority
Tax-exempt and taxable bonds, both in pooled transactions and stand-alone transactions, to be used to finance land, building, equipment, working capital and refinancings.
- Small Business First
- SEDA-Council of Governments Procurement Department.
The Center’s services, resources and training programs can assist companies in either entering the government market place or expanding their current market share. Services are provided free of charge to companies in our 18-county service area.
Additional Regional Resources
- KOZ
Providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop, construct or renovate properties throughout Central Pennsylvania, the Keystone Opportunity Zone program offers greatly reduced or completely eliminated state and local taxes through 2020 in most cases.
To learn more about the Keystone Opportunity Zone program, click here. Or, to search for available, KOZ-eligible properties in Central Pennsylvania, click here, click on MORE FILTERS and select KOZ.
- Small Business Development Centers
Offer services to help business owners with small businesses.
- Pennsylvania Material Trader is a free service designed to help businesses find markets for materials they have traditionally discarded. Material Trader helps businesses, industries, and institutions save resources and money because “one business’s trash is another business’s treasure.” Businesses, schools and other organizations can utilize Material Trader to search for available and wanted materials.
- Ben Franklin Technology Partners-Central and Northeastern PA
Offers grants for research and development, technology transfer, joint research and development for businesses.
- Industrial Modernization Center
Connecting manufacturers to productivity, growth and innovation. Provides financial and technical assistance to manufacturers to improve their manufacturing operations. KIZ partners Penn College and Lycoming College, along with the City of Williamsport, the IMC, and the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce to encourage business startups, technology transfer and product and process innovation in diversified manufacturing with a specific emphasis on plastics and wood industries.
- Industrial Research Office
The Industrial Research Office (IRO) assists companies in identifying and accessing Penn State faculty expertise and research centers, and works to foster university-industry research partnerships. Personal attention is given to company representatives to assess their technical needs and facilitate linkages to appropriate Penn State resources.
- Pennsylvania’s Technical Assistance Program (PennTap)
PennTap provides free technical information and assistance to small businesses.
- The Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania
The Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania is a 100% member-funded, non-profit 501C(6) organization dedicated to the growth and success of the technology community within a 24+ county region of central Pennsylvania.
- IT Kickstart Program
Funded by the DCED and partnering with the Industrial Modernization Center and PennTap, the program covers 25 counties (including Central PA). This program provides grant dollars and Information Technology (IT) expertise to help local small to medium size businesses with less than 500 employees to get IT projects off the ground. Assistance with resources to develop web sites, apply relevant new IT and e-business tools, and implement new integrated software programs.
- Central Pennsylvania Entrepreneurial Network
The Central Pennsylvania Entrepreneurial Assistance Network has been developed to promote entrepreneurship and the services available to regional entrepreneurs in Central Pennsylvania.
- Central Pennsylvania Forum For The Future
For for the Future is a group of organizations, institutions, and private companies sharing an established interest in the future welfare of our region.
- Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation
CPWDC governs workforce development policy for a nine-county region of Central Pennsylvania The agency for regional unification, coordination, integration and alignment of workforce activities, resources and initiatives to support economic sustainability, improve education systems and ensure a quality labor force in Central Pennsylvania.
- Team Pennsylvania CareerLink
Team Pennsylvania CareerLink is a cooperative effort to provide one-stop delivery of career services to job seekers, employers and other interested individuals. These services are also available at your local Pennsylvania CareerLink office or participating agency.
- Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Business and Industry Services
Business and Industry services and workforce development through Penn College.
- Susquehanna Greenway Partnership
The Susquehanna Greenway will link natural, cultural, historic, and recreational resources along the 500-mile corridor of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. It will create a basin-wide organization for resource management and community conservation, factors of lasting importance to the economies and quality of life of river communities. - Entrepreneurship and Small Business Resource Guide
