The mission of the Business Development Division is to foster job creation, support the growth of new and existing businesses and assist entrepreneurs and small businesses by providing capacity building information, resources, and tools.  Business Development houses Recruitment and Retention, Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Certification Program, Brownfields Redevelopment Program, and a host of projects and initiatives that support economic development. 
 


Recruitment and Retention 

Recruitment and retention engages in business outreach, highlights exemplary businesses (both monthly and quarterly), facilitates City processes, and markets local assets such as Jackson’s industrial and commercial areas, workforce, population characteristics, and target industries.  This program also administers business surveys and questionnaires to provide a basis for continual improvement of services to the business community and to deliver a common database for decision making or intervention.  

Grants and Loans

Currently, the City of Jackson does not have funding available for grant and loan requests.  

BEAT Program

The Business Entrepreneur Assistance Team (BEAT) serves as a personalized assistance program to help individuals obtain their business license from start to finish. The process for opening a business includes visits to multiple floors of the Hood Building and multiple applications. To make this process easier, BEAT team members are available to personally walk you through the process step by step. Please download the Business Start Up Kit PDF for more information on what to look forward to and how to turn an idea into a successful business with step-by-step guides and helpful resources.

Brownfields Redevelopment Program

Brownfields redevelopment has greater location efficiency, revitalizes neighborhoods, increases local tax revenue and property values, and creates jobs.  Since the program’s inception, the City of Jackson has been awarded the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfield Pilot Demonstration Project, Brownfield Showcase Communities Project, Brownfields Assessment Grants, and UST Pilot Program.  Approximately 150 brownfields sites have been identified with several being redeveloped; namely, the historic King Edwards Hotel.  

The City of Jackson utilizes Federal grant programs and State incentives to leverage the costs of development.  The State of Mississippi provides the following brownfields incentives:

• Brownfields Income Tax Credit
• Redevelopment Tax Abatement

 Incentives 

The City of Jackson facilitates the following incentive programs:

• Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
• Ad Valorem Tax Exemption
• Tourism Rebate Program
• New Market Tax Credits
• Urban Renewal Bonds
• Incentives for the rehabilitation of multi-family residential structures, conversion of commercial buildings to residential, and rehabilitation of historic assets

For more information regarding all programs administered by the state of Mississippi, click here.

Upcoming Projects and Initiatives

• Startup Jackson
• Women-Owned Business Initiative
• Brownfields Citywide Plan
• Workforce Development