Beyond the Ribbon-Cutting

A Playbook for Economic Development Funding

Most companies start talking about public funding after the site is picked and the budget is approved. By then, some of the best options are gone. This playbook shows how to evaluate incentives while they can still shape the project.

What’s inside

How to compare competing state and local offers on the same assumptions
An example 120-day timetable, from request for proposals to implementation plan
How to build a capital stack from grants, tax abatements, low-interest loans, and tax increment financing, and what each source actually covers
Four mistakes that cost companies funding, starting with treating site selection as a property search
Six questions to ask any government relations partner before you hire one
Real engagements, including $2.8 million in Minnesota state incentives for a $24 million manufacturing investment

$1Bin funding secured by the Shepherd team

3,500jobs among the Shepherd team’s results

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