The Louisiana Industrial Ad Valorem Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) offers an 80% property tax abatement for up to 10 years on a manufacturer’s new investment. The program is open to manufacturers new to Louisiana and to existing manufacturers in Louisiana making new investments to existing facilities.

Louisiana’s Digital Interactive Media and Software Program (DM)—one of the strongest of its kind in the nation—helps innovative digital media and software development companies of all sizes gain a competitive edge. DM provides a 25% tax credit on qualified payroll for resident labor and 18% for qualified production expenditures. If the amount of tax credits exceeds the business’ state income tax liabilities, the business receives the balance as a refund or applicants can opt for 85% of the value earned as a rebate any time during the year.

Louisiana’s Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit encourages existing businesses with operating facilities in Louisiana to establish or continue research and development activities within the state by providing up to a 30% tax credit on qualified research expenditures incurred in Louisiana, with no minimum spending requirement.

Opportunity Zones are a community development program established by Congress in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. This federal capital gains tax incentive program is designed to drive long-term investments to low-income communities. The law provides a federal tax incentive for investors to re-invest their capital gains into Opportunity Funds, which are specialized vehicles dedicated to investing in designated low-income areas. The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) signed into law July 2025 will strengthen the program and make the tax incentive permanent. The OBBB ends the sunset clause, mandates new zone designations every ten years, and directs capital toward distressed and rural communities.

Louisiana’s Restoration Tax Abatement (RTA) program revitalizes communities by providing an up to 10-year property tax abatement on renovations and improvements of existing commercial structures and owner-occupied residences located within economic development districts, downtown development districts, historic districts and Opportunity Zones.

Louisiana’s High-Impact Jobs Program (HIP) offers qualifying companies up to five years of reimbursable grants for the creation of new jobs that pay above the parish (county) average wage, based on the parish where the project is located. Companies can benefit from grants administered directly from Louisiana Economic Development, with higher wages yielding higher grants. HIP is designed to benefit businesses of all sizes—qualifying companies creating at least one new job can apply. Sole proprietorships are ineligible.

Businesses operating in Louisiana benefit from the most competitive tax code in the state’s history. As of January 2025, Louisiana’s personal and corporate income tax are among the lowest in the country – offering permanent full expensing, allowing businesses to deduct the full cost of qualifying capital investments in the year they’re placed in service.

The Certified Business Site Program identifies sites best suited for business, industrial or mixed-used developments and prepares them for acquisition. What’s more, these sites are classified as 180-day development-ready, ensuring tight timelines remain on schedule.

Louisiana Economic Development’s System for Integrated Growth (SIG)^® program provides Louisiana-based small businesses with the information they need to grow and succeed. Through accelerated technical assistance and customized research, the SIG program addresses issues that impact business growth, whether they are internal problems or outside the walls of your company. For example, SIG can help you:

• Explore new markets, create prospect lists for those markets and analyze competitors.
• Enhance your online efforts and increase visibility to potential customers.
• Get a handle on financial management and understand what your books are telling you.
• Prepare to export – from documentation to identifying global markets and setting up distribution channels.
• Bring in best practices on supply chain and operations to complement your managers’ working knowledge.
• Learn how to recruit, retain and develop talented employees.

LED’s Small and Emerging Business Development (SEBD) Program provides the managerial and technical assistance needed to grow and sustain a small business. This program provides for developmental assistance, including marketing, accounting, business planning, human resources and legal and industry-specific assistance. It also offers consideration for bidding on select products or services purchased by state agencies.

SEBD Intermediaries provide a free business assessment and assistance with accessing other program benefits including training classes, one-on-one assistance and SEBD Roundtables.

The Louisiana Contractors Accreditation Institute, a partnership between Louisiana Economic Development, Louisiana Community & Technical College System and the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, offers small and emerging construction businesses seminars and courses that assist in building a solid foundation of knowledge within the construction industry.

In partnership with Louisiana Economic Development, Louisiana Small Business Development Center Network, Louisiana Department of Veterans Affair and Louisiana National Guard, the Pathway to Assist Veteran Entrepreneurs (PAVE) will follow a virtual format which allows veterans to participate in this program at their own pace.

The PAVE program consists of on-demand online training, a virtual entrepreneurship boot camp and access to ongoing business programs and resources. The program consists of three modules of on-demand virtual training that can be accessed and completed at the participant’s desired pace. The virtual training expands on the topics of starting a business, securing financing and developing a sales strategy.

The Louisiana Contractors Accreditation Institute, a partnership between Louisiana Economic Development, Louisiana Community & Technical College System and the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, offers small and emerging construction businesses seminars and courses that assist in building a solid foundation of knowledge within the construction industry.

Louisiana’s Hudson Initiative is a certification program that is designed to help eligible Louisiana small businesses gain greater access to purchasing and contracting opportunities that are available at the State government level.

For small purchases of less than $25,000, State agencies can waive the requirement of getting additional quotes if a certified company submits a quote that is reasonable. 10% of the total evaluation points can be added to your bid on a Request for Proposal (RFP). Prime contractors who use your business as a subcontractor on a bid for an RFP are also eligible to receive additional percentage points on their bid. Your business and contact information will be accessible to State purchasing officials and prime contractors looking for subcontractors. State agencies are encouraged to get quotes from and use qualified, certified companies whenever possible.

Louisiana’s Veteran Initiative is a certification program that is designed to help eligible Louisiana Veteran-owned and Service-Connected Disabled-Veteran-owned small businesses gain greater access to purchasing and contracting opportunities that are available at the state government level.

Your business and contact information will be accessible to state purchasing officials and prime contractors who are looking for subcontractors. State agencies are encouraged to get quotes from and use qualified, certified companies whenever possible. For small purchases (less than $25,000), state agencies can waive the required additional quotes if a certified company submits a quote that is reasonable. 12% of the total evaluation points can be added to your bid on a Request for Proposal (RFP). Prime contractors who use your business as a subcontractor on a bid for an RFP are also eligible to receive additional percentage points on their bid.

SSBCI is a $10 billion federal program that helps states support small businesses and startups that are creditworthy but unable to access the capital they need to grow or establish their businesses and create jobs.

SSBCI is not a government grant program. It is an economic stimulus program that uses federal dollars to leverage private investment in existing and start-up businesses through loan and equity programs

The STEP (State Trade Expansion Program) Grant is designed to help Louisiana small businesses generate new export revenue and create or retain jobs resulting from sales to foreign markets.  Under this program, eligible small businesses can be reimbursed for expenses associated with participation in virtual and in-person trade shows, trade missions and export training workshops, as well as other eligible expenses including shipping sample products, compliance testing, fee services offered by the U.S. Commercial Service, internationally-focused website development and design of marketing media, and other activities and expenses as determined by SBA.

The program offers a 90% reimbursement rate on eligible expenses, with a maximum benefit per company of $10,000.

Louisiana Economic Development’s Bonding Assistance Program provides access to quality bid, payment and performance bonds at reasonable rates from surety companies when bonding capacity is needed on public or private jobs.

• Offers 25% of contract price or $100,000, whichever is less, in bond guarantee to surety
• The default mitigation fund will provide recipients up to $40,000 of that guarantee, or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, in mitigation funds
• Sureties perform all underwriting and offer competitive rates
• LED’s Bond guarantees may mitigate some risk to surety company, leading to a positive underwriting decision