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The Office of Economic Development (OED) is a client facing business and project development activity responsible for the development of business sites that provide the opportunity to improve the Erie County tax base through business retention, attraction and expansion. These responsibilities are delivered through the following services provided by the OED: |
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Your Growth is Our Business
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The "Your Growth is Our Business" program is a multi-agency effort to understand individual business needs and provide tangible public and private sector resources to those needs. Erie County is fortunate to have aggressive federal, state and local economic development resource partners with relevant programs to help your business grow and prosper in Erie County. |
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There are many diversified products and services available to help Western New York businesses remain competitive and profitable. They range from financing to workforce training to green energy and market development assistance to start-up business planning and strategic operations analysis for ongoing operations. Click on the adjacent "Your Growth is Our Business" icon to learn what programs are available for your business. |
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Microenterprise Loan Funding |
The Microenterprise Loan Fund provides low-interest loans to assist small businesses with start-up costs or the purchase of equipment. A microenterprise is a commercial business that has five (5) or fewer full-time equivalent employees, one (1) or more of which is the business owner. Business owners are subject to federal income eligibility requirements. For more information, please click here. |
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Business Liaison & Technical Assistance |
The OED is a resource for individuals and businesses of "any size" for questions and for direction to the appropriate agency(ies) that can assist with their needs and/or opportunities. In addition, the OED has developed online resources that provide information to the business community and promote and encourage business expansion for manufacturers located in Erie County. Click here to download the Erie County Business Assistance Directory. |
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Business Retention & Expansion Program |
The Office of Economic Development and the Erie County Industrial Development Agency (ECIDA) Business Development team actively reach out to small and medium-size businesses in Erie County to understand their needs and provide tangible public sector programs that can positively affect their bottom line. All federal, state and local agencies are resource partners in the effort so that a single contact can uncover all relevant economic development programs. The outreach effort is aligned with the target industry strategies developed by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and Buffalo Niagara Enterprise. The office has contacted over 160 businesses under the program. A common database maintained by the ECIDA insures that business needs are fulfilled and provides trend information useful for setting economic development policy. |
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Land Development & Economic Development Planning Studies |
OED is charged with developing land for industrial use. OED works with municipalities and developers, providing technical and financial support to develop shovel ready properties. To encourage smart growth, OED also provides technical assistance and financing for economic development planning studies. |
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Brownfield & Urban Redevelopment |
The urban center and first ring suburbs are now victims of their earlier success in attracting industry and commerce to the Western New York area. Often these lands are dotted with urban blight or are considered brownfields, which mean these lands may have some level of contamination. Brownfield sites range from abandoned gas stations to rail yards and former heavy industrial manufacturing plants. The OED brownfield services offers technical assistance and financing tools to encourage redevelopment of these sites. The OED will provide facilitation services among environmental agencies and the project's redevelopment team. |
