About the Database

The State Business Incentives Database is a national database created in 1999 by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). With almost 2,000 programs from all U.S. states and territories, the Database gives economic developers, business development finance professionals, and economic researchers a one-stop resource for searching and comparing state incentive programs.

Data Collection Process

The State Business Incentives Database represents a continuous effort by C2ER to track business incentive offerings in every state and territory. C2ER uses a broad range of data sources for data collection, including state agency websites, statutes and codes, budget documents, and interviews with state agency representatives.

The Database is updated on a biannual basis. During the update process, C2ER checks each program in the Database to ensure it is currently active and its information is accurate and complete. After reviewing currently included programs, C2ER performs research on every state to confirm all active state programs are incorporated in the Database.

Using the Database

The Database provides a wealth of detailed data on the incentive programs for every state and territory. For each incentive program, users have access to information on the administering agency, basic program description, and a link to the program website. Organizational and Premium Organizational users have access to the detailed program page, which contains data on the program's objective, specific benefits, eligibility criteria, and application procedures. Premium Organizational users can also view the statutory background and fiscal Information for every program.

The Database can be used to search state incentive programs based on a broad variety of search criteria, allowing for "apples-to-apples" comparisons. Categories include program type, category, targeted business need, qualifying industry sectors and geographic focus. Because all programs are categorized according to defined characteristics, users can utilize the database for statistical analysis across all states and territories. The Database Glossary of Terms provides more information on the criteria for inclusion in each category.

Database Features

State-to-State Comparison Analysis Tool

This tool allows users to select any two states or territories and compare their incentive program offerings. The comparison can be further refined by filtering according to database categories and/or keywords.

Totals by State Analysis Tool

This tool allows for graphical analysis of any number of states and territories. Users select their comparison states and various program categories and/or keywords. The data tab provides the total number of programs by category. The chart tab provides a bar graph comparison of the total number of incentive programs by selected categories. Users can then select the results from either tab to view the relevant incentives.

Export Function

The export feature allows users to download information into Excel format, allowing for easy analysis and comparisons. The data fields currently available for export are state, program name, program provider, program description, and website link.