District Technology Incentives
The District of Columbia offers incentives to reduce the cost of doing business for high-tech companies. To qualify for incentives, businesses must be located in the District, employ at least two individuals, and derive a majority of revenue from qualifying high technology activities.
Federal R&D Tax Credit
The federal research and experimentation tax credit (aka "R&D credit" or "R&E credit") is a credit on selected research expenditures. Many businesses, from high-technology companies to software developers to consumer and industrial product manufacturers, are taking advantage of the research tax credit. Speak to your company’s tax professional to find out information about the credit and see if your firm qualifies.
DC Certified Capital Company (CAPCO) Program
The DC Certified Capital Company (CAPCO) Program is a successful effort by the District of Columbia to increase private capital investment for new or expanding small businesses. The CAPCO model, which has been enacted in DC and a number of states, combines private-sector expertise in identifying, evaluating, and financing businesses with the public sector’s interest in a stronger local economy.
DC CAPCO investment funds, which are called “CAPCOs,” are managed by professional venture capitalists, stimulate the creation of high-wage jobs and provide an incentive to retain, expand, and attract a wide range of businesses. Since the start of the DC program in 2003, CAPCOs have exceeded target milestones for deployment of DC CAPCO funds. It is important to distinguish the DC CAPCO Program from a grant program; CAPCOs make investments, not grants, into qualifying businesses. As such, only the most competitive businesses – as determined by the individual CAPCOs – that meet the program’s qualifications are able to receive investment via the DC CAPCO Program.
Please find more information at the DC CAPCO website.
District of Columbia Small Business Development Center Network (DC SBDC)
The DC SBDC Network is an outreach program of Howard University, working in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), other District of Columbia universities, and community organizations, to provide free management and technical assistance and affordable training in all phases of business development to District of Columbia based small businesses. Their trained and skilled business consultants provide confidential, one-on-one management assistance in a myriad of areas, at no cost to the client. Each year, one-on-one consulting is provided to thousands of small business owners, managers and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Please find more information at the DC SBDC website - https://www.dcsbdc.org/
The Washington, DC Economic Partnership (WDCEP)
The Washington, DC Economic Partnership (WDCEP) is your first point of contact for development and business opportunities in the District of Columbia. They partner with all parties, public and private, interested in making DC a great place to do business. Entrepreneurs and artists, along with budding technology gurus and non-profit visionaries, all come to us for guidance and assistance in mapping out their strategies for success. Whether you plan to start a District-based business, make your existing business more competitive, wish to connect to development and retail opportunities, or simply want to use their research to make better-informed decisions, think of the WDCEP as your economic development resource.
Please find more information at the WDCEP website - http://www.wdcep.org/
Know another resource we should highlight? Get in touch at [email protected]