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Economic Development

Business Incentives: Tax Exemptions, Grants and Loans

Business Incentives: Tax Exemptions, Grants and Loans

Grant Programs

Business Development Grant Program

Clackamas County offers competitive funding to traded-sector businesses that produce or manufacture goods in Clackamas County and sell or export those goods outside the county.

Key details:

  • Maximum Award: $100,000
  • Total Available: $650,000
  • Application Opens: Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025
  • Application Closes: Monday, Oct. 13, 2025 at 5 p.m.
  • Informational Webinar: Sept. 16, 2025 at 3:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Clackamas County Economic Development:

Workforce Grants

The 2024 Workforce Development Grant Program awarded state lottery funds to Clackamas Community College (CCC). Through this program, CCC is providing scholarships to students enrolled or enrolling in Career and Technical Education programs to enter the workforce at higher wages that support self-sufficiency. 

For more information, contact CCC’s Workforce Development Services:

Enterprise Zone Program

Enterprise zones are designed to encourage business investment through property tax exemption in designated areas of the county. Locating or expanding into an enterprise zone provides eligible businesses property tax exemption. Exemption applies to new construction and equipment for a period of 3 years.

View Enterprise Zone Flier.

Enterprise Zone Maps

Eligible businesses

  • Manufacturers
  • processors
  • shippers
  • operations that serve other organizations, such as call centers and headquarter facilities
  • hotel/resort businesses in the Sandy Enterprise Zone
  • Retail, construction, financial and certain other defined activities are ineligible.

For the standard, 3-year enterprise zone exemption, the business should meet the following criteria:

  • Increase full-time, permanent employment by 10%
  • Maintain minimum employment level during the exemption period
  • Enter into a first-source agreement with local job training providers
  • Pay an application fee of 0.1% of the proposed total investment.

More Loan and Grant Opportunties

Please contact us at 503-742-4BIZ (4249) for more information.

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The Urban and Rural Strategic Investment Zone provides a compelling business recruitment tool designed to attract large capital intensive traded sector businesses. The program provides consistent criteria and a streamlined approval process.

Highlights include:

  • 15-year property tax abatements on facilities and equipment to any "traded-sector" business. Examples include production, manufacturing, high tech and others.
  • Applies to large capital investments — $25 million minimum in the rural zone and $100 million in the urban zone.
  • Requires the company to pay a community service fee equal to 25% of the tax savings per year to local public service providers to offset community impacts. The community service fee is capped at an annual maximum of $2 million in urban areas or $500,000 in rural areas.

Clackamas County Urban Zone
Unincorporated urban Clackamas County and the cities of Lake Oswego and portions of Happy Valley.

Clackamas County Rural Zone
Unincorporated rural Clackamas County, portions of Happy Valley and the cities of Sandy, Molalla, Estacada and Canby.

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These are Regional and Rural Investment Funds (grants and loans) focusing on economic development. Priority is given to projects that:

  • create or retain jobs
  • leverage outside capital investment for business development
  • demonstrate ongoing sustainability
  • support minority and women owned companies
  • projects that achieve an average wage level at or above the county minimum average wage
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The Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments provides assistance to area small businesses with all of the commonly used government finance programs. These federal, state and local resources are designed to be used in partnership with private lenders — such as banks — to provide the financing needed by companies to expand or start new ventures.

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Phone:503-742-4BIZ
Email:4biz@clackamas.us

150 Beavercreek Road Oregon City, OR 97045

Office Hours:

Monday to Thursday
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Contact Our Staff