State of Texas Incentives

The business climate in Texas is consistently ranked among the best in the United States. Texas is logistics friendly with its top-notch road, airport, rail system, and ports. The state has the second largest civilian workforce in the nation with an abundance of highly skilled workers.

  • No. 1 exporting state in the nation
  • Only state with its own power grid
  • Proximity to strategic markets including Mexico and Latin American
  • Recently enacted tort reform
  • No state tax on goods in transit or personal income tax

Texas Enterprise Fund Awards Surpass $300 Million

The Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF), the largest "deal-closing" fund of its kind in the nation, continues to attract businesses and jobs to Texas. The TEF, administered by the Office of the Governor, can be used for a variety of economic development projects, including infrastructure development, community development, job training programs and business incentives.

Projects that are considered for the Enterprise Fund support must demonstrate a project’s worthiness, maximize the benefits to the State of Texas and realize a significant rate of return of the public dollars being used for the economic development of Texas.

Capital investment, job creation, wages generated, financial strength of the applicant, applicant’s business history, analysis of the relevant business sector, and federal and local government and private sector financial support of a project will all be significant factors in approving the use of the Enterprise Fund.

The Governor’s Office works closely with local leaders to tailor incentive packages that best meet the needs of local communities and businesses. Applications for the TEF must be submitted to the Office of the Governor, Economic Development & Tourism Division, which provides information on how funds are to be utilized and how the proposed project meets the criteria of the program.

Texas Emerging Technology Fund

The Texas Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) is designed to create jobs and grow Texas' economy by expediting the development and commercialization of new technologies and attracting and creating jobs in technology fields. The ETF focuses on three investment areas: increasing research collaboration through new Regional Centers of Innovation and Commercialization; matching research grants funds; and attracting more top-notch research talent.

Seven regions of the state have been established to administer the program through a “Regional Center of Innovation and Commercialization.” In addition, a statewide Life Science Regional Center of Innovation and Commercialization also was formed.

The North Texas Regional Center of Innovation and Commercialization (NTXRCIC) acts as the regional agent for the ETF Advisory Committee to identify, evaluate, and submit promising proposals from their respective regions to the ETF Advisory Committee. The ETF Advisory Committee makes final decisions on awards.

RCICs work closely with applicants in assisting with ETF proposal development, post-proposal debriefings, and commercialization activities. In addition, RCICs are a strong focal point to increasing cooperation and spurning collaboration between industrial, financial, and academic entities. The first step in the application process is to complete the NTXRCIC Client Company Questionnaire.