Business Assistance Program

Program Overview

The Business Assistance Program (BAP) is a matching grant program designed to encourage small businesses to locate, expand or redevelop in the City of Orlando.

BAP provides matching funds to new and expanding businesses in the city to assist in off-setting development fees, including sewer and transportation impact fees, building permit fees, and all elements of public right-of-way infrastructure within the city’s jurisdiction that may require new installation, repair, replacement or relocation.

Eligible improvements include, but are not limited to, street lighting and fire hydrant installation/relocation, sidewalk repairs; traffic signalization; water and sewer line construction, removal or relocation; curb, gutter, street improvements and landscaping or installation of publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

The Economic Development Department administers and monitors the program, as well as determines eligibility of applicants.

The program requires eligible business owners to pay 50 percent of the fees assessed against the business, while the program fund pays the remaining 50 percent up to $20,000.

Eligibility Requirements

• Business must be located within city limits or locating to the City of Orlando
• Applicants must be a new, for-profit business or an expanding, existing for-profit business in the City of Orlando. Business must be a small business as defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration
• All applicants must obtain or possess City of Orlando Business Tax Receipt. (Existing business owners must possess a current City of Orlando Business Tax Receipt. New business owners must obtain a City of Orlando Business Tax Receipt within 90 days of agreement execution.) A copy must be provided to the city
• All applicants must be current with federal, state, and local taxes
• Recipients of BAP assistance may apply for the Small Business Façade, Site Improvement and Adaptive Reuse Program (FSARP). Total assistance from both programs may not exceed $20,000, unless the recipient of the FSARP assistance is required by the city to make improvements to the city’s right-of-way (which includes, but is not limited to, street lighting and fire hydrant installation/relocation, sidewalk repairs; traffic signalization; water and sewer line construction, removal or relocation; curb, gutter, street improvements and landscaping.). In that instance, the recipient of the FSARP assistance may receive up to $20,000.00 in BAP assistance regardless of the amount of assistance awarded under the FSARP. MEBA recipients may also apply for BAP assistance only after the expiration date of their MEBA agreement.
• Applicants and property owners may reapply for BAP assistance one (1) year after the termination date of the existing program agreement. The applicant must be the original business entity and be in the process of expansion. Applicants may only reapply once for BAP
• Applicants must obtain a building permit for all corresponding proposed work for which fees have been assessed. All work must meet the requirements of the Orlando City Code
• All approvals must be in place prior to final approval. No grants will be awarded retroactively
• All applicants must be in compliance with applicable city departments

Eligible Business Uses

• Manufacturing industries
• Construction industries
• Technology and communication industries
• Business service industries
• Transportation and storage industries
• Retail and restaurant industries
• Business with cultural uses
• Personal service industries (i.e. barber shops, beauty shops, laundromats, appliance repair, jewelry and clock repair, duplicating services, health spas, dance studios, photography studios, tailoring, and other similar services)
• Medical services and support (medical office supply, equipment supply, compound pharmacy, independent pharmacy, independent medical office, independent doctor group medical office, independent veterinary office)
• Local chain businesses (businesses must have its own corporate headquarter office in Central Florida, have no more than three locations in the City of Orlando, qualify as at least one of the industries listed above and must be defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration.)

Ineligible Business Uses *

• Franchises and national chain businesses
• Health, medical and social service businesses such as but not limited to walk-in clinics, pain management clinics, hospitals and all affiliated services, chain pharmacies, detoxification centers/clinics, residential care facilities and labs
• Agricultural service industries
• Not for Profit organizations (eligible organizations may apply for the Not for Profit Impact Fee Assistance Program)
• Tattoo parlors
• Body piercing or body art shops
• Adult entertainment facilities
• Adult oriented or adult themed businesses
• Nightclubs, bars, or taverns
• Liquor stores
• Gun shops
• Pawn shops
• Home-based businesses
• Businesses that sell drug paraphernalia
• Any business with outstanding code enforcement violations (including red light infractions) or liens
• Any business that is not current with federal, state, and local taxes
• Any business with outstanding debt to the city
• Medical marijuana businesses (wholesale, retail, production, processing and testing)

* A copy of the applicants’ Florida Business and Professional Regulation license may be required to better determine eligibility.

Program Documents

Business Assistance Program Application(PDF, 267KB)

Business Assistance Policies, Procedures and Guidelines(PDF, 231KB)

Contact

For more information, please email economicdevelopment@orlando.gov, or call 407.246.2821.