Business Incentives

If you’re looking for a new business address, Mount Dora is the place to be! Our thriving downtown attracts customers right to your door step. In order to make things even better, the city has a number of incentive programs to make it easier and cost effective to start a business in the city. These include direct grants for building improvements, reimbursements of building permit fees, impact fee waivers, development fee waivers, and property tax abatement for qualified businesses. These incentives save small business thousands of dollars in upfront costs to make it easier to get started.

These incentives, coupled with the best of the best in city services makes Mount Dora a truly great place to be. Check us out; you will see we are truly someplace special.

High Value Job Creation Program

The City of Mount Dora has established a High Value Job Creation Program (HVJCP) to encourage target industry businesses that will offer significant economic impact to the city.  These businesses are intended to create high-value jobs and sustainable employment. This program will provide a cash award for the creation of jobs paying a minimum of 115% of the County’s average annual wage (AAW). 

Visual Improvement Program

This is an exterior improvement matching fund grant opportunity for commercial buildings located in the Community Redevelopment Agency Boundary and zoned C-2, C-2A, or RP with a CUP with a non-residential use. Work must result in a combination of significant exterior visual improvements. Examples: façade upgrades; parking facilities; matching signage; painting; lighting; new or repaired/replaced windows, doors and awnings; window tinting; improved entryways; extensive cleaning; exterior security systems; and external improvements required to bring a building/property up to code.

The maximum grant award is $10,000 per property.  The funds are available on a first come first serve basis.  If a tenant is applying, they must have the signed authorization from their landlord for their application to be accepted.  Residential properties are not eligible for this program.

Because of this commitment to economic viability and sustainability, the City has provided water and electric deposit assistance for businesses enhancing their facilities within the City’s service territory.

To be eligible for this assistance, the applying business must:

1.    Be both the owner and operator of the facility

2.    Have contributions in aid of construction (CIAC) of $1.5M toward the cost of equipment required for the extension of services to supply utilities 

3.    Be in a statewide target clusters/industries category established by Enterprise Florida Inc.: Aviation & Aerospace, Clean Energy, Defense & Homeland Security, Emerging Technologies, Financial & Professional Services, Headquarters, Information Technology, Life Sciences, Logistics and Distribution Manufacturing. 

Links

Lake County Incentives 

State of Florida Incentives