Business Assistance Programs

Regional centers provide a range of services customized to the needs of local small manufacturers helping them be more globally competitive. ATN's team of experts helps solve the needs of industry and business through innovative, sustainable, cost-effective solutions. ATN conducts detailed needs assessments, outlines potential solutions based on the results, and then provides technical assistance to help you solve those problems or identify those who can. The network is Alabama's affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which provides hands-on assistance and training to smaller manufacturers.

AIDT was established to build a healthy state economy by recruiting and training a skilled workforce to attract new industries to the state and to expand existing industries. Job-specific pre-employment and on-the-job training programs are provided. The program provides a full range of customized technical training programs that are offered at no cost to employers and to the trainees. Leadership training programs are also available. In addition to training, AIDT offers services including trainee recruitment and screening, safety assistance, industrial maintenance assessments and continuous improvement/process improvement assessments. Training is conducted by AIDT staff or contracted instructors and delivered through classrooms or 38 Mobile Training Units (MTUs) customized to meet specific company needs.

• AIDT is among the top workforce training programs in the US (Expansion Management)
• ISO 9001:2008 certified
• State-of-the-art training and support services for new and expanding businesses.

An experienced staff, mobile training units, and in-house design and production facilities at no cost to the client.

The Alabama Career Center is a one-stop career center that offers free employment services available to all businesses and jobseekers. The services include:

• Assist the employers in the local, intrastate or interstate recruitment of applicants.
• Prescreen applicants to meet employer qualifications.
• Provide interview facilities for the employers.
• Conduct any desired testing of potential employees to measure aptitudes for specified job skills using validated tests.

Perform any related service that might be needed.

The Industrial Development Grant Program provides grants to counties, municipalities, local industrial development boards or authorities organized as a public corporation in the state, or an airport authority organized as a public corporation in this state pursuant to Chapter 3 of Title 4, or whether created by general, or special or local laws, or general acts of local application, if such authority governs an airport operated by a county and at least one municipality therein jointly, for these purposes:

• Site preparation for land owned or possessed by lease by these entities.
• Reasonable rehabilitation of an existing building or structure, determined by the Grantee as being necessary to solicit or attract a Qualifying Project.

The size of the grant depends upon the amount of capital investment.

Industrial access funds are intended to provide adequate public access to new or expanding distribution, manufacturing and industrial firms. The industry must be committed to new investment and the creation of new jobs. The new access must be on public right of way for public use (state, city or county) and the project sponsor (city or county) must maintain the completed facility unless the facility consists of turn lanes, crossovers, etc., that are located on state highways. Industrial access funds are limited to construction, construction engineering and inspection costs. The project sponsor is responsible for all preliminary engineering, right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation costs.

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has authority to issue the permits required by all the major federal environmental laws. Permit Coordination and Development Center (PCDC) facilitates the permitting process by coordinating communications, conferences and other administrative functions between an applicant and ADEM.

The Legislature has passed and the Governor has signed Act No. 99-446 providing for the creation of improvement districts and allowing for the issuance of revenue bonds to finance improvements such as streets, water systems, sewers, sidewalks, and recreational facilities.

• Formed by counties and municipalities – public corporations authorized to issue bonds backed by assessments on the real estate located within the district.
• Ability to issue bonds and confer exemption from certain state and local taxes.
• Financing vehicle to issue tax-exempt bonds to provide funds for the construction of infrastructure.

A variety of loan, grant, and loan guarantee programs, plus technical assistance in the areas of business and industry, cooperative development, rural housing, community facilities, water and waste disposal, and telecommunications, including distance learning and telemedicine.

Fixed rate financing, at below market rates, for business startup or expansions and economic or community development projects is directly available through the Alabama-Tombigbee Regional Commission. Learn more.