Oregon Business Expansion Program (Business Oregon Expansion Fund)
Business Oregon (Oregon Business Development Department)
Negotiated; income-tax-based
Oregon job-creation expansion grant
Oregon's performance-based grant program for traded-sector businesses expanding in Oregon and creating high-quality jobs. Targeted at larger employers: applicants must create at least 50 net new FTE jobs and must already have at least 150 US employees. New jobs must pay at or above 150% of county or state average wage (whichever is less). Awards are performance-based grants disbursed after job creation milestones are verified. Administered by Business Oregon on a rolling basis with limited annual funding.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $25,000 – $500,000
- Realistic amount
- Awards are formula-driven based on income tax revenue from new jobs. A 50-job expansion at 150% of county average wage i…
- Deadline
- Rolling — Business Oregon accepts applications year-round, subject to available annual budget. Engage regional project managers early as funding is limited.
- Status
- active
- States
- OR
- Payment model
- milestone
Who qualifies
- Must be a for-profit traded-sector business with operations in Oregon (manufacturing, technology, distribution, professional services that export outside Oregon)
- Must create a minimum of 50 net new full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in Oregon within the project commitment period
- Must currently employ at least 150 full-time employees in the United States at the time of application
- New jobs must pay wages at or above 150% of the county or statewide average wage (whichever is less); projects in non-MSA rural counties may qualify at 130% of county average wage
- Must demonstrate the 'but for' element — without state assistance, the expansion would not occur in Oregon or would be located elsewhere
- Application must be submitted and conditionally approved before the company commits to the Oregon expansion
- Must be in good standing with Oregon Secretary of State and Oregon DOR
- Business must be financially viable with demonstrated ability to create and sustain the jobs
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- The grant is unrestricted as to use — funds may be applied to any qualifying business expense
- Common uses: workforce training costs, equipment acquisition, facility costs, working capital to support the expansion
- Grant is tied to job-creation performance, not specific expense categories
Ineligible expenses
- Projects entirely in non-traded-sector industries (retail, restaurants, local services) do not qualify
- Replacement jobs or positions created by acquisition of an existing Oregon employer
- Part-time positions (must be full-time equivalent)
- Jobs paying below county average wage
- Lobbying or political activities
How to apply
-
1
Engage a Business Oregon regional project manager
Contact Business Oregon's regional office. Describe the expansion project, job count, wages, and the competitive alternatives (other states or locations). The project manager will assess OBEP fit and work with you on structuring the application.
~6 hrs
-
2
Prepare and submit application
Complete the Business Expansion Program application: company profile, NAICS code, expansion plan (job titles, wages, hiring timeline), 3-year financial projections, description of alternative locations considered, and 'but for' statement.
~6 hrs
-
3
Business Oregon review and conditional award
Business Oregon reviews the application for eligibility, credibility of 'but for' claim, and job-quality metrics. Conditional award issued within 4–8 weeks. Grant agreement specifies job-creation milestones.
~6 hrs
-
4
Create jobs and meet milestones
Hire qualifying employees and document job creation with payroll records. Annual reporting to Business Oregon to verify job count and wages. Grant funds disbursed as milestones are verified.
~6 hrs
Business Oregon's regional project managers have significant discretion in structuring these deals — the informal pre-application conversation is where the deal gets shaped. If you have a genuine competing offer from another state, bring documentation; it dramatically strengthens the 'but for' showing.
Deadline & timing
Business Oregon's Business Expansion Program operates on a rolling basis but has limited annual funding that can be exhausted mid-year. Applications should be submitted before the company makes a binding Oregon expansion commitment — the 'but for' element is a hard requirement and is weakened once the decision is made.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.