Pennsylvania First Program (PA First)
Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED)
Up to $10,000 per job created or retained
Pennsylvania grants, loans and loan guarantees for job-creating business investment, up to $10,000 per job. Apply any time through DCED.
PA First is a Pennsylvania DCED program that gives grants, loans or loan guarantees to businesses and local development bodies for investment and job creation in the state. Funds can pay for machinery and equipment, job training, land and building work, infrastructure, site preparation and working capital. Awards are capped at $10,000 for each job created or retained, and the project must create or retain jobs paying at least $15 an hour and leverage private investment. Applications are taken any time during the fiscal year, subject to funds, through the DCED Electronic Single Application.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount
- Up to $10,000 per job created or retained
- Realistic amount
- Capped at $10,000 per job; the total depends on the jobs committed. No average award is published.
- Deadline
- Rolling. Applications may be submitted any time during the fiscal year, subject to availability of funds.
- Status
- active
- States
- PA
Who qualifies
- Businesses (for-profit or not-for-profit), municipalities, municipal authorities, redevelopment authorities, industrial development authorities and local development districts
- Project site in Pennsylvania, with a commitment to operate there for 8 years
- Create or retain 100 full-time jobs, or raise full-time employment by 20%, or add many jobs in a high-growth industry, or add fewer than 100 jobs in a high-unemployment area, within three years
- Jobs must pay at least $15 an hour base pay to count
- Net new payroll within three years
- Private investment: each annual appropriation must leverage at least $10 per $1 of program assistance
- Project must not start before DCED approval
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Job training for full-time Pennsylvania resident employees
- Acquisition of land, buildings or rights-of-way
- Construction or rehabilitation of buildings and infrastructure
- Machinery and equipment
- Working capital
- Site preparation, environmental assessments and remediation
- Architectural and engineering fees up to 10% of the award
Ineligible expenses
- Fees to consultants or lobbyists to negotiate public incentives
- Refinancing or retiring existing debt
- Costs unrelated to the business expansion or location
- Costs incurred before a formal DCED funding commitment
How to apply
-
1
Plan the project
Size the investment, jobs, wages and payroll against the employment and private investment rules.
~8 hrs
-
2
Complete the Electronic Single Application
Submit through dced.pa.gov/singleapp and attach the Appendix I supplemental information.
~12 hrs
-
3
Respond to DCED and sign the commitment letter
Return the signed commitment letter and grant agreement within 45 days.
~4 hrs
DCED ranks projects on private investment relative to the amount requested, so a higher investment-to-ask ratio is the strongest lever; do not start the project before approval or it becomes ineligible.
Deadline & timing
Guidelines dated July 2026 say applications may be submitted "at any time during the fiscal year, subject to the availability of funds." Infrastructure applicants are reviewed first and then invited to submit details.
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Required documents
- Electronic Single Application
- Business and project information with FEINs of related businesses
- Capital investment details: total project cost, funds requested, start and completion dates
- Job creation and retention details with wages and benefits
- Payroll information: current payroll and net new payroll
- For loans: three years of financial statements and collateral details
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Last updated October 31, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.