Florida Job Growth Grant Fund

About this programme

The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund (FJGGF) is a state economic development program created by Florida Statute 288.101, sitting inside FloridaCommerce (the state's economic development agency, formerly the Department of Economic Opportunity). Its statutory purpose is to promote economic opportunity by improving public infrastructure and enhancing workforce training across the state — and by law it may not be used for the exclusive benefit of any single company, corporation, or business entity.

FloridaCommerce identifies projects, solicits proposals, and makes funding recommendations; the Governor then approves the awards. FloridaCommerce administers the resulting contracts for whichever projects the Governor funds. Because the statute bars exclusive-benefit awards to a single business, proposals are submitted by public entities — state and local governments, public authorities, state colleges, and state technical centers — rather than by private companies applying directly for their own project.

The Fund runs two distinct tracks, published separately on the official site as Public Infrastructure Grant Proposals and Workforce Grant Proposals. Public infrastructure grants fund state or local infrastructure projects that support regional economic recovery, economic diversification, or growth in a targeted industry (plus a time-limited affordable-housing infrastructure category that sunsets 1 July 2033). Workforce training grants fund programs at Florida's state colleges and state technical centers that teach transferable, sustainable skills usable across more than one employer, plus the equipment those programs need.

The Fund has operated since 2017 and, per the Executive Office of the Governor, has awarded more than $305 million since 2019, associated with more than 41,000 new jobs and more than 32,000 new workforce education opportunities (figures as of a February 2026 award announcement). Recent fiscal-year award counts published on the official site are 19 projects in FY2021-22, 20 in FY2022-23, 19 in FY2023-24, and 21 to date in FY2024-25.

How it works

Public infrastructure grants fund state or local public infrastructure — defined in statute as fixed capital expenditure on facilities with a 5+ year life expectancy (roads, bridges, tunnels, water supply, sewers, electrical grids, telecommunications facilities), plus related land acquisition, land improvement, design, and engineering costs. To qualify as "public infrastructure" the asset must be publicly owned and either for public use or predominantly for public benefit; if it is ever leased or sold, that must happen at fair market rates or value.

Workforce training grants fund programs delivered through state colleges and state technical centers (not private training providers or individual employers) that teach transferable, sustainable workforce skills applicable to more than a single employer, plus equipment associated with those programs. FloridaCommerce works with CareerSource Florida, Inc. to make sure funded programs are open to the public under criteria the college or technical center sets, and do not exclude unemployed or underemployed applicants.

A "targeted industry," for purposes of qualifying an infrastructure project, means an industry on the most recent targeted-industry list FloridaCommerce provides to the Governor, the Senate President, and the House Speaker under s. 288.005, F.S. FloridaCommerce publishes its current target industries (aerospace and aviation, life sciences, manufacturing, financial services, information technology, and others) on the official site.

Proposals are submitted through an online portal ("Strategic Business Development"), which requires creating a portal account. FloridaCommerce reviews and shortlists proposals against the workforce or infrastructure needs of the community involved before recommending them to the Governor for final approval.

Who can apply

The statute frames eligible projects, not eligible companies: state or local public infrastructure projects (submitted by the relevant government or public authority) that support regional economic recovery, economic diversification, or growth in a targeted industry; time-limited affordable-housing infrastructure projects (through 1 July 2033); and workforce training grants submitted by Florida state colleges or state technical centers for programs that build transferable skills, plus associated equipment.

A private business cannot receive an FJGGF award for its own exclusive benefit — the statute expressly rules that out. In practice, private-sector employers benefit indirectly: a public infrastructure grant might expand an airport apron or industrial site their operations depend on, or a workforce grant might fund a training pipeline at a state college that feeds their hiring needs. Businesses that want to pursue an FJGGF-funded project typically need to partner with, or make the case to, the local government, public authority, state college, or state technical center that would be the actual applicant.

Public infrastructure projects must tie to one of the three statutory purposes (regional economic recovery, economic diversification, or targeted-industry enhancement) or, on the time-limited track, to affordable housing infrastructure. Workforce training projects must be delivered through a state college or state technical center and must not exclude applicants who are unemployed or underemployed.

How to apply

1. Create an account on the FloridaCommerce Strategic Business Development portal (the official submission system linked from the Job Growth Grant Fund page).
2. Prepare and submit a proposal on the appropriate track — Public Infrastructure Grant Proposal or Workforce Grant Proposal — through the portal.
3. FloridaCommerce reviews submitted proposals against community workforce or infrastructure needs and makes funding recommendations.
4. The Governor approves the projects that receive funding from among FloridaCommerce's recommendations.
5. FloridaCommerce administers the resulting contract for each approved, funded project.

Frequently asked

Reviewed 2026-08-16. Programmes change — confirm current eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with any government authority.