Welcome to the City of El Paso's Business Services division! Whether it be demographic, market data, workforce, labor costs, state or local incentives, our Business Services team is here to meet your needs. El Paso stands at the forefront of communities transcending borders and supports a best-in-class, business friendly operating environment. El Paso is the '#1 Best Run City in Texas' (WalletHub, July 2017) and is also recognized for its Achievement in Organizational Development (Quality Texas Foundation, June 2018).

Our region represents one of the largest manufacturing centers in North America, is recognized as globally competitive and has the largest bilingual and bicultural workforce in the Western Hemisphere. We are eager and ready to work with you!

See Small Business Annual Report 2023

Development Incentives

Local Incentives

• Chapter 380 of the Local Government Code provides legislative authority for Texas municipalities to provide grants or loans of city funds or services in order to promote economic development. It is our policy to provide incentives to selected private businesses that make or will make a measurable difference in achieving economic growth and development. Click here for guidelines and submit this application to the addresses listed inside.
• Transit Oriented Development Incentive Policy (TOD) provides incentives within designated TOD areas to improve mobility and travel choices, spur economic development, support downtown revitalization, and stimulate investment in established neighborhoods. Most transit riders begin and end their trips as pedestrians and the streets around transit stations and stops should be safe, interesting and convenient for pedestrians. If you would like to apply for a TOD fill and submit this form.
• The Infill Development Incentive Policy provides financial incentives to develop vacant and underutilized properties within the City limits. The City recognizes there may be physical and monetary challenges to developing such parcels and as such, have provided financial incentives to make it economically-feasible to do so. Please review the criteria and submit an application.
• Foreign Trade Zone #68: A foreign-trade zone (FTZ) is a site within the United States, in or near a U.S. Customs port of entry, where foreign and domestic merchandise is generally considered to be in international commerce. Foreign or domestic merchandise may enter this enclave without a formal Customs entry or the payment of Custom duties or government excise taxes.
• Chapter 312 of the Texas Tax Code allows the City of El Paso to enter into tax abatement agreements. This is a local agreement between a taxpayer and a taxing unit that exempts all or part of the increase in the value of the real property and/or tangible personal property from taxation for a period not to exceed 10 years. Tax abatements are an economic development tool available to cities, counties and special districts to attract new industries and to encourage the retention and development of existing businesses through property tax exemptions or reductions.
  View the Resolution See Application Form

State Incentives

Property & Sales Tax Programs

• Texas Enterprise Fund was established in 2003 and is used primarily to attract new business to the state or assist with the substantial expansion of an existing business as part of a competitive recruitment situation.
• Texas Enterprise Zone Program is an economic development tool for local communities to partner with the State of Texas to promote job creation and capital investment in economically distressed areas of the state.
• Manufacturing Machinery & Equipment that are leased or purchased and have a useful life of more than six months, and that are used or consumed in the manufacturing, processing, fabricating, or repairing of tangible personal property for ultimate sale, are exempt from state and local sales and use tax.

Training Programs

The Skills Development Fund provides grants that help companies and labor unions form partnerships with local community colleges and technical schools to provide custom job training.

Economic Development GIS Web Viewer

GIS Viewer is designed to help locate special districts and incentive areas throughout the City of El Paso.