Resources

Find access to a full spectrum of business resources right here in Orange County. Your project manager will work with you one-on-one to understand your needs and put you in touch with the specific resources your business requires.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Guiding you through the first steps toward an effective start-up or expansion

Orange County boasts a number of unique partnerships and resources that can help you launch or expand your business. Your local Orange County contact will work with you to create a bundle of business planning resources customized specifically for you that might include:

Workshops and seminars addressing every stage of business development
Educational materials and tools to help you develop a business plan
Counseling by experienced business advisors and successful businesspeople
Ready access to information about setting up a business, licensing, and permitting
Training and low-interest loans for eligible businesses
Technology transfer and commercialization assistance

We’ll provide the scope of services that’s just right for you, by coordinating resources from these and other business planning assistance providers:

Indiana Economic Development Corporation
Indiana Once of Community and Rural Affairs
Indiana Small Business Development Center
Procurement Technical Assistance Program

Helping you access the factor most associated with long-term business success: capital

Affordable financing is critical to both new and expanding businesses-especially in today’s economy. Orange County is uniquely qualified to create a funding strategy specifically suited to your business. We are up-to-date on the ever-changing state- and federal-level funding programs, and can also put you in touch with appropriate local, county, and regional funding sources, including:

Revolving Loan
Tax-exempt bond
Loan guaranties
Credit enhancement
Grants
Surety bonds
Special purpose loans
Lender programs

Check out the incentives section for more detailed information about grants, loans, tax credits, and other special programs.

OCEDP CATALYST FUND

Got a Project?

Let’s Make It Catalytic.

Do you have a project that could help move Orange County forward?

The OCEDP Catalyst Fund supports high-impact, ready-to-advance projects that create jobs, expand capacity, and drive long-term economic growth. We’re focused on initiatives that strengthen communities and deliver measurable results.

If your project has the potential to make a lasting impact, we want to hear from you.

Start the conversation today by emailing swhiteman@ocedp.com!

OCEDP SMALL BUSINESS GRANT

Grant Overview:

This grant is open to new or existing businesses that are in
Orange County.
Grant recipient must be an OCEDP member by March 31, 2026
Businesses must have fewer than 30 employees to apply.
There is a required 25% match
Apply for up to $10,000
Applications will be accepted from May 1st until May 29th

Eligible use of funds include, but are not limited to:

Renovation and repair of building
Signage and Façade Improvements
Engineering, Planning, and Design Costs
Equipment and Supplies
Marketing
Website Creation
Other expenses as approved by OCEDP

Grant Guidelines

Grant Application

Spark Downtown Facade Loan Program

Cities and towns in the Radius Indiana region are developing new economic opportunities through Spark Downtown, an educational program that helps community leaders take steps to create new businesses and address vacancy in downtowns.

Spark Downtown, whose mission is to ignite the revitalization of downtowns in the Radius region, believes downtown is the heart and soul of the community and one of the keys to attracting a vibrant workforce. For this reason, Spark Downtown created a Downtown Façade Loan Program to encourage revitalization of the downtown, to stimulate additional private sector investment in the downtown and surrounding area, and to help spur job creation. The program provides loans to downtown property and business owners for the purpose of funding permanent exterior improvements on commercial or mixed use

buildings.

Downtown Paoli and Orleans Business and Property Owners will have the opportunity to apply for this loan program through Spark Downtown. You can find more information about finance terms & conditions along with contents of the application and where to file by clicking the google doc link above below.

To learn more about the Spark Downtown Facade Loan or apply, please contact the Radius Indiana office at 812-277-9778.

Guidelines & Application

A longstanding tradition of hands-on, effective workforce training

Orange County has roots in manufacturing industries, early on with the mining of natural resources, growing into more value-added manufacturing services and diversifying into advanced manufacturing, high-technology, and defense contracting.

This dynamic, proactive transition was made possible by nimble, effective workforce training to provide our hardworking labor force with the skills regional employers require. The Orange County team has established relationships with the technical and vocational schools, the colleges and universities, and educational resources serving the County.

Business Retention and Expansion Program

We have a toolbox filled with resources to help your company succeed. We take pride in relationship building as we want to ensure that businesses that are already located in Orange County have the ability and the will to retain or expand their business here.

We are always looking at opportunities to attract businesses to our community as well. We have room to grow and we would be delighted to take any decision-maker on a tour of our community and visit available sites. Call 812-936-3388 to inquire about a community tour.

Resources

Guiding you through the first steps toward an effective start-up or expansion

Helping you access the factor most associated with long-term business success: capital

A longstanding tradition of hands-on, effective workforce training

Business Retention and Expansion Program

89.3

86.1

9.695

$158,700

19,834

3.4%

$48,121

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