New York Excelsior Jobs Program
Excelsior Jobs Program
Open continuously
No deadline — apply whenever you are ready.
No fixed per-company ceiling; the benefit is a package of fully refundable tax credits sized against a company's own wages, investment and R&D. Rates: Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit 'a credit of up to 6.85% of wages per net new job' (7% semiconductor supply chain, 7.5% green/green CHIPS); Investment Tax Credit 2% of qualified investments (3% semiconductor, 5% green/green CHIPS and child care); R&D Tax Credit '50% of the portion of the Federal Research and Development tax credit' capped at 6% of qualifying research expenditures in New York; plus Real Property and Child Care Services credits. Credits are claimed 'over a benefit period of up to 10 years' (up to 20 years for green CHIPS).
Empire State Development (ESD), New York State
public · regional
Deadline: rolling — Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, subject to the annual programme cap; also accessible through New York's Consolidated Funding Application rounds.
This funder does not publish a success rate. We rank it using the rate observed across similar programmes and label it as an estimate rather than implying we know.
Moderate — a form and supporting documents.
Who can apply
- Sectors: deeptech, health, ai, agri, manufacturing, creative
- Stage: seed, series_a, growth
- R&D activity required
- Locally registered entity required
Job thresholds by sector: scientific research and development 5+, software development 5+, life sciences 5+, agriculture 5+, manufacturing 5+, music production 5+, financial services back office 25+, distribution 50+, entertainment 100+. Other firms need 'at least 150 net new jobs and investing at least $3 million'. The 5-job thresholds for software, life sciences and R&D make this genuinely reachable by a funded startup. Credits are fully refundable, which matters for pre-profit companies. State programme - no SAM.gov registration or UEI required.
How to apply
- Confirm your industry qualifies and you can meet the net new job threshold (5 jobs for scientific R&D, software development, life sciences, agriculture, manufacturing and music production). — link
- Contact the appropriate ESD Industry Director or ESD Regional Office, or submit via the Consolidated Funding Application.
- Receive a Certificate of Eligibility, then annually document job and investment performance to receive a Certificate of Tax Credit.
What you will need
- Application to ESD with job creation and investment schedule
- Annual performance reports evidencing net new jobs and qualified investment
Source. https://esd.ny.gov/excelsior-jobs-program — checked 2026-08-14
"A credit of up to 6.85% of wages per net new job"