Key Business Resources

• Enterprise Zone - The Enterprise Zone (EZ) Partnership is a joint state-county-business effort intended to stimulate-via tax and other incentives-business activity, job preservation and job creating in areas designated by the counties. There are currently five zones on Hawai‘i Island. If a business (or branch of business) is eligible and is located in an Enterprise Zone, the state taxes may be reduced and other county benefits may be provided for up to seven years by satisfying the EZ hiring and gross receipts requirements. Contractors that work at the EZ site of an EZ-enrolled firm are exempt from General Excise Tax (GET) on revenues from that contract.
• Foreign Trade Zone Program - The Hawai‘i Foreign-Trade Zone No. 9 Program was created by the federal government to facilitate trade and increase the global competitiveness of U.S. based companies. The Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) is an area within the United States that the government considers outside the country, or at least, outside of U.S. Customs territory and enables certain types of merchandise to be imported into the Zone without going through formal Customs entry procedures or paying import duties. Hawai‘i County has designated FTZ's in Hilo and at NELHA.

Investment Credits

• State of Hawai‘i Research and Development Tax Credit - The State of Hawai‘i offers a 20% Research and Development tax credit in addition to the federal government's 20% tax credit on research and development expenditures.
• State of Hawai‘i High Technology Business Investment Tax Credit (Act 221/215) - The High Technology Business Investment Tax Credit was established by Act 221 in 2001, amended by Act 215 in 2004, as a means to encourage investment in high technology buisnesses. The credit is an income tax credit equal to 80% of a Hawai‘i taxpayers' investment in a qualified business of up to $2 million per Qualified High Technology Business per year.
• State of Hawai‘i Motion Picture, Digital Media and Film Production Income Tax Credit - The State of Hawai‘i provides production companies producing a qualified film, television commercial, or digital media a refundable tax credit of 15% in O‘ahu and 20% on other islands refundable tax credit for qualified production costs based on Hawai‘i expenditures of up to $8 million.

Renewable Energy Tax Credits

• The State of Hawai‘i provides tax credits for commercial use photovoltaic systems that convert the sun's energy directly into electricity of 35 percent of the actual cost or $500,000, whichever is less.
• The State of Hawai‘i provides tax credits for commercial use wind systems that convert wind energy directly into electricity of 20 percent of the actual cost or $500,000, whichever is less.
• The State of Hawai‘i provides tax credit for commercial use solar thermal systems that the sun heats up as a fluid of 35 percent of actual cost or $250,000, whichever is less.

Other Business Related Resources on Hawai‘i Island

• Hawai‘i's Small Business Development Center Network - Provides free, confidential one-on-one counseling, low cost seminars, workshops and conferences, and assistance in planning, marketing and management to reach your entrepreneurial goals.
• SBDC Hawai‘i Island Center
  East Hawai‘i Center
  100 Pauahi Street, Suite 109
  Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720
• West Hawai‘i Center
  75-5722 Kuakini Highway, Suite 209
  Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i 96740
• Telephone (Hilo): (808) 933-0776
  Fax (Hilo): (808) 933-0778
• Telephone (Kona): (808) 327-3680
  Fax (Kona): (808) 327-3682
• Hawai‘i Island Economic Development Board (HIEDB) - The organization's mission is to provide and promote private sector support and expertise for balanced growth in Hawai‘i County in partnership with Federal, State, County and private resources.
• Hawai‘i Innovation Center at Hilo
  117 Keawe Street, Suite 107
  Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720
• Telephone: (808) 935-2180
  Fax: (808) 935-2187
• E-mail: hiedb@hiedb.org
• Alu Like, Inc. - Provides a comprehensive range of services and activities for Native Hawaiians, including community economic development, business assistance, employment preparation, training, library services, educational and childcare services for families with young children.
• 458 Keawe Street
  Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813
• Telephone: (808) 535-6700
  Fax: (808) 524-1344
• E-mail: info@alulike.org
• Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) - The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism is Hawai‘i's resource center for economic and statistical data, business development opportunities, energy and conservation information and foreign trade advantages.
• 200 South Hotel Street
  Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813
• Telephone: (808) 586-2423
  Fax: (808) 587-2790
• High Technology Development Corporation - Provides resources to develop and retain high tech in Hawai‘i through incubation and facilities, expand existing business development services for start-ups as well as existing businesses, provide technical assistance to technology businesses to obtain federal and private grants and contract, support skilled workforce development.
• Mānoa Innovation Center
  2800 Woodlawn Drive, Suite 100
  Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822
• Telephone: (808) 539-3806
  Fax: (808) 539-3795
• E-mail: htdc@htdc.org
• Family Business Center of Hawai‘i - The mission of the Family Business Center is to equip, educate and celebrate families in business by providing opportunities for families to address many of the challenges through educational seminars and a forum for the exchange of information between families so that they can survive and thrive through the 21st century.
• Shidler College of Business
  University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
  2404 Maile Way, B-1-1
  Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822
• Telephone: (808) 956-4289
  Fax: (808) 956-5107
• Pacific Business Center Program - The Pacific Business Center Program (PBCP) assists private businesses, government agencies and community development organizations to enhance economic diversification and devlop new opportunities for businesses by providing diverse management and technical assistance to clients who are starting up, revitalizing or expanding small and large businesses.
• College of Business Administration
  University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
  2404 Maile Way, A-413
  Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822
• Telephone: (808) 956-6286
  Fax: (808) 956-6278
• E-mail: pbcp@hawaii.edu
• Office of Technology Transfer and Economic Development - The Office of Technology Transfer and Economic Development (OTTED) is a service-oriented revenue center organized for the purpose of helping faculty, staff and students identify, manage, protect and commercialize the University's intellectual property assets so that they can benefit society and spur economic growth for our State and national economies.
• 2800 Woodlawn Drive, Suite 280
  Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822
• Telephone: (808) 539-3819
  Fax: (808) 539-3833
• E-mail: otted@hawaii.edu