Palm Beach County
Film & Television Incentive Grant Program
PROGRAM CRITERIA & PROCESS
I. Fund Amount: Identified in the economic development budget for a fiscal year, as approved by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners (BCC).
II. Overall Goal: Provide economic stimulus to the local economy through the development and expansion of the Film & Television Industry in Palm Beach County. The Film & Television Incentive (FTI) Grant Program is designed to provide an incentive to a television or film production studio and a technology company with a multi-media focus to relocate to or expand in this County.
III. Application Selection Criteria:
County staff review shall evaluate applications against the criteria set forth below. Per County staff review, added weight may be given to any of the criteria based upon the nature of a particular project proposal, its benefit to the economic base of Palm Beach County, and the enhancement of the Film & Television Industry.
1. The locations of existing film, television or multimedia related businesses in Palm Beach County relative to the site of the relocation or expansion project.
2. The relocation or expansion project must create a minimum of 25 full-time jobs in Palm Beach County. One (1) new full-time job equates to 2,080 hours. New positions will be filled by Palm Beach County residents or individuals who will relocate to this County and work as a full-time employee on a film, television or multi-media production.
3. The minimum average annual salary requirement for the new jobs is $37,503, excluding benefits.
4. The program allows an applicant to create and fill the required number of new jobs within 12 to 36 months of the commencement date of the grant agreement. The total number of months to be required for job creation which will be identified in the agreement will depend upon the job hiring timetable of a specific project.
5. The construction / expansion / relocation of the physical infrastructure will be completed within 12 months of agreement’s approval or as otherwise specified in the agreement.
6. Applicants must invest at least $1,000,000 in a real estate purchase or lease or the development of space to be used as a production facility. Unless otherwise agreed upon, the minimum required space for a facility should be no less than 7,500 square feet, with the overall land area no less than 10,000 square feet.
The Economic Development Office (EDO) may apply criteria to a particular application that differs from the standard criteria set forth above in order to ensure compliance with the goals and mandates of the FTI Grant Program.
IV. Grant Limits:
The base award per application will be from $500 to $2,000 per job created. The EDO may recommend deviations from this base award amount as circumstances warrant. County Administration will determine an appropriate award per job for the application based on the merits of the application, including the project’s anticipated positive economic impact on Palm Beach County.
The maximum award per application is $150,000, with the potential for a larger award upon the EDO supporting and recommending such; and ultimately, County Administration issuing a letter of intent for a larger award.
The minimum award per application is $12,500.
V. Eligible Fund Uses:
The eligible uses for the grant funds are identified in Exhibit “A”. Irrespective of the documented reimbursable expenses submitted to the Office of Financial Management & Budget (OFMB), disbursements will be limited to the per job grant award times the verified number of jobs created.
In the event that an applicant files an application for the Qualified Target Industry (QTI) Tax Refund Program with the State of Florida (i.e., Enterprise Florida, Inc.), the QTI Program requires that a 20% match be provided by the local government. The source for the match funds will be the FTI grant funds. The QTI Program is Category “9” on Exhibit “A”. The match funds are not in addition to the total amount of the grant award. There are qualifying provisions. The project cannot be one that is just a local market project, meaning that the product / services must not be for only local consumption. There has to be some export component to the project. The average salary of the new jobs must meet QTI guidelines. It would have to be demonstrated that the project could go to another state.
VI. Program Process:
1. Applications will be accepted year round.
2. The FTI Grant Program is administered by the EDO.
3. The Film & Television Commission (FTC) markets the FTI Grant Program.
4. The FTI applications must include:
a) Independent audited financial statements for the most recent three (3) years;
b) Business plan that includes but is not limited to: identifying sources / uses of capital, applicant’s business and financial capabilities, marketing plan, financial projections for three (3) years, management’s experience, and the intended use of grant funds. If confidentiality of financial records is requested by the applicant, an employee of the OFMB will schedule a visit to the company to review the independent audited financial statements; and
c) Letter of recommendation on the project from the FTC that identifies the basis for FTC’s endorsement of the application. The application that is endorsed by the FTC Board of Directors must be compatible with the goals and objectives of the FTC relative to the film, television and multi-media industry.
5. One (1) completed copy of the FTI application must be submitted by the FTC to the EDO.
6. The EDO date-stamps the application package. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
7. The EDO reviews the application for completeness and analyzes the project against the eligibility criteria.
8. The County may request a feasibility study performed by a qualified research firm to be completed at the applicant’s expense.
9. The EDO forwards the financial information to the OFMB for analysis and recommendation.
10. Upon County staff having completed its review of the application, the EDO and the OFMB findings and recommendations will be forwarded to County Administration.
11. Upon County Administration providing a letter of intent in support of the project proposal, the EDO in coordination with the FTC will prepare an agreement for consideration by the BCC.
12. The applicant and the FTC will be notified by the EDO concerning the BCC’s meeting date and time. The BCC, at its sole discretion, may accept, reject or modify any grant agreement.
13. The EDO notifies the applicant and the FTC of the BCC’s action; and if the agreement is approved, the EDO will forward a copy of the executed agreement to the company and the FTC.
VII. Applicant Responsibility:
1. Execute Agreement: Following County Administration issuing a letter of intent to recommend approval of an FTI application, the company has 60 days in which to execute and return the agreement to County staff in order that the agreement may be processed for BCC action. If circumstances warrant, an applicant may request a time extension for executing the agreement. Failure to complete the agreement within this 60-day period or to provide County Administration with a letter requesting and justifying additional time in which to execute the agreement, will nullify County Administration’s letter of intent and require that a new application be presented to the EDO.
2. Job Creation: The applicant must create a minimum of 25 new full-time jobs or 2,080 equivalent hours within 12 to 36 months from the effective date of the agreement. The specific number of months according to which a business must create the new jobs will be identified in the agreement. However, an applicant must consider the following: job creation and the expenses incurred must both fall within the same timeframe which will be specified in the agreement. In order for any jobs created and any expenditure rendered to be deemed eligible per the agreement, they must occur on or after the commencement date of the agreement.
3. Job Maintenance: The applicant is obligated to maintain the new full-time jobs created for an additional 24 months, commencing upon the applicant providing the EDO with documentation that the contractual requirements relating to job creation at the agreed to salary have been met. Failure to maintain the required number of jobs will result in the grantee being required to refund the County the award per job for each job not maintained.
VIII. Reports and Invoices:
1. Grant’s monies will be disbursed based on the reimbursement provisions of the agreement and upon verification of the company’s compliance with its contractual commitments (job creation and at the required salary), and within the time frame provided for under the agreement. The determination of compliance or non-compliance will be made by the EDO.
2. The company will be required to submit a quarterly report to the EDO which will identify the progress of the company regarding complying with the agreement’s commitments. The EDO will be responsible for reviewing and approving the quarterly reports, and all requests for invoice payments. The quarterly report form will be an exhibit to the agreement.
3. The EDO will check the invoices for compliance with the agreement and the FTI Grant Program. Reimbursement requests must be accompanied by documentation satisfactory to the County, including verification by an independent auditor if requested by the County. The EDO will forward the invoices to the Clerk’s Office for pre-audit and payment when the grantee meets the contracted performance measures.
4. If there is any dispute over the eligibility of costs submitted for reimbursement, such dispute will be submitted to County Administration for final resolution.
5. The grantee must maintain records and provide a monthly report to the FTC: the number of production days, monthly estimated budget costs, hotel rooms occupied from out of town vendors, crews or clients, and any other information required in the FTC’s report form. This information must be provided by the grantee while the term of the agreement is active and also provided in the final quarterly report which will be submitted to the EDO following the conclusion of the job maintenance period.
6. The purpose of the quarterly reports that will be submitted by all FTI grantees is to assist the EDO and the FTC in analyzing the ongoing economic impact of the Film & Television Industry in Palm Beach County.
IX. Definitions
New Job: a full time job (equivalent to 2,080 hours) that is created in Palm Beach County which adds to the job base.
Local Hire: a new full time job (equivalent to 2,080 hours) that is filled by a current resident of Palm Beach County (excludes relocating employees).
Relocating Job: a new full time job (equivalent to 2,080 hours) relocating to Palm Beach County and occupied by one other than a resident of this County (excludes local hires).
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Acronyms: BCC Board of County Commissioners
EDO Economic Development Office
FTC Film & Television Commission
FTI Film & Television Incentive – Grant Program
OFMB Office of Financial Management & Budget
QTI Qualified Target Industry – Tax Refund Program
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PALM BEACH COUNTY FILM & TELEVISION COMMISSION
1555 PALM BEACH LAKES BLVD., SUITE 900, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA 33401
561.233.1000, Fax: 561.233.3113
800.745.FILM
EXHIBIT “A”
Palm Beach County
Film & Television Incentive Grant Program
ELIGIBLE REIMBURSABLES
USE OF FUNDS
The eligible uses for the grant funds fall under the following nine (9) categories:
1. Payment of Impact Fees and Special Assessments
(a) Impact fees assessed by the County include fees for roads, parks, fire-rescue,
libraries, law enforcement, and public buildings.
(b) Impact fees assessed by local governments and special assessments by special
districts.
2. Land Improvement Costs
(a) Off-site land improvements.
(b) Road improvements.
(c) Construction of recreational facilities open to the public.
(d) Reimbursement for any government required dedications.
(e) Water and sewer connection fees.
(f) Telecommunication connection fees and costs.
(g) Infrastructure design and construction plan preparation.
(h) Drainage facilities in conjunction with new roadway construction or on-site
improvements.
(I) Construction of new curbs, curb cuts, medians, shoulders and sidewalks.
(j) Relocating utilities to accommodate new roadway construction.
(k) Facade redevelopment in eligible Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) or Downtown
Development Authority (DDA) designated areas subject to prior approval of all governing
bodies.
(l) Landscaping and road beautification costs.
(m) All fees and dedications required by entities other than the County subject to prior
approval by the Economic Development Office.
(n) County permitting, licensing, or other approval costs associated with land improvements.
3. Environmental Compliance
(a) Costs associated with design and installation of equipment needed for compliance with
existing federal, state, and local environmental standards.
(b) Costs associated with asbestos removal.
4. Leasehold Improvements
(a) Costs of improvements to leased property required by expansion or relocation, including
wiring and other installation costs involving communication and computer systems.
5. Construction and Renovation Costs, and Design Fees
(a) Costs of constructing or renovating the real property for which a company must possess
title, with such costs directly related to the expansion or relocation.
(b) Architect, design and technical fees associated with the expansion or relocation, but
excluding feasibility study fees.
6. Employee Hiring and Training (a) Costs associated with providing for employee hiring and training, such as advertising, job fairs, and reasonable hotel and transportation costs for employee training. All out of town travel by trainers and trainees (new employees) directly necessitated by the expansion or relocation must be fully documented and will be reimbursed in accordance with the provisions of Florida Statute, Chapter 112, Part I, 112.061; www.leg.state.fl.us (select: Statutes & Constitution). 7. Relocating Company Assets (a) Costs associated with relocation of company assets required by expansion or relocation. 8. Day Care (a) Improvement costs associated with establishing a company sponsored day care facility for children of employees filling new jobs, with facility physically located on or adjacent to site of relocation or expansion project. 9. Local Match for QTI Tax Refund Program (a) 20% local match toward a State tax refund that is subject to State Law and procedures established for Florida’s Qualified Target Industry (QTI) Tax Refund Program and the FTI Grant Program.
Click here to download Application for Incentive Grant Program
