Rural Jump Start Program

Jump Picture

Montrose County received the Rural Jump-Start Zone designation in May 2016.  Under the Rural Jump-Start program, specific tax relief can be granted to qualifying new businesses and new hires of these businesses that are located in a Jump-Start designated Zone, such as Montrose County, and align with local or regional state higher education institutions.

The Rural Jump-Start Program offers to Eligible Businesses 8 years of:
  • "0" state income taxes.
  • "0" state sales and local sales & use tax.
  • "0" county and municipal personal property taxes.
  • "0" state income taxes for your employees.

How Do You Apply?

Sandy Head, Executive Director of MEDC, would be happy to discuss this program further to help evaluate if your business qualifies, to apply, and help you through the application process.  (970) 249-9438 or sandyh@MontroseEDC.org

Who Qualifies?

A start-up company new to the State of Colorado or a Colorado based business ready to expand may qualify for Jump-Start Montrose County if it:

  • Generates new business in the State of Colorado. Your product, service or technology has to be new to Colorado, even if your company is not.
  • Is located in Montrose County.
  • Is not substantially similar in operation to, or directly competes with the core function of another business currently operating in Colorado.
  • Creates a minimum of 5 net new jobs in Montrose County.
  • Adds to the economic base in Montrose County, while exporting goods and services out of the area.

This program is based on Senate Bill 15-282, and codified under Colorado Revised Statutes 39-30.5-101. It is administer by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) and the Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC), in conjunction with other government entities to prompt economic development. This program is a joint effort between institutes of higher education, counties, municipalities, businesses and employees. 

All applications for participation in the Rural Jump-Start program will be submitted via a formal online process, reviewed by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International trade (OEDIT), and will require approval by the Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC). Final rules for the program and the application processes for businesses, institutes of higher education, municipalities and counties are published in the program manual.  Please note that, per statue, in the first year of the program (January, 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016) only three pilot Jump-Start Zones can be approved.  Anyone wishing for information about the Rural Jump-Start program should contact Ken Jensen at OEDIT at (303) 892-3743.