In this video, Alex White of Engineered Tax Services break down the basics of tax and financial incentives for businesses, including why they’re offered, who can claim them, and the key triggers to keep in mind. We’ll highlight top incentive programs specifically tailored for small and medium-sized manufacturers, helping you identify opportunities to save money and grow your business. Finally, we’ll give you a demo of our Incentive Finder Tool—built in partnership with CEMProject through the Arc Arise grant—which helps you discover the best incentives available.
Most government incentives—from tax credits to green energy grants—are claimed by Fortune 500 companies, leaving small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) behind. In this video, Alex White, author of Government Incentives and Tax Credits, explains how to level the playing field.
Alex introduces the Incentive Finder, a self-service tool built in partnership with Catalyst Connection through the ARISE Grant. This tool is designed to help SMMs in Appalachia and beyond identify “People, Place, and Project” triggers that unlock capital for hiring, equipment purchases, and energy-efficiency upgrades.
The “Top 5” Programs for Manufacturers
Alex highlights the most impactful programs currently available for 2025:
- Clean Energy Mini-Grants: Up to $10,000 for technical assistance on clean energy projects.
- R&D Tax Credit: Not just for scientists! If you are prototyping or improving products, your W2 wages and contractor costs could qualify.
- Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) Grants: Get a free energy assessment plus up to $300,000 in implementation grants (50% cost share).
- 179D Tax Deduction: Huge savings for LED retrofits, HVAC upgrades, and building envelope improvements.
- REAP (Rural Energy for America Program): Grants up to 50% and loan guarantees up to 75% for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Key Highlights:
- The ETS Acquisition: How the merger between Subcity and Engineered Tax Services brings deep engineering expertise to software-driven incentive tracking.
- Demo of the Incentive Finder: A step-by-step walk-through showing how a business can generate a personalized report in minutes.
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law & IRA: Overview of the Voucher Program helping technology bridge the gap from research to commercial deployment.
- Strategic Stacking: How to combine grants and tax deductions to maximize your return on investment for facility upgrades.
