RELOCATE YOUR THINKING HERE
The New Creative South is a place that honors the homegrown hustle. Savannah’s history is full of entrepreneurs – people who’ve made something out of nothing. From startups that grew into game-changers to innovators and civic leaders who pave the way for the future, Savannah is a vibrant hub for creative and innovative businesses, organizations, and individuals.
Why Savannah?
Savannah is part of the new creative south, a place where the past and present collide into the perfect place to call home. Music, art, film, technology, culture and hometown pride, Savannah offers plenty to those willing to call it home.
- 60,000 college students in the area
- 38,000 miles of fiber optic, 2nd only to Atlanta
- 80 miles of coastline
- 44 park and squares
- Home to largest design school in the US
- Largest Historic district in the US
- Over 52 festivals each year ranging from the Jewish food festival, to Black Heritage to the Savannah Music Festival
- Voted one of the “World’s 30 Friendliest Cities” by Condé Nast
- A community engaged in creative and innovative endeavors that cultivate an environment in which its citizens can thrive.
In recent years, the city’s signature lifestyle and focus on environmental stewardship has attracted $6 billion in foreign direct investment. Now, Savannah is turning our attention to technology. We’re leading the way into the future – and pioneering a model for other cities to follow.
Incentive For Relocation
The Savannah Economic Development Authority's (SEDA) Creative Technologies incentives, partnered with Georgia’s existing incentives, are designed to help grow and attract creative technology jobs and investment to Chatham County. Here is a brief overview of the three incentive opportunities:
- Savannah Technology Workforce Incentive - reimburses individual moving expenses up to $2,000 for qualified technology workers currently located outside of Chatham County.
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Read the announcement about SEDA's Savannah Technology Workforce Incentive here
HEAR FROM INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES WHO MADE THE MOVE
Elbert Clayton and Keyan Karimi made the move to Savannah. Here's what they had to say about their decision to move and why Savannah makes for an ideal home.
WHAT LOCALS SAY ABOUT SAVANNAH
Hear from Savannah natives and those who have relocated permanently to the Coastal Empire on why they love living and working on the creative coast.
TELL US WHY YOU #chooseSAVANNAH!
Help us spread the word that Savannah is a wonderful place to live and work! Make your own #chooseSAVANNAH video telling us what you love about living and/or working in the Hostess City and share to your social media accounts. Don't live in Savannah? You can still participate - tell us what you love about our city!
You can't find a better place to live. And we couldn't possibly give justice to it any better then our partners at the Savannah Chamber of Commerce and Visit Savannah. Check out some of their guides:
We are actively seeking experienced Creative and Technology workers to come and "work remote" in Savannah. Y'all come and we'll even reimburse your moving expenses up to $2000. (Note: you will have to keep receipts, provide proof of residency and commit to staying for 2 years.)
If you are seeking work in our area, check out our new Job Board and Talent Platform at https://thecreativecoast.works
Connect with like minded techies at https://techsav.co
Come join us in creating a vibrant, inclusive technology community in Savannah!
More on the incentives on the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) website.
We have a ton of programs & partners to help you get started on your entrepreneurial journey:
- The Creative Coast: Us. 😉
- The Advanced Technology Development Center Savannah (ATDC): The State of Georgia's Technology Incubator
- The Culturist Union: an inclusive private-membership organization that promotes connection, collaboration, creativity, and cultivation.
- Small Business Development Center: provides no-cost consultation on everything from writing your business plan to marketing to strategic planning and finding sources of capital.
- SCORE: Free mentoring and workshops for entrepreneurs who are just starting out, or need to grow their business.
- Don Ryan Center for Innovation (Bluffton)
- Business Incubation Group at Georgia Southern (Statesboro & Hinesville)
The Creative Coast and Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) are here to support scaling creative technology startup companies.
We seek to connect local (and relocating companies) to customers, talent (through https://thecreativecoast.works), and investment capital.
Relocating companies may apply to SEDA for facility rental assistance grant.
Companies that launch in Savannah or relocate to Savannah, and scale by adding at least 5 high wage creative technology employees in a single year, may apply to SEDA for a High Wage Job Creation grant.
These grants are non-dilutive (you don't have to pay them back), and you can potentially earn up to $100,000 for your company.
For a downloadable pdf on these incentives, click here.