Savannah, Georgia Is Offering A Relocation Incentive To Lure Tech Workers

Ever thought about picking up and moving to a new city to switch things up a bit in your life? Savannah, Georgia is betting that offering a relocation incentive will entice tech workers who are ready for a fresh start.

The Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA), which attracts investment, creates jobs and supports established businesses in Chatham County, has established a new Savannah Technology Workforce Incentive to lure out-of-state technology workers. The program reimburses individual moving expenses up to $2,000.

The offering is part of a SEDA initiative to continue boosting the region’s technology industry, which includes Fortune 500 companies, international employers and several headquarter locations that are innovating in areas such as healthcare technology, aerospace and advanced manufacturing.

Take a stroll through the cobblestone streets of Savannah’s landmark historic district, and you’ll find that nearly every stately home seems to tell a story, whether it’s through the lush centuries-old oak trees surrounding them or the quintessential side porches.

“The Savannah region is a great place to choose to live, and we think we can tap into talent that is able to work from anywhere,” said Jen Bonnett, SEDA vice president of innovation and entrepreneurship. “Our beautiful historic downtown, plus access to wonderful beaches and our reasonable real estate market makes us quite an attractive place to live and work.”

According to Trip Tollison, SEDA President and CEO, the organization will allocate funds for the incentive, opening it up for 50 people to apply by the end of 2020. The $2,000 reimbursement would cover expenses such as moving service charges, vehicle rental, utility deposits and gasoline.

Tollison said, “This incentive is a great way for technology workers that can work remotely to think about relocating to Savannah as a permanent location. We know once these technology workers arrive, Savannah – and its diverse offerings and high quality of life – will sell itself.”

To qualify for the program, applicants must have at least three years of verifiable experience, relocate to Chatham County with a minimum one-year lease or purchase property and live in the county for 30 days before applying. Applicants must also provide receipts from their move, have a Georgia driver’s license and a Chatham County address.

Kevin Lawver, chief technology officer for Planted, a career platform that matches top business talent with growing companies, has called Savannah home for 10 years and says, “Living in Savannah gives my family an opportunity to be a part of the community in a way we weren’t able to when we lived in Washington, D.C. We’re a part of civic life here and are helping to build the tech community and entrepreneurs with TechSAV – a group of innovators, designers and technologists who are passionate about building better products and a better community.”

“We choose to live here, when we could live anywhere, because of the quality of life and the qualities of our neighbors,” Lawver added.

Gwendolyn Dipert, a product manager for Zift Solutions, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, described her move to Savannah by noting: “When I came here two years ago, I was grateful and a bit surprised to find a lively tech community. Everyone cares deeply about their work, but they know how to have fun, too. We’re laid back around here with an enthusiasm for sharing knowledge and zero interest in any pretense. The humble but hard-working attitudes are what I love the most.”

Savannah, which was named SmartAsset’s No. 1 City for Creatives in 2019, boasts the lowest cost of living among cities such as Nashville, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Minneapolis. The creative students at the Savannah College of Art and Design are infusing digital know-how and innovation to generate business solutions with companies such as Uber, NASA, Google, Delta Airlines, Coca-Cola and more. 

Georgia Southern University computer science students are also learning advanced coding and are recent winners of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Games for Health competition. Overall, 65,000-plus students are pursuing higher education at 18 local colleges and universities.

Savannah’s digital innovation extends to healthcare. More than 200 healthcare technology companies, including OXOS Medical, Candor USA and Corstrata, are in Georgia.

SEDA also offers several other corporate incentives in addition to state incentives. The Facility Rental Assistance Grant is a cash grant of up to $12,000 toward office rental for technology firms that create a minimum of 10 new positions. The High Wage Job Creation Grant is a cash grant of up to $20,000 for every five high-technology jobs created and retained for a year.

Interested candidates can learn more about the program and apply for the incentive here.