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Job Creation
and Economic
Investment

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Golden LEAF funds economic development projects that focus on creating and retaining jobs, attracting new business to North Carolina, expanding industries and training new workers. Primarily, these projects are meant to create, expand, or improve business activity in tobacco-dependent, economically distressed or rural communities. Golden LEAF partners with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and local governments to provide gap funding to assist with job creation.

Projects in this priority area gather data to support outcomes including:

  • Investment in publicly owned infrastructure
  • Investment in privately owned property, plant, and equipment
  • New full-time jobs created
  • Average annual wage of new full-time jobs
  • Business start-ups
  • New housing units

As well as narrative outcomes including: jobs retained that were at risk without Golden LEAF support; comparison to county wages; job creation in identified job sectors; etc.

Projects are awarded in this priority area through all Golden LEAF programs. Please review the information and links below to determine which program might be best for your project.

Current Funding Opportunities

Open Grants Program
SITE Program

News

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Habitat for Humanity builds homes to support the workforce in Wayne County  

As North Carolina's population continues to grow, so does the demand for workforce housing. In Goldsboro, Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne is partnering with Golden LEAF and others to transform a 24.5-acre site into a new mixed-income neighborhood that will provide homes for essential workers while strengthening the local economy. Discover how infrastructure investments and community partnerships are helping address one of rural North Carolina's most pressing economic development challenges.
July 21, 2026
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All In NC: Building economic opportunity through housing infrastructure

Across North Carolina, one of the issues that continues to surface in conversations with local leaders, employers, and economic developers is workforce housing. In the latest episode of Golden LEAF Critical Conversations, we discussed how partnerships are creating workforce housing solutions.
July 8, 2026
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Warren County’s SITE Program Journey: From Identification to Development

Warren County is using the Golden LEAF SITE Program to strengthen its competitiveness for economic development. What began as a search for a viable industrial site has advanced through identification, due diligence, and now active development, positioning the county to better compete for new industry.
April 22, 2026