Through Funding provided by the City of Savannah, SDRA operates five programs to assist property and business owners with stimulating property development opportunities within the Broughton Street Urban Redevelopment Area and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd./Montgomery Street Corridor.  SDRA also provides Site Selection and Technical Assistance.

Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) is a nonprofit organization providing business counseling services. This organization is made up of retired and active executives with the knowhow and experience to counsel on virtually any business problem that may arise. SCORE’s mission is to help ensure that prospective business people have considered all the pros and cons of the venture and have discussed their needs with the appropriate tax, legal, accounting and insurance resources as necessary. SCORE’s services are free and confidential. Sessions are offered the first Thursday of every month in the SDRA office. Please contact SDRA for more information or to schedule an appointment.

The mission of the City of Savannah’s Department of Economic Development is to facilitate the development of activities that assist in fostering and sustaining diversified economies to engender a strong local economy, provide for a better quality of life in Savannah neighborhoods and decrease the number of individuals living below the poverty level through business development and enhancement, community and corridor revitalization, and asset building. The Department of Economic Development is in the City of Savannah Bureau of Public Development and operates the Savannah Entrepreneurial Center, Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise Program, and is responsible for the revitalization of 16 targeted corridors. Other activities within the department include Financial Literacy training, partnership in an Individual Development Account Program with the Economic Opportunities Authority (EOA) and participation in a collaboration to provide a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program to maximize tax refunds for persons with low to moderate incomes through the Earned Income Tax Credit. The City of Savannah Contracts with the Small Business Assistance Corporation to operate loan programs to stimulate business and property development while also creating jobs.  A description of each program is below.For more information, please contact the Department of Economic Development at (912) 651-3653.

The Savannah Entrepreneurial Center (SEC) was created in 2000 by the City of Savannah to provide technical assistance and training for small business creation and expansion. Training is offered at either no cost or very little cost to the participant. A special focus is on preparation of business plans which can form the basis for a loan application either from a conventional lender or from a City of Savannah funded loan program. The facility also includes a Business Incubator which provides new businesses an opportunity to “incubate” with low overhead costs and expert technical assistance during the most crucial phases of business development.    For more information, please contact the Savannah Entrepreneurial Center at (912) 652-3582. The Savannah Entrepreneurial Center is located at 801 East Gwinnett.

The Business Resource Center located at the Bull Street Library provides counseling services and information to start-up new businesses and to support existing businesses. Traditional business trade journals and books as well as sample business plans are available at the Resource Center. Additionally, the Center has access to several databases including Reference USA, Gale’s Business and Company Resource Center and the GALILEO system. For more information, please contact the Business Resource Center at (912) 652-3627. The Business Resource Center is located at 2002 Bull Street.

The mission of Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) is to improve the standard of living for all persons living in Chatham County by stimulating economic growth through the attraction of new investment, the creation of new jobs, and the support of established businesses already in the area. It serves as the business solicitation and facility location organization in Savannah/Chatham County. Twice named one of the top ten development groups in the country, SEDA assists companies interested in expanding or relocating to the area and works with locally established companies to improve or sustain their economic position.   For more information, please contact SEDA at (912) 447-8450.

Additional Information on SEDA

The University of Georgia’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides a variety of consulting, continuing education, and research services to support entrepreneurship and business expansion through direct business consulting and educational opportunities that address human resources, management, technology, capital formation, and infrastructure needs of the business community. Through the SBDC Network, clients also have access to applied research and export assistance. Additional activities include increasing minority and women owned businesses and rural economic development. For more information, please contact SBDC at (912) 651-3200.

The Small Business Assistance Corporation is a specialized non-profit business development organization licensed by the U.S. Small Business Administration and Certified by the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) fund of the Department of Treasury to deliver small business development loan programs.  SBAC has been in full operation since 1989. 

The Historic Savannah Foundation offers a variety of programs and services to promote the preservation of Savannah's historic built environment and enhance the livability of the historic districts.

The Creative Coast Alliance

The Creative Coast Alliance is a non-profit organization that attracts, nurtures, and promotes brain-based business in Savannah. A public/private partnership, TCCa leverages Savannah’s unique blend of bright talent, leading-edge technologies, and exceptionally high quality of life to assist the growth and success of creative and technical businesses in the Savannah Coastal Region. The organization primarily serves as a clearinghouse of information with access to all Savannah’s government and educational organizations as well as more than 400 area knowledge-based businesses. Additionally, TCCa provides information to local companies that are growing and directs new companies to the appropriate resources.