Florida
State Resources
Apart from attracting millions of tourists annually, Florida is also home to 21 military installations and two of NASA’s main facilities: the Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Center. The Florida Commerce Division of Economic Development is responsible for providing” support for attracting out-of-state businesses to Florida, promoting the creation and expansion of Florida businesses and facilitating Florida’s economic development partnerships.” Florida has implemented a decentralized approach to economic development, focusing on decisions by local level development offices rather than as a state agency. The state does, however, offer businesses a corporate income tax credit for research expenses related to advanced industries like aerospace and aviation, homeland security and defense, manufacturing, and more.
The State Small Business Credit Initiative
This multi-year initiative was approved in September 2022 as part of an initiative to cultivate a business-friendly environment in Florida. “FloridaCommerce announced the approval of the state SSBCI application by the United States Department of the Treasury (U.S. Treasury) for $488 million in funding. Funding is available from U.S. Treasury in three tranches, and the first tranche of funding – $142 million – is ready for deployment.” For small business funding may be used for a variety of endeavors including: start-up costs, the purchase of equipment and inventory and other costs described on this site. According to a July 2025 article, the SSBCI has “invested over $202 million in loans and venture investments distributed to small businesses statewide since January 2023.” Interested small business are requested to register for more information on this site.
The Florida Opportunity Fund
The Florida Opportunity Fund is the venture partner of the SSBCI. It invests in Life Sciences & Medical Devices, Clean Energy, SpaceTech, Aerospace and Defense, Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics , and Other Emerging Technologies. According to their “Open Door Pitch Sessions” they are very open to scheduling meetings with businesses in their investment areas.
Conferences that provide Networking Opportunities
For small businesses working on technologies for the Department of Defense or NASA, the large number of conferences held annually in Florida, provide networking opportunities.
The Defense Manufacturing Conferences (DMC),
November 17-20, 2025 in Orlando, FL
SOF Week 2026, May 18-22, 2026 in Tampa, FL
SPACECOM, the Global Commercial Space Conference and Exhibition,
Jan 28-30, 2026 in Orlando, FL
