Missouri Department of Economic Development

What Missouri Department of Economic Development does

The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) is a cabinet-level state agency headquartered at 301 West High Street in Jefferson City, Missouri, operating under Governor Mike Kehoe and led by Director Michelle Hataway. DED administers Missouri's portfolio of economic development, workforce, community, and tourism programs through six divisions: Administration, Business and Community Solutions, Missouri One Start (workforce recruitment and training), Regional Engagement, Strategy and Performance, and Tourism. The agency does not develop commercial products; its core technology footprint is limited to the ded.mo.gov web platform, Missouri Works Program application systems, and broadband mapping infrastructure maintained by the Office of Broadband Development.

DED's business model is to allocate state appropriations and federal pass-through funding to attract, retain, and expand business activity in Missouri. It administers tax credit instruments including the Missouri Works program (withholding tax retention tiers ranging from Zone Works at 2 jobs minimum through Mega Works 140 at 100 jobs and 140% of county wage), Enhanced Enterprise Zones, the Neighborhood Assistance Program, the Motion Media Production Tax Credit, and Qualified Military Project credits. The agency also channels federal grants including $1.7 billion under the Infrastructure and Jobs Act for broadband, $277.2 million in NTIA broadband infrastructure grants, $33 million under SSBCI 2.0 to Missouri Technology Corporation, and the Community Development Block Grant program.

DED serves four primary client groups: businesses (for-profit and non-profit) seeking to locate or expand in Missouri, Missouri cities and counties seeking CDBG and infrastructure funding, job seekers and workforce participants accessing Missouri One Start, and military communities and defense businesses supported by the Office of the Missouri Military Advocate. Recent major tenant wins include Amazon's $10 billion data center campus in Montgomery City (2026) and Google's $15 billion Missouri community investment anchored by a Montgomery County data center (2026). An affiliated ecosystem of boards, commissions, and corporations — Missouri Development Finance Board, Missouri Housing Development Commission, Missouri Technology Corporation, Missouri Partnership, Visit Missouri, Missouri Film Office, Missouri Women's Council, ServMO, and the Missouri Military Advocate — extends DED's reach across financing, housing, technology, marketing, tourism, and defense.

Name

Missouri Department of Economic Development

Legal name

Missouri Department of Economic Development

Website

https://ded.mo.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) is a state agency that administers economic development incentives, workforce training, broadband funding, and community development grants to attract and retain businesses in Missouri. It serves businesses, local communities, job seekers, and military/defense stakeholders through programs like Missouri Works, Missouri One Start, and CDBG.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Economic Programs (926), Administration of General Economic Programs (92611), Employment Services (5613), Administration of Human Resource Programs (9231)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce Support Services & Case Management (Coaching, Wraparound) (EDAAAOAK), Taxpayer Services, Education & Outreach (BPAIADAM)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Business incentive programs
• Workforce development services
• Community development block grants
• Broadband infrastructure funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Jefferson City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Tax Credit Administration: DED operates as a state government department funded through Missouri state appropriations and federal grants. The department administers various tax credit programs including Missouri Works, Neighborhood Assistance Program, and Motion Media Production Tax Credit. DED does not generate revenue from sales but rather allocates state resources and incentives to drive economic development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Missouri Department of Economic Development administers state and federal economic development programs that support business attraction, expansion, and retention in Missouri. Its core offerings include the Missouri Works Program (tax credits and withholding tax retention tied to job creation and investment), workforce recruitment and training through Missouri One Start, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for small cities and counties, broadband infrastructure funding deployment through the Office of Broadband Development, the Motion Media Production Tax Credit, and military community reinvestment and defense business support. Services are delivered at no direct cost to qualifying businesses, communities, and job seekers.

Product overview

The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) is a state government agency that provides economic development services, workforce programs, and community development initiatives. The agency does not offer commercial software products but rather administers government programs including business incentives, workforce training (Missouri One Start), community development block grants, tax credit programs, and military community support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Missouri One Start: State's premier workforce recruitment and training division providing customized recruitment assistance and resources to train and upskill employees
• Missouri Works
• Missouri Military Advocate
• Missouri Women's Council
• ServMO

Products and services

• Missouri Works Program State's primary incentive tool for business expansion and retention, providing access to capital through withholding tax retention or tax credits. Includes tiers such as Zone Works (2 jobs minimum, $100K investment, 80% county wage, 5-6 year benefit), Rural Works (2 jobs minimum, $100K investment, 90% county wage), Statewide Works (10 jobs minimum, 90% county wage), Mega Works 120 (100 jobs, 120% county wage, 6% of new payroll), Mega Works 140 (100 jobs, 140% county wage, 7% of new payroll), and Qualified Military Projects (10 jobs, up to 15 years for defense projects). For eligible businesses expanding or retaining operations in Missouri.
• Missouri One Start Premier workforce recruitment and training division providing customized recruitment assistance and training resources to eligible businesses to help them train and upskill new and existing employees.
• Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) Federal funding program administered through annual competitive cycles for small cities and counties in Missouri for infrastructure improvements, community facilities, and economic development projects. In FY2025, $16.7 million was awarded to 43 community improvement projects.
• Motion Media Production Tax Credit Film and television production incentive program administered by the Missouri Film Office. In 2025, $15.7 million in production incentives was authorized for 54 film and TV productions spending $40.7 million in Missouri, employing 2,154 Missouri residents in cast and crew positions.
• Office of Broadband Development Office within DED deploying $800 million in federal broadband funding (part of $1.7 billion allocated to Missouri under the Infrastructure and Jobs Act) to expand high-speed internet access in rural areas, targeting over 200,000 unserved and underserved homes and businesses across 12 counties through fiber deployment.
• Military Community Reinvestment Grant Grant program for military communities and defense businesses to support installation preservation, enhancement, and economic development around military bases. $291,000 is available for FY2027. Administered by the Office of the Missouri Military Advocate.
• Office of the Missouri Military Advocate Office coordinating state and local actions to preserve and expand Missouri's military installations and agencies, support defense business development, and improve quality of life for service members and their families.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,900+ workers supported through Triumph Foods expansion alone
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• AmazonflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026Amazon investing $10 billion in Montgomery City for data center campus, expected to create 400 direct jobs and thousands of construction jobs. Amazon also announced $3 million for emergency dispatch services and $1 million for community gathering space.
• GoogleflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Google investing $15 billion in Missouri infrastructure including data center in Montgomery County, with workforce development programs and $20 million Energy Impact Fund for household energy bills.
• Missouri Film OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2026Division within DED administering the Motion Media Production Tax Credit program. In 2025, supported 54 productions spending $40.7 million in Missouri.
• Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 December 2025MTC received over $33 million in federal funds through SSBCI 2.0 program to support startups, small businesses, and high-growth entrepreneurship.
• Missouri Development Finance Board (MDFB)coreOthersAffiliated board within DED that provides financing solutions for economic development projects across Missouri.
• Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC)coreOthersAffiliated commission providing housing development programs and services as part of Missouri's economic ecosystem.
• Missouri PartnershipcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary economic development marketing organization for Missouri, responsible for business attraction and promoting Missouri as a destination for investment.
• Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency supporting startups, small businesses, and high-growth entrepreneurship through the SSBCI 2.0 program with over $33 million in federal funds allocated.
• Missouri One StartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier workforce recruitment and training division within DED that helps businesses with customized recruitment assistance and training resources.
• Visit MissouricoreGTM or Marketing PartnerState tourism marketing organization promoting Missouri as a travel destination.
• Missouri Women's CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgency within DED established to identify and address issues affecting women's economic and employment status in Missouri.
• Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission (MMPEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEleven-member commission established in 2005 to advise on military issues and economic development related to military installations and defense businesses.
• AmerencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor utility partner supporting large-scale data center investments including Amazon and Google projects in Montgomery County. Ameren provides electric service infrastructure for data center campuses.
• EvergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerElectric utility partner supporting broadband expansion and economic development projects in Missouri.
• ServMOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide volunteer service program under DED that mobilizes Missourians to serve their communities through various initiatives.
• Missouri Veterans CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommission providing veteran services, represented ex-officio on the Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission.
• Buchanan CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner supporting Triumph Foods expansion and Van-Am aerospace expansion in St. Joseph.
• St. Joseph Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal chamber supporting business expansion projects including Triumph Foods pork processing expansion.
• Missouri vendors and small businessesminorOthersHundreds of Missouri vendors and small businesses supported through film production spending of $40.7 million in 2025.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development: Kentucky's primary state economic development agency offering tax incentive programs, workforce development, and site selection assistance. Directly comparable to DED as a neighboring state-level agency competing for manufacturing, logistics, and data center investments.
• North Carolina Department of Commerce: North Carolina's state economic development agency administering JDIG grants, tax incentives, and rural development programs. Comparable to DED with similar scale and a strong track record of attracting major corporate investments and data center projects.
• Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development: Tennessee's state economic development department administering FastTrack grants, tax credits, and workforce programs. A direct peer competing with Missouri for corporate relocations, automotive/EV investments, and data center projects in the region.
• Georgia Department of Economic Development: Georgia's state economic development agency, widely recognized as a top-performing peer in business attraction, particularly for data centers, film production, and manufacturing. Highly comparable to DED in program scope and grant/tax credit administration.
• Ohio Department of Development: Ohio's primary state economic development agency administering tax incentives, workforce programs, and broadband initiatives. Directly comparable to Missouri DED as a state-level peer competing for similar manufacturing and corporate attraction projects in the Midwest.
• Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC): Indiana's public-private economic development organization offering tax incentives, workforce training, and infrastructure support. Comparable to DED in scope and Midwest geography, frequently competing head-to-head for the same corporate expansions.
• Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity: Illinois's state economic development agency administering EDGE tax credits, workforce programs, and community development block grants. A direct peer to DED with overlapping program structures and shared competition for corporate investment in the central US.

Regional players

• Iowa Economic Development Authority: Iowa's state economic development authority offering tax incentives, workforce programs, and innovation support. A regional peer to DED with comparable Midwestern focus and similar program architecture for business attraction and retention.
• Kansas Department of Commerce: Kansas's state economic development agency administering PEAK incentives, workforce programs, and broadband initiatives. A neighboring regional peer to DED with comparable program structures, often competing for the same corporate projects along the I-70 corridor.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA): The federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce that funds infrastructure and economic development projects nationally. A broad incumbent peer that sets the federal funding framework within which DED operates and distributes pass-through grants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MoEcoDevo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MoEcoDevo
• Facebookfacebook.com/MissouriDepartmentofEconomicDevelopment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/missouri-department-of-economic-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments19 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Missouri Department of Economic Development