New Hampshire Department of Business & Economic Affairs

What New Hampshire Department of Business & Economic Affairs does

The New Hampshire Department of Business & Economic Affairs (BEA) is a state government department headquartered at 100 North Main Street, Suite 100, Concord, NH, with a workforce of 11–50 employees organized into eight operating units: the Division of Economic Development, Division of Planning & Community Development, Division of Travel & Tourism Development, Office of Workforce Opportunity, Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry Development, Office of Broadband Initiatives, Office of Housing and Infrastructure Development, and the New Hampshire APEX Accelerator. Its functional role is to serve as the single point of contact for businesses of all sizes, municipalities, and job seekers in New Hampshire, delivering services across workforce development, business recruitment and retention, government contracting assistance, housing and infrastructure investment, broadband expansion, planning and community development, and travel/tourism promotion.

BEA's core operational assets include the NH Business Gateway (a centralized digital portal consolidating more than 100 business resources from state agencies and partners), GIS-based planning systems, broadband availability mapping, the Fiscal Housing Calculator, and a portfolio of capital programs (InvestNH 1.0 at $100M ARPA, InvestNH 2.0 at $10M state general funds, Housing Champion Program at $5M, and $318M+ in combined ARPA/BEAD broadband funding). Service delivery is conducted through a direct-to-consumer model combining field staff (business resource and development teams), self-serve digital portals, training events (APEX Accelerator Matchmaker, NH Works), and partnerships with municipalities, ISPs, communications districts, and research institutions including UNH and Dartmouth.

BEA is funded through state general fund appropriations and federal pass-through grants, with the U.S. Department of Labor providing WIOA Title I funding of approximately $10.7M annually across Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs, supplemented by Senior Community Service Employment ($414K) and Mine Safety Program ($83K) funding. As a state government entity, BEA does not generate commercial revenue; services to businesses, municipalities, and residents are provided at no direct cost. The department is wholly owned by the State of New Hampshire and does not have venture, private equity, or public shareholders.

Name

New Hampshire Department of Business & Economic Affairs

Legal name

New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs

Website

https://nheconomy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The New Hampshire Department of Business & Economic Affairs is a state government department administering economic development, workforce, housing, and broadband programs through eight divisions, serving New Hampshire businesses, municipalities, and job seekers with services delivered at no direct cost.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Economic Programs (926), Administration of Human Resource Programs (9231)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Labor, Employment Standards & Workforce Development Administration (BPAIABAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Development Cooperation & Foreign Aid Administration (BPAIAIAG)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Workforce development programs
• Government contracting assistance
• Housing development programs
• Broadband expansion initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Concord

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Federal Workforce Development Funding: BEA receives WIOA Title I funding from the U.S. Department of Labor for Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs. Total federal awards include: WIOA Adult Program ($3,079,532.10), WIOA Dislocated Worker ($2,725,117.20), WIOA Youth ($4,871,223.86). Additional federal funding for Senior Community Service Employment ($414,386) and Mine Safety Program ($83,000).
2. State Housing Investment Programs: BEA administers $115 million in housing programs including InvestNH 1.0 ($100 million in ARPA funds), InvestNH 2.0 ($10 million in general funds), and Housing Champion Program ($5 million awarded). These are grant and loan programs for municipalities and developers.
3. Broadband Infrastructure Funding: Combined ARPA Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund and BEAD Program investments totaling more than $318 million for broadband expansion across New Hampshire.

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The New Hampshire Department of Business & Economic Affairs administers state and federally funded programs that support business growth, workforce development, affordable housing, broadband expansion, and community planning across New Hampshire. Services are delivered through divisions covering economic development, planning, workforce opportunity, broadband, housing, and outdoor recreation, with centralized access via the NH Business Gateway portal. The department facilitates government contracting assistance, international trade support, site selection, and grant/loan programs for municipalities and developers at no direct cost.

Product overview

The New Hampshire Department of Business & Economic Affairs (BEA) operates as a state government department offering a portfolio of economic development programs and services rather than a unified commercial product. The BEA's offerings include the NH Business Gateway as a centralized portal for business resources; InvestNH 1.0 and 2.0 housing programs; the NH APEX Accelerator for government contracting assistance; RecReady NH for outdoor recreation development; the Office of Broadband Initiatives managing over $318M in broadband expansion; and the Office of Workforce Opportunity administering WIOA workforce development programs. These programs function as separate initiatives managed by different divisions within the department rather than an integrated software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NH APEX Accelerator: Government contracting assistance program helping businesses find, bid on, and win government contracts
• InvestNH
• RecReady NH
• NH Business Gateway

Products and services

• NH Business Gateway Centralized digital portal bringing together state agencies and partners from across New Hampshire to create a streamlined, intuitive process for creating, maintaining, and growing a business. Provides access to more than 100 business-related resources from across the state.
• InvestNH 1.0 $100 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds awarded through capital, demolition, per unit, and planning programs to support workforce housing projects for municipalities and housing developers.
• InvestNH 2.0 $10 million in general funds available through grants and loans to support workforce housing projects for municipalities and nonprofit and for-profit housing developers.
• Housing Champion Designation and Grant Program Program that incentivizes municipalities to adopt pro-housing zoning and land use regulations through designation and exclusive grant opportunities. $5 million awarded to date for infrastructure improvements and workforce housing construction.
• New Hampshire APEX Accelerator Helps businesses navigate all facets of government contracting, offering free confidential assistance to companies of all sizes seeking federal and state government contracts. Government contracts awarded through the program totaled over $4 billion last year. Previously known as NH PTAC (Procurement Technical Assistance Center).
• RecReady NH Program that helps communities develop outdoor recreation projects, tapping into the state's $3 billion outdoor recreation sector with tools, assessments, and planning resources to guide towns from concept to completion.
• Office of Broadband Initiatives Manages broadband expansion initiatives powered by ARPA funding and the BEAD Program, representing more than $318 million in combined funding to connect underserved and unserved areas across New Hampshire. Collaborates with municipalities, communications districts, and internet service providers.
• Office of Workforce Opportunity Administers Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth funds, providing employment services, training opportunities, and workforce recruitment support for employers and job seekers. Program Year 2025 federal funding includes WIOA Adult ($3,079,532.10), WIOA Dislocated Worker ($2,725,117.20), and WIOA Youth ($4,871,223.86).
• I Build NH Conduit connecting job seekers with construction employers, providing resources for exploring careers in the trades and other educational opportunities while working with employers to secure job training grants. Part of the New Hampshire Sector Partnerships Initiative.
• Fiscal Housing Calculator Planning tool created to assist municipalities in analyzing the fiscal effects of single, missing middle, and multifamily housing development to make informed policy decisions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,800 housing permits issued in 2024 (highest in nearly 20 years)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Camoin AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023BEA retained Camoin Associates to conduct a comprehensive Life Sciences industry assessment and strategy study across New Hampshire. The study determined how BEA and its partners can leverage state assets to drive opportunity in life sciences industries.
• Municipalities and Communications DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBEA collaborates with municipalities and communications districts statewide to implement broadband expansion strategies. These partnerships deliver high-speed internet to underserved and unserved areas across New Hampshire.
• Internet Service ProviderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBEA works with internet service providers to deploy broadband infrastructure. The BEAD subgrantee selection process invites ISPs who can provide broadband technologies meeting BEAD performance requirements.
• State Workforce Innovation Board (SWIB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWIB serves as the advisory body for workforce development planning in New Hampshire. The board ensures workforce programs are responsive to the state's economic development and labor market needs through partnerships with businesses, educational institutions, and organizations.
• New Hampshire Educational InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBEA partners with educational institutions including the University of New Hampshire and Dartmouth College to build a sustainable talent pipeline and support workforce development across all sectors.
• University of New Hampshire and Dartmouth CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-class research institutions in New Hampshire that support the bioscience sector. These institutions are central to New Hampshire's life sciences ecosystem and workforce pipeline for R&D and advanced manufacturing.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development: State-level economic development agency in Massachusetts administering business assistance, workforce programs, housing finance, and broadband initiatives. Direct peer in adjacent New England state competing for similar business attraction, retention, and expansion outcomes.
• Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development: State-level economic development counterpart in neighboring Vermont, offering comparable business recruitment, workforce, housing, and community development programs. Direct regional peer with overlapping rural broadband and workforce development mandates.
• Maine Department of Economic and Community Development: Maine's state economic development agency handling business attraction, workforce programs, broadband, and community development. Directly comparable in scope, regional footprint, and rural-focused economic strategy to NH BEA.
• Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development: Connecticut's state economic development authority managing business assistance, workforce development, housing, and infrastructure programs. Regional peer competing for New England business relocations and expansions.
• Rhode Island Commerce Corporation: Rhode Island's quasi-public economic development corporation providing business recruitment, workforce development, and housing programs. Comparable state-level mandate with similar small-state scale and program structure.

Broad incumbents

• Empire State Development (New York): New York's primary state economic development organization managing business attraction, workforce, and infrastructure programs at much larger scale. Broad incumbent peer with overlapping mandate but substantially larger budget and program footprint.
• California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz): California's state-level economic development office coordinating business assistance, international trade, and infrastructure investment. Broad incumbent peer operating at significantly larger scale with comparable programmatic scope.
• Virginia Economic Development Partnership: Virginia's statewide economic development authority offering business attraction, workforce, and international trade services. Broad incumbent peer with mature program portfolio and recognized state-level economic development model.
• Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT): Colorado's state economic development office coordinating business recruitment, workforce, and international trade. Broad incumbent peer with comparable divisional structure and proactive business assistance model.

Others

• U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA): Federal agency within U.S. Department of Commerce providing grants for economic development, infrastructure, and workforce programs. Functions as a critical funding counterpart to state agencies like BEA, channeling federal dollars into NH programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NHEconomy
• Facebookfacebook.com/NHEconomy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nh-department-of-business-and-economic-affairs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments2 records

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Frequently asked questions about New Hampshire Department of Business & Economic Affairs