SITE Program
SITE Program supports North Carolina communities by funding industrial site identification, assessment, infrastructure, and shell buildings to attract new businesses and enable existing businesses to expand.
Funder: Golden LEAF Foundation
Due Dates: November 12, 2026 (SITE applications) | January 7, 2027 (SITE applications) | March 11, 2027 (SITE applications)
Funding Amounts: Development: up to $1.5 million total per site across awards; phase-specific match requirements apply
Summary: Supports industrial site readiness and shell building construction to attract businesses and enable expansion in North Carolina communities.
Key Information: Eligible applicants are governmental entities and 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofits; Shell Building requires publicly owned sites.
Description
Golden LEAF Foundation’s SITE Program helps North Carolina communities prepare industrial properties to attract new businesses and support existing businesses’ expansion. It funds work across four phases: identifying potential sites, completing due diligence, developing infrastructure and preparing sites, and constructing industrial shell buildings. Communities may enter at any phase, and a site may progress through the phases over time.
The program complements other North Carolina site readiness and development programs. Applications are accepted from organizations in all counties, with priority for persistently economically distressed counties, based on N.C. Department of Commerce County Tier status, and economically distressed, rural, and tobacco-dependent communities. Funding is limited, and applications are expected to be competitive.
