Site Selection & Incentives Consulting

Secure the optimal location with maximum incentives as possible.

Helping you maximize investments in people, capital and facilities

Where you locate your facilities affects every aspect of your business, from logistics to employee recruitment to your bottom line.  

expert reviewing map to determine site selection

Site Selection & Incentives Experience

Finding the ideal long-term location requires analysis of many factors, such as proximity to key suppliers and customers, quality of the workforce, real estate and business costs, and available incentives to name a few. To achieve full ROI from the investment, businesses need to be savvy about how they approach the site selection and incentives negotiation process as well as capitalize on all available statutory credits for which they qualify.

BDO’s Site Selection & Incentives practice has decades of experience negotiating and securing some of the largest incentives packages ever offered in North America. The members of the BDO team have negotiated more than $3 billion in incentives on behalf of our clients in the last 15 years. 

Our experience as a leading site selection firm enables us to negotiate incentives and support your business objectives effectively. BDO helps you identify and capture statutory business tax credits across jurisdictions. We advise taking advantage of credits that support business objectives such as expansion, onshoring and long-term business growth. Learn more about the tax credits and incentives opportunities for your organization.

Diverse Industry Experience

Our team has diversified industry experience working on major projects ranging from finding new greenfield sites for major manufacturing facilities, locating new corporate headquarters, and advising on back-office relocations and renewals. Our political, geographic, and technical tax knowledge of incentives programs, combined with our relationships with key political players provides our clients with a distinct competitive advantage.

Our demonstrated methodology is customized to be project specific and is designed to identify, negotiate, and secure the maximum package of usable incentives. We focus on the compliance process so that every dollar negotiated is collected.

employees reviewing possible site locations

How BDO Can Help

Site Selection & Incentives Frequently Asked Questions

  • Lease Renewal – 50,000 square feet or more 
  • Relocations – Movement of entire facilities or departments 
  • Job Creation, Retention or Consolidation – 25 people or more 
  • Capital Investment – $5 Million or more 
  • Training – $1 Million or more 
  • R&D – $1 Million or more 
  • M&A – Activities of any type

Poor site selection can lead to increased operational costs, supply chain inefficiencies, difficulty in attracting talent, regulatory challenges, and ultimately, reduced competitiveness and profitability. 

Businesses may face challenges like understanding zoning regulations, navigating complex legal processes, and balancing various criteria like cost and accessibility. 

No. In order to help maximize incentives offered, it is recommended to have two or more jurisdictions compete for the opportunity. While specific sites may be identified and terms negotiated prior to finalizing incentives, incentives agreements should be established prior to execution of real estate agreements. 

Some key considerations for expansion and relocation are: 

  • Labor: demographics and growth projections, educational attainment, and training programs 
  • Infrastructure: availability and costs of utilities, proximity to transportation such as rail and highways 
  • Supply Chain: proximity to suppliers, customers, and key markets 
  • Business Climate:  state and local taxes, regulatory environment, permitting, incentives 
  • Quality of Life: cost of living, crime rates, recreational options 
  • Real Estate: topography, climate, environmental

Incentive negotiations should start when a short list of locations (state/county) have been identified.   

Management Consulting Insights

Explore our most recent resources and thought leadership.

  • Industry
  • Asset Management
  • Financial Institutions & Specialty Finance
  • Fintech
  • Gaming & Leisure
  • Government & Public Sector
  • Government Contracting
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Life Sciences
  • Manufacturing
  • Natural Resources
  • Nonprofit & Education
  • Private Equity
  • Professional Services
  • Real Estate & Construction
  • Restaurants
  • Retail & Consumer Products
  • Technology

Stay current with our latest management consulting insights.

Meet Our Site Selection & Incentives Leader

Do work that matters, where you matter.

At BDO, you can do much more than fulfill your career ambitions — here, you can explore your full potential. That’s because we’re committed to helping our employees achieve on both personal and professional levels.