As part of the South Carolina Department of Commerce’s (Commerce) ongoing commitment to transparency, the agency has delivered by implementing changes that provide increased information to the public and has also pledged additional, future changes.

The South Carolina Department of Commerce’s Office of Innovation has partnered with Venture Carolina, a nonprofit dedicated to bridging the funding gap between investors and entrepreneurs, to launch a pilot fellowship program to create more local accredited investors, expanding risk-capital accessibility for early-stage startups in South Carolina.

The S.C. Department of Commerce today announced that Ashely Teasdel, most recently serving as director of the Business Services division, has been promoted to Deputy Secretary. Working alongside Secretary Lightsey, Teasdel will support the implementation of agency-wide initiatives and programs and provide strategic management.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The S.C. Department of Commerce Office of Innovation, in partnership with the South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority (JEDA) and 3Phase, today announced the launch of the state’s first Phase IIB Match Fund for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Commerce Office of Innovation has partnered with two statewide nonprofit organizations, Build Carolina (which runs the SC Codes program) and the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness (which houses  Read More

The South Carolina Department of Commerce today released its 2020 industry recruitment results. In total, the state won 126 economic development projects, accounting for $4 billion in capital investment and 11,147 new jobs.

"Team South Carolina continues to cultivate a diverse economy in all corners of our state," said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. "To increase our recruitment to $4 billion in capital investment - particularly during an unprecedented year - takes a remarkable amount of collaboration and unwavering commitment from many partners across this state."

COLUMBIA, S.C. –  The S.C. Department of Commerce(S.C. Commerce) and S.C. Economic Developers’ Association (SCEDA) today announced that 49 state and community leaders have graduated from a statewide economic development training program, the S.C. Economic Development Institute (Institute).

COLUMBIA, S.C. - The S.C. Department of Commerce's Office of Innovation today announced the launch of Scribble - an online tool for the state's innovation community. Providing individuals and businesses a platform to access resources, this new site is designed to highlight South Carolina's exceptional ingenuity and create a common place for users to access a variety of helpful tools.
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COLUMBIA, S.C. - Sixteen communities across South Carolina are slated to benefit from public improvement projects supported by more than $9.6 million in funds from the latest round of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. The S.C. Department of Commerce is awarding CDBG funds to these communities, representing more than 20,660 residents, for the following projects: 

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The S.C. Department of Commerce’s Office of Innovation, in collaboration with Build Carolina, today officially launched SC Codes, a statewide program designed to provide free access to coding education for all residents. Hosted at Blackbaud World Headquarters in Charleston, S.C., the celebration event provided an opportunity for current and prospective students, mentors, programmers, educators, business and industry leaders and innovators to connect and learn more about SC Codes.