“Massachusetts has always competed on the strength of our people, our ideas and our willingness to lead. We’re taking decisive steps to strengthen our competitiveness, invest in cutting-edge sectors of our innovation economy like applied AI and quantum, and create more jobs across the state. We are supporting Massachusetts businesses by lowering their costs, making Massachusetts a more attractive place for our talented young workers to stay, and easing the burden for entrepreneurs to start up their businesses. While President Trump alienates our allies and makes America less competitive, we are making Massachusetts a global hub welcoming companies from around the world to come and grow jobs right here in our state.”
Elevating Massachusetts as a Global Economy
GlobalMass is a statewide strategy to position Massachusetts as the leading U.S. destination for global investment, innovation, and talent—leveraging the state’s strengths to compete globally and welcoming international partners at a time of increasing national uncertainty. Key provisions:
- At least $50 million for a seed investment directed through the state’s Pension Reserves Investment Management Board in a fund-of-funds to attract international capital and support Massachusetts-based innovation companies
- $20 million to invest in sites and infrastructure that attract international companies and strengthen Massachusetts as a global business destination
A More Affordable Massachusetts
Massachusetts is taking action to make it easier and more affordable to start and grow a business and to build housing. These reforms cut unnecessary costs, reduce delays and uncertainty in the development process, and create clearer, more predictable pathways for businesses, developers, and communities to move projects forward. Key provisions include:
- Expanding eligibility for the Small Business Energy Tax Exemption, allowing approximately 20,000 additional small businesses to qualify for the benefit which will result in an average benefit of $750-$1,000 per newly eligible taxpayer
- Reducing LLC filing fees from $500 to $100 and introducing a graduated fee structure to lower barriers to starting a business
- Authorizes discounted electricity rates for large companies relocating to or expanding in Massachusetts, improving competitiveness without raising costs for other ratepayers
- Clarifying the building code appeals process to reduce uncertainty for construction and development projects
- Establishing consistent rules for local site plan review to create a more predictable permitting process
- Enabling commercial conversion zones to support redevelopment of underutilized properties into housing and other uses
- Allowing mayors to initiate zoning proposals, helping advance local reforms more efficiently
Attracting and Retaining Talent
Massachusetts is strengthening its talent pipeline and making it easier for early-career workers to build and grow their careers here. These updates focus on expanding access to opportunities, improving fairness in the labor market, and helping employers connect with the next generation of talent. Key provisions include:
- Strengthening the existing noncompete law by closing a loophole that allows an employer to avoid paying fair compensation when enforcing a noncompete agreement
- Activating a $10 million annual internship tax credit to incentivize employers to expand paid internship opportunities and better connect students to in-state careers
- Reducing barriers for internationally trained nurses by waiving redundant English proficiency requirements
A More Competitive Massachusetts
Massachusetts is making targeted investments to strengthen its competitive edge in the industries that will define the future, including defense, AI, robotics, and climatetech, while supporting business growth and accelerating innovation across the state. Key provisions include:
- Strengthening the defense innovation sector with $100 million in capital investments across facilities, research, and supply chain infrastructure
- Advancing applied AI with $75 million to support real-world deployment across key industries including quantum and reinforce Massachusetts’ leadership
- Reauthorizing and expanding robotics investments with $25 million to support R&D and commercialization
- Expanding Business Builds with $25 million to support business growth, facility expansion, and job creation
- Accelerating climatetech grid innovation by establishing a dedicated board and enabling faster approvals for critical energy infrastructure projects
Advancing Equity and Opportunity
Massachusetts is expanding access to opportunity across regions and communities by investing in local economies, removing outdated barriers, and modernizing systems to better support workers, municipalities, and growing industries. Key provisions include:
- Revitalizing downtowns with $25 million to support infrastructure, public spaces, and placemaking through the Community One Stop for Growth
- Streamlining the Devens zoning amendment process to align with standard municipal practices while maintaining regional participation
- Enabling municipalities to advance broadband projects by allowing upfront payment for make-ready infrastructure work
- Streamlining licensing pathways for engineers to become home inspectors, helping meet growing housing market demand
- Expanding access to the Cultural Facilities Fund by removing restrictive eligibility requirements
- Aligning tax credit programs across agencies to improve consistency, flexibility, and accountability