AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott today announced an additional incentive program for new Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) grantees designed to encourage the hiring of military veterans. New grantees, in addition to being eligible for funding on a per job created basis, will be eligible for an additional $1,000 per job filled by a veteran during the first year of job creation. This announcement coincides with Texas’ celebration of our first annual Women’s Veterans Day, which was signed into law by Governor Abbott in the 85th legislative session.

“Texas has one of the largest veteran populations of any state, and it is imperative that we ensure those returning from service continue to have opportunities to work and provide for their families,” said Governor Abbott. “Veterans bring unmatched leadership abilities and they already possess many of the technical skills employers are looking for. I'm proud of our state's support for Texas veterans, and it’s my hope that future companies will take advantage of this program.”

Qualifying positions must be filled by a person who has served in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard, the National or Air National Guard of the United States, the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, or served in a Reserve component of any of the aforementioned military organizations, and has been honorably discharged from the branch of the service in which the person served.

Last year, Governor Abbott unveiled a comprehensive plan to address the underemployment of Texas veterans, and committed to using all available resources to get our veterans back to work after returning from service. This incentive program is one of the many ways Governor Abbott is working to fulfill this promise, with additional veteran-specific programs scheduled for announcement in the coming year.

Since its inception in 2004, the TEF has awarded about 160 grants totaling more than $615 million across a wide variety of industries and projects committed to creating almost 94,000 jobs and investing more than $27 billion in the state of Texas.