Business Resources
Owning a business can be hard work, so we made it easy for you to find the information and support you need. Here you’ll find details on local services and programs and regional, state, and federal resources, a report that takes a closer look at downtown Wakefield, and links to important sites that can help your business succeed—all in one place.
Bookmark this page and check back often! New business resources to help support your success will be added regularly.
Our Fiscal Year 2026 Tax Rates:
residential: $11.74
commercial: $22.40
Available Commercial Spaces
Use our database of available commercial and industrial properties to help identify potential spaces that fits your business needs.
Business Licensing and Permitting Assistance
The Town of Wakefield has a step-by-step guide to opening a business to put you in touch with the right departments within Town Hall to get your doors open as soon as possible.
Local Incentives
The Town has a variety of local incentives that are available to your business and what set us apart from other communities;
- Tax Increment Finance (TIF): The Town of Wakefield has used TIF agreements to attract new business. A TIF is a negotiated agreement between a business and the local municipality to provide tax relief on the incremental increase in the property resulting from their investment. The Town will consider TIFs for business and properties that:
- Attract new businesses to Wakefield
- Stimulate job growth in Wakefield
- The Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD) Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP) oversees all incentives granted through the EDIP, including “Local Incentive Only” incentives.
- Through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, the Town has created a number of grant programs to support our business community. In recent years, Wakefield has supported local businesses through initiatives such as façade improvements, digital marketing assistance, small business programming, and commercial district activation efforts.
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)
Wakefield has adopted Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Massachusetts, a program to help commercial and industrial property owners in Massachusetts finance energy improvements. The program lets property owners agree to a betterment assessment and lien on their properties, sufficient to repay the financing extended by a private capital provider. If the property is sold before the financing has been repaid, the assessment stays and is transferred to subsequent property owners.
Owners of commercial and industrial buildings, owners of multifamily properties with five-plus units, and nonprofit organizations that own buildings are eligible. PACE can be used to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements such as boilers and furnaces, chillers, motors and drivers, lighting, solar panels, insulation, air sealing, geothermal, solar hot water, energy management systems, energy recovery, and redistribution systems.
Interested in accessing PACE Massachusetts? Connect with Erin Kokinda, Wakefield’s Community and Economic Development Director, at 781-246-6397.
- Review the PACE program guidelines
- Contact MassDevelopment staff at pace@massdevelopment.com to discuss any potential financing before submitting an application.
Downtown Wakefield By The Numbers Report
This guide provides a data-driven overview of the district’s business landscape, real estate trends, cultural and recreational assets, and economic potential. Designed for business owners, developers, community stakeholders, and civic leaders, it offers key insights to inform decision-making and highlight the many opportunities that make Downtown Wakefield a smart place to invest, engage, and grow.
Additional Resources
Town of Wakefield Municipal Site
Wakefield Area Chamber of Commerce
MA Business Front Door
Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MODB) Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP)
Massachusetts Small Business Development Center
SCORE Boston
Small Business Administration
MassHire Workforce Board
MassHire Career Center
Technical Assistance
MA Business Front Door
This State portal allows a business owner to enter basic information about their business and their assistance needed, and the state’s Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development and their partner organizations will match their business and the assistance needed to resources available.
Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD)
The MOBD assists businesses relocating or expanding in Massachusetts with a focus on job creation and retention.
Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
The SBDC provides free business assistance to prospective and existing businesses located in the North Shore and Merrimack Valley area.
SCORE Boston
SCORE Boston provides business mentoring from experienced business advisors at no cost to the start-up and existing businesses looking to grow.
U.S. Small Business Administration Massachusetts District Office
The Small Business Administration is a federal agency that helps small business owners and entrepreneurs with funding programs, counseling, federating contracting certificates and disaster recovery.
Wakefield Area Chamber of Commerce
Locally, the Wakefield Area Chamber is an advocate for the local business community, they assist with business connections, responds to local and state issues that affect business, and have a number of educational and networking events.
Financial Assistance
MassDevelopmentoffers financing, real estate, and community development solutions to grow businesses within Massachusetts. They offer a wide-variety of programs and services, such as loans, tax-exempt bonds, grants, and real estate technical assistance, and more.
Workforce Development Assistance
MassHire Metro North Workforce Board
The MassHire Workforce Board provides technical assistance to employers through direct funded grants to train current and newly hired employees through the Workforce Training Fund. They also offer the “One-the-Job Training” Program which assists employers with the cost of hiring and training new employees.
MassHire Metro North Career Center
The MassHire Career Center assists employers with their hiring needs by listing companies’ job openings on their website, pre-screening job applicants, and offering employers on-site recruitment at the Career Center.
More State Resources
Didn’t find what you needed? The state has put together a list of available business resources for the business community that is not covered above.
Interested in Opening a business in Wakefield and have questions?
We’re here to help you explore the possibilities and navigate the process—from site selection to local resources and support. If you’re thinking about bringing your business here, let’s talk.