Iowa's Next Generation of Site Readiness
Since 2012, Iowa has helped communities strengthen their competitiveness through the Iowa Certified Site Program, preparing industrial properties for investment through extensive due diligence, infrastructure planning and independent review. The program established Iowa as a national leader in site readiness and provided companies with confidence that development-ready sites could meet aggressive project timelines.
As site selection timelines continue to accelerate and communities face varying levels of resources and development readiness, Iowa is evolving its approach.
SiteReady Iowa builds on the success of the Iowa Certified Site Program by introducing a flexible, three-tier framework that allows communities to participate at a level that matches their readiness today while creating a clear pathway toward full certification. The program provides greater transparency for site selectors and companies, encourages incremental investment in site development and helps more communities prepare for future growth opportunities.
SiteReady Iowa Levels
SiteReady Iowa recognizes that communities are at different stages of site development. The program offers three levels of participation.
Gold: SiteReady Certified
A SiteReady Certified designation represents the highest level of site readiness and continues Iowa's nationally recognized certification standard.
Gold SiteReady Certified sites demonstrate:
Comprehensive due diligence investigations
Environmental and ownership verification
Infrastructure validation
Detailed site documentation
Independent review and verification
A highly vetted, reliable site that provides maximum certainty and confidence for large-scale industrial projects.
Designation: Approved sites will be identified as Gold SiteReady Certified in the LOIS listing and will have an enhanced listing established on BusinessIowa.com.
Apply for SiteReady Certified
Gold SiteReady Certified certification follows a structured review process and requires extensive documentation and validation. Communities interested in pursuing SiteReady Certified designation should contact [email protected].
Silver: SiteReady Evaluated
A SiteReady Evaluated designation recognizes sites that have completed a more detailed level of review and documentation. This designation signals that additional evaluation has been completed to help reduce uncertainty for prospects and site selectors.
Detailed Silver SiteReady Evaluated requirements are available in the program resources below.
Designation: Approved sites will be identified as Silver SiteReady Evaluated in the LOIS listing and will have a listing established on BusinessIowa.com.
Apply for SiteReady Evaluated
Communities interested in pursuing SiteReady Evaluated designation should contact [email protected].
Bronze: SiteReady Identified
A SiteReady Identified designation identifies sites that have completed foundational site readiness information and are ready to be marketed as development opportunities. To be considered for this designation, sites must have an active listing in LOIS and include basic property, ownership, infrastructure and land use information.
Detailed Bronze SiteReady Identified requirements are available in the program resources below.
Designation: Approved sites will be identified as SiteReady Identified in the LOIS listing.
Apply for SiteReady Identified
Communities seeking SiteReady Identified designation can complete the application form (coming soon)
How Sites Will Be Designated
Sites participating in the program will be designated according to their level of readiness:
Gold: SiteReady Certified
Silver: SiteReady Evaluated
Bronze: SiteReady Identified
Each designation communicates a site's level of due diligence, documentation and readiness to site selectors and development prospects. The designation provides a clear signal regarding the amount of information, verification and risk reduction completed for the property.
Corresponding gold, silver and bronze badges will be displayed on Business Iowa/LOIS property listings and marketing materials.