Supporting small business; grants for Wisconsin community organizations

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MILWAUKEE - The Wisconsin Economic Corporation (WEDC) announced on Tuesday, March 3, that ten community organizations supporting small businesses across Wisconsin have received $1.5 million in Small Business Development Grants (SBDG) from WEDC.

Grants for community organizations

What we know:

The competitive grants, which range from $50,000 to $250,000, were awarded to local and regional economic development organizations, municipalities, and counties to support small business development and creation. The organizations will pass 100% of the SBDG funds on to small businesses.

Grant recipients

By the numbers:

A news release says the Small Business Development Grants recipients include:

7 Rivers Alliance, Inc. - $250,000

The 7 Rivers Small Business Revitalization Grant Program will provide micro-grants of up to $10,000 directly to small businesses for eligible activities including equipment and technology upgrades, building projects, façade improvements, new signage, working capital to assist a start-up or start-up rent assistance for up to three months. The Small Business Revitalization Grant Program will be available to small businesses with a focus on those in rural communities in Western Wisconsin.  Businesses will also be required to participate in up to 20 hours of ongoing education, mentorship, or technical assistance. Businesses will have the option to provide a 10% cash match in lieu of receiving technical assistance. 

Green Lake Area Chamber of Commerce - $175,000

The Green Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (GLACC) will allocate $100,000 of SBDG funds to a revolving loan fund, $40,000 to a façade improvement program, and $35,000 to a rent assistance incentive. Revolving loans would be available in amounts of $5,000 to $25,000 for projects such as property rehabilitation, equipment purchases, and upper-floor housing. The façade improvement program will provide grants up to $5,000 for exterior improvements visible from the public right-of-way, such as signage, painting, windows, and masonry repair. The Rent Assistance Incentive will provide grants up to $7,500 to offset first-year rent in long-vacant downtown spaces. Businesses that access these funding streams will also be connected to technical assistance through GLACC’s Actionable Lunch ‘N’ Learn sessions, industry experts, and the Wisconsin Main Street resources. 

First American Capital Corporation, Inc. - $125,000

First American Capital Corporation (FACC) will use SBDG funding to provide financing to businesses seeking loans in the form of equity grants up to 10% of project size for qualifying prospective borrowers: $100,000 will be allocated to equity grants of up to $5,000 for businesses accessing FACC microloans, and $25,000 will be allocated to grants of up to $10,000 for businesses accessing FACC administered Small Business Administration 7(a) loans and other larger loan products with owners’ equity requirements. The FACC will also provide pre-loan/loan readiness business education/technical assistance with prospective borrowers potentially accessing SBDG funds. SBDG-funded grants will be available to businesses statewide with a focus on Indigenous-owned businesses located both on and off federally recognized Native Nations lands in Wisconsin.

Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce - $100,000

The Heart Tank Grant Program will offer grants up to $5,000 to cover business costs such as startup and expansion costs, technology, leasehold improvements, equipment, and product development. The grant will be available to businesses in rural communities including Wisconsin Rapids, Nekoosa, Port Edwards, Rome, Biron, Saratoga, Pittsville, Rudolph, Vesper, and Grand Rapids. Businesses applying for the grant program will be required to complete an entrepreneurial training program. Key elements of the entrepreneurial training program include business planning and strategy, financial literacy and projections, marketing and branding, operations and management, and funding and capital readiness. The entrepreneurial training program culminates in each participant completing a finalized business plan, which serves as the foundation for their Heart Tank Grant application. 

Hurley Chamber of Commerce - $250,000

The Small Business Accessibility and Infrastructure Initiative will provide financial assistance to small business owners to help them make essential code, insurance, and ADA compliance upgrades to their buildings. The initiative will offer two grant programs: the ADA Accessibility Improvement Fund and the Business Infrastructure Revitalization Grant.  The ADA Accessibility Improvement Fund will provide grants for physical accessibility upgrades for small businesses (e.g., ramps, ADA-compliant bathrooms, widened entryways). The Business Infrastructure Revitalization Grant will provide funding for code compliance and basic infrastructure improvements such as electrical, roof and façade repairs, fire safety, etc. that make insurance coverage possible. Each grant will be paired with specific, required technical assistance.

City of Kenosha - $50,000

The Uptown Business Recruitment and Retention Grant will provide reimbursable grants of up to $5,000 for businesses that are restaurants or retail establishments. Eligible businesses will be located in the City of Kenosha's Commercial Area. Grant funds may be used for inventory, equipment, marketing, and technology upgrades and will cover up to 75 percent of the total eligible project costs. Businesses receiving grants will need to consult the city when beginning the grant application and will then be referred to UW-Parkside Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for additional assistance. New businesses will be required to work with SBDC to craft and refine their business plan. Established businesses will be strongly encouraged to work with SBDC to develop the forecasts needed for equipment purchases, inventory build-out, and/or marketing efforts. The city expects to provide 10 grants with an average amount of $5,000.

City of Madison - $125,000

With SBDG funding, BizBuilder will offer grants up to $5,000 to business owners that graduate from the City’s BizReady Program. BizReady is a 12-month program that includes peer-to-peer learning, one-on-one mentorship, presentations from industry experts, learning workshops, networking opportunities, and action plan creation. Twenty-five businesses will graduate from this program and receive a $5,000 grant from SBDG funds. BizBuilder emphasizes strategies that drive an increase in revenue; while funds may be used for start-up costs based on a business owner’s individual needs, a focus will be placed on costs that lead to an increase in revenue such as business plan development and digital readiness. 

Red Letter Grant, Inc. - $80,000

The SBDG will be used to fund grants for women-owned businesses in Red Letter Grant’s two service regions in western Wisconsin. Red Letter Grants will be offered in the amounts of $2,000 and $4,000 and will be available in spring and fall cycles in 2026 and 2027, with a double cycle in spring 2026. Each region will have three $2,000 grants and one $4,000 grant deployed to businesses in their counties per cycle. Grant funds may be used for a variety of purposes, but businesses will need to explain in their applications how they plan to use funds.  The program aims to provide 40 grants after leveraging an additional $20,000 from another funding source.

Rusk County - $125,000

The Rusk County Business Opportunities Program is a competitive grant that will provide direct financial assistance and technical support to locally owned businesses within Rusk County, with priority for a portion of the available grant funds to be awarded to businesses outside of the City of Ladysmith, which was awarded an SBDG in 2025. Grants up to $10,000 will be awarded to businesses that demonstrate a need for financial and technical assistance. Grants may be used for business startup costs, equipment purchases, facility upgrades, rent subsidy for new leases, technology adoption, marketing and outreach, workforce development, or succession planning expenses. Businesses must provide a 10 percent cash match and commit to take part in up to 10 hours of technical assistance.

St. Croix Economic Development Corporation - $220,000

St. Croix Economic Development Corporation’s (SCEDC) Small Business Development Grant Program will offer four capital stack programs: rental/purchase assistance grants, facade improvement grants, capital access boost grants, and the SCEDC Scale up Pitch Competition. Rental/purchase assistance grants of up to $5,000 will support businesses opening in long-vacant spaces by offsetting rental or purchase costs and encouraging long-term commitments. Facade improvement grants of up to $5,000 will help businesses enhance curb appeal and community vitality through exterior beautification projects. Capital access boost grants of up to $5,000 will provide additional support to businesses leveraging non-traditional loan programs, increasing access to working capital. The SCEDC Scale up Pitch Competition will provide growth-stage companies the opportunity to pitch their business and win funding. Technical assistance will also be available to businesses applying for the programs and businesses will be required to meet with project partners for a review of their business operations. 

For more information on the Small Business Development Grants, you are invited to visit WEDC.org/programs/small-business-development-grant.