The Wisconsin Department of Commerce has a broad range of financial assistance programs to help start-up businesses, as well as established ones.

The BDI Micro Loan program is designed to provide financial assistance for the start-up or expansion of businesses involving persons with disabilities. 

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)-Economic Development Program, provides grants to communities to loan to businesses for start-up, retention, and expansion projects based on the number of jobs created or retained.

The Customized Labor Training Fund provides training grants to businesses that are implementing new technology or production processes. The program can provide up to 50 percent of the cost of customized training.

The Dairy 2020 Initiative awards grants and loans for business and feasibility planning to dairy producers and processors considering a modernization or expansion project.

The Early Planning Grant (EPG) helps individual entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Wisconsin obtain the professional services necessary to evaluate the feasibility of a proposed start up or expansion.

The Economic Impact Early Planning Grant (EI-EPG) Program offers matching grants that can cover up 75 percent of project costs--up to $3,000--to help entrepreneurs and small businesses obtain professional services to develop a comprehensive business plan. A business plan is necessary to receive funding for the other gaming programs as well as to attract private financing. A Special Opportunity Grant provides up to $15,000 for projects that will have a statewide impact.

The Economic Diversification Loan (EDL) program provides low interest loans to existing businesses interested in establishing or expanding operations in Wisconsin. Applicants must provide a comprehensive business plan that describes the proposed project. Applicant can receive up to 75 percent of eligible costs. The actual award is based upon the project's viability, the number of jobs created or retained, and the extent to which the project will help diversify the local economy. 

The Economic Impact Loan (EIL) program provides low interest loans to existing Wisconsin businesses interested in modernizing or improving their operations. Applicants must demonstrate that they have been affected by gaming and have a comprehensive business plan that describes the proposed project. Applicants can receive 75 percent of eligible costs--up to $100,000. The actual award amount is based upon the project's viability, number of jobs created or retained and the project's economic impact on the community.

The Employee Ownership Assistance Loan Program can help a group of employees purchase a business by providing individual awards up to $15,000 for feasibility studies or professional assistance. The business under consideration must have expressed its intent to downsize or close.

The Enterprise Development Zone Program provide site specific tax incentives to new or expanding businesses whose projects will affect distressed areas.

Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs) are a means of financing the construction and equipping of manufacturing plants and a limited number of non-manufacturing facilities. The municipality is not responsible for debt service on IRBs, nor is it liable in the case of default. IRBs are also exempt from federal income tax.

The Major Economic Development Program offers low-interest loans for business development projects that create a significant economic impact.

The Minority Business Development Fund offers low-interest loans for start-up, expansion or acquisition projects. To qualify for the fund, a business must be 51-percent controlled, owned, and actively managed by minority-group members, and the project must retain or increase employment.

The Milk Volume Production (MVP) Program is designed to assist dairy producers that are undertaking capital improvement projects that will result in a significant increase in Wisconsin’s milk production.  Only those projects that have a comprehensive business plan and can demonstrate that they will have a long term sustainable impact upon Wisconsin's milk production will be successful.

The Recycling Early Planning Grant Program awards funds for business plans, marketing assistance, and feasibility studies on the start-up or expansion of a recycling business.

The Recycling Loan Program awards loans for the purchase of equipment that make products from recycled materials, or make equipment necessary to manufacture these products.

Recycling Technology Assistance Program provides low cost loans to fund research and development of products or processes using recovered or recyclable materials. Eligible activities include product development and testing, process development and assessment, specialized research, and technical assistance.

The Rural Economic Development (RML) Microloan Program is designed to provide working capital or fixed asset financing for businesses located in rural communities. 

Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) helps cities in Wisconsin attract industrial and commercial growth in underdeveloped and blighted areas. A city or village can designate a specific area within its boundaries as a TIF district and develop a plan to improve its property values. Taxes generated by the increased property values pay for land acquisition or needed public works.

The Technology Development Loan (TDL) program was established in 1994 to assist Wisconsin businesses that have developed technological innovations that have the potential to provide significant economic benefit to the state. This program is designed to assist the business in bringing the new technology to commercialization.

The Technology Development Fund (TDF) program was established in 1984 to assist Wisconsin businesses research and develop technological innovations that have the potential to provide significant economic benefit to the state.

The Technology Zone Tax Credit Program contains 5 million dollars in tax credits for high-tech business development. (If You Get An Authentication  Form That Asks For An ID & Password, Just Click Cancel And The Program Description Will Load.)

The Wisconsin CAPCO Program is intended to increase investment of venture capital funds into small business enterprises which have traditionally had difficulty in attracting institutional venture capital. 

The Brownfields Initiative provides grants to persons, businesses, local development organizations, and municipalities for environmental remediation activities for brownfield sites where the owner is unknown, cannot be located or cannot meet the cleanup costs.

ADDITIONAL BUSINESS FINANCE PROGRAMS

ACE-Net (Access to Capital Electronic Network) is a nationwide, Internet-based listing service that provides information to angel investors on small, dynamic, growing businesses seeking $250,000 to $5 million in equity financing.

The State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) is one of the largest pension funds in the world. SWIB’s staff makes special efforts to explore investments (minimum $3 million) within the state.