Businesses and nonprofits considering moving into a vacant Wisconsin commercial space may be eligible for a $10,000 Wisconsin Tomorrow – Main Street Bounceback Grant through a newly created program.
To be eligible, businesses or nonprofits must be moving into a vacant commercial space in Wisconsin. The business or nonprofit must not be closing another Wisconsin location in order to make this move.
The grant funding can be used for rent or mortgage payments, operating expenses, building repairs and improvements, and more.
Businesses or nonprofits that would use the new location for storage, to hold for investment purposes or to rent out as residential housing are not eligible. National and regional chains are also ineligible unless owned by an independent franchisee.
In April, Governor Tony Evers announced the state would dedicate $50 million toward helping small business owners open physical locations and helping communities fill vacant storefronts. The funds for the Wisconsin Tomorrow – Main Street Bounceback Grant Program come from the state’s share of federal American Recovery Plan Act aid.
WEDC is working with nine regional economic development organizations to quickly disburse grant funding to eligible businesses and nonprofits in all of the state’s 72 counties. Applications open on Aug. 9 and the program runs through June 30, 2022. Learn more and find application details.
