We’re nurturing Wisconsin’s success from every angle.
WEDC lives for Wisconsin’s success. Each of our programs is tailored to nurture a different type of economic success: businesses that are exporting, expanding, or just starting out; communities that are revitalizing or bringing new, shared spaces to life; schools that are preparing Wisconsin’s future workforce; and many more. You’ll find our program summaries here, along with a glossary for reference.
WEDC Program Summaries
Brownfields Grant Program
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 5
Award amount: $940,300
Leverage ratio: 346:1
Recommended changes
Add scenarios in which the matching funds requirement can be reduced from 3:1 to 1:1 in instances where the project is located in an economically distressed county, rural community, or Opportunity Zone; a municipality has no private development secured but has an approved redevelopment goal for the project site; or a key component of secured private development includes child care services or the expansion of housing availability.
Brownfield Site Assessment Grant Program
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 8
Award amount: $1,048,663
Leverage ratio: 2:1
Recommended changes
No substantive changes
Business Development Tax Credit Program
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 22
Award amount: $20,440,000
Jobs to be created: 2,208
Jobs to be retained: 5,809
Leverage ratio: 46:1
Notes: Complete CY24 results not available at publication; FY24 results shown.
Recommended changes
No substantive changes
Capacity Building Grant Program
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 17
Award amount: $741,765
Recommended changes
No substantive changes
Capital Catalyst Program
Total awards: 10
Award amount: $2,840,000
Businesses to be assisted: 84
Leverage ratio: 1:1
Recommended changes
Modify the eligible use of funds to provide only investment types that will have some return on investment–loans, equity-based investments, and royalty-based financing.
Add Tribal entities as eligible applicants.
View Program GuidelinesCommunity Development Investment Grant Program
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 40
Award amount: $8,942,300
Leverage ratio: 13:1
Recommended changes
Add the costs of building relocation as an eligible use of funds.
Add whether the project includes clean energy investments as a review consideration.
Fund the Vibrant Spaces subprogram with match requirement of 50% of the grant amount for applicants designated as a WEDC Main Street community.
View Program GuidelinesData Center Sales and Use Tax Exemption
FY24 program activity
One certification was committed in FY24.
Recommended changes
No substantive changes.
Disaster Recovery Microloan Program
FY24 program activity
No awards were executed.
Recommended changes
Change the time frame in which a regional economic development organization needs to apply for funding.
Add the disposal and procurement of perishable/nonperishable inventories and the replacement of critical equipment/appliances to the eligible uses of the microloans.
Increase award amount to $25,000 and terms to 36 months.
Add that local funding sources should be exhausted before awarding funding.
View Program GuidelinesDiverse Business Development Program
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 12
Award amount: $500,000
Businesses to be assisted: 15
Recommended changes
No substantive changes.
Enterprise Zone Tax Credit
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 3
Award amount: $26,950,000
Jobs to be created: 597
Jobs to be retained: 797
Leverage ratio: 52:1
Notes: Complete CY24 results not available at publication; FY24 results shown.
Recommended changes
No substantive changes
Entrepreneurial Micro-grant Program
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 1
Award amount: $250,000
Recommended changes
No substantive changes
Entrepreneurship Partner Grant Program
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 17
Award amount: $2,055,400
Businesses to be assisted: 192
Recommended changes
No substantive changes
ExporTech™ Program
FY24 program activity
The program administered through WCMP assisted 20 businesses and was awarded $192,000.
Recommended changes
No substantive changes
Fabrication Laboratories Grant Program
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 18
Award amount: $493,396
Recommended changes
Add equipment related to artificial intelligence, health care/sciences, and skilled trades to the definition of a fab lab.
Allow a follow-on fab lab grant to expand the fab lab for use by K-8 students.
View Program GuidelinesGlobal Business Development Program
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 66
Award amount: $1,300,400
Recommended changes
Change the name of the program from “Global Business Development Program” to “International Market Access Grant,” which the program is commonly called.
Eliminate the subgrant “Collaborative Market Access Grant.” Remove due to lack of utilization and reporting complexity faced by recipients.
Global Trade Venture Program
FY24 program activity
Number of trade ventures: 4
Businesses assisted: 20
Recommended changes
Change the name of the program from “Global Trade Venture” to “Global Trade Mission” to align with industry standards and other governmental trade nomenclature. Require that any business sending more than two individuals pay the full cost of attendance for extra attendees.
Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program
Total awards: 18
Award amount: $19,734,398
Leverage ratio: 6:1
Notes: Complete CY24 results not available at publication; FY24 results shown.
Recommended changes
No substantive changes
Idle Sites Redevelopment Program
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 10
Award amount: $2,600,000
Leverage ratio: 61:1
Recommended changes
Change the size requirement of commercial parcels with long-term commercial usage from 10 acres to 4 acres, and from 4 acres to 2 acres if located in an economically distressed community or Opportunity Zone.
Industrial Revenue Bonding Program
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 3
Award amount: $20,160,000
Notes: Complete CY24 results not available at publication; FY24 results shown.
Recommended changes
No substantive changes
Main Street and Connect Communities Programs
FY24 program activity
Main Street communities: 35
New Main Street communities: 3
Connect Communities: 95
New Connect Communities: 9
Businesses assisted: 188
Recommended changes
No substantive changes
Qualified New Business Venture Certification/Early Stage Business Investment Program
Total awards: 44
Award amount: $132,000,000
Qualified Venture Fund Certifications: 8
Notes: Complete CY24 results not available at publication; FY24 results shown.
Recommended changes
No substantive changes
SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program
FY24 program activity
The program administered through CTC assisted 17 businesses and was awarded $1,500,000.
Recommended changes
No substantive changes
Strategic Investment Fund Program
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 2
Award amount: $1,100,000
Leverage ratio: 4:1
Recommended changes
No substantive changes
Technology Development Loan Program
FY24 program activity
Total awards: 10
Award amount: $2,012,500
Leverage ratio: 5:1
Recommended changes
Remove the requirement of a personal guarantee by an owner(s) of 20% or more in some circumstances in favor of evaluating risk and potential of the business by implementing the requirement that at least 50% of matching funds comes from private sources.
Remove reference to revenue-based payments.
View Program Guidelines
