Financing and Incentives
The Business Council works toward assisting businesses acquire the financing they need to start or expand their operations. We encourage you to browse the grant and loan programs listed below and focus on those that will best serve your business. If you are applying for a grant or loan, we strongly encourage you to contact us so that we can provide information and advice to strengthen your application.

Business Planning Grants
Wisconsin Early Planning Grant: Provides funds to assist entrepreneurs to write a business plan. The grant (up to $3,000 and requiring a 25% match) is available to business start-ups in the following industry sectors: Agricultural/Food Processing, Biotechnology/Bioinformatics, Business Services/Supply Chain Management, Finance/Insurance, Information Technology/Data Processing, Machinery Manufacturing/Automation, Manufacturing/Materials, Medical Devices/Medical Informatics, Papermaking/ Forest Products, and Printing.

Entrepreneurial Training Grant: Provides funding for entrepreneurs to attend a course focused on determining the viability of their business. The course is typically taught by the UW Small Business Development Center.

Tax Credits
Technology Zone Tax Credit: Tax credits will be made available to high-technology businesses locating or expanding in the Northeast Wisconsin designated Technology Zone.
Business Financing Programs

Revolving Loan Fund Programs – Located in Portage County

Community Development Block Grant – Economic Development: The CDBG-ED program was designed to assist businesses that will invest private funds and create jobs as they expand or relocate to Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Commerce awards the funds to a general-purpose unit of government (community), which then loans the funds to a business.

Use of Funds: Land, working capital, buildings and inventory

Amount Available: $750,000 maximum award, $75,000 to $500,000 is usual. Provides fixed-rate long term financing.

WHEDA Small Business Guarantee Loan: Provides loan guarantees to local lenders for small business financing.

Small Business Administration LOW DOC Program: Provides loans up to $150,000 to start or grow small businesses. Application is 2 pages and turnaround time is 36 hours.

Small Business Administration 7a Loan Program: Through this program, the SBA guarantees a loan provided to a business by a commercial bank. Maximum loan size is $2,000,000.

Small Business Administration SBAExpress Loan Program: Provides streamlined process for business to receive loans of $250,000 or less for start-up costs or expansion. Loans can be used for a revolving line of credit.

Small Business Administration 504 Loan Program: Offered through Certified Development Corporations, provides loans up to $1,000,000 for land, buildings, fixed equipment, and renovations.

Small Business Administration Microloan Program: Provides financing to new or small businesses that meet certain criteria.

Rural Economic Development Microloan Program: Provides loans for almost any purpose to small businesses and cooperatives in rural areas.

Small Business Administration CAPLoan: SBA guaranteed loans that provide short-term financing and lines of credit to small businesses.

Industrial Revenue Bonds: This program allows businesses to borrow money for capital outlays at a reduced interest rate.


Export Loan Programs
Small Business Administration Export Express: Provides loan funds to businesses seeking to enter the exporting market.

Export Working Capital Program: Provides loans for short-term working capital for exporters.

International Trade Loans: Loan guarantees made to companies exporting to other countries or those that have been adversely impacted by foreign competition.

Agriculture Loan Programs
Beginning Farmer Bond: Provides low interest loans to new farmers for the purchase of land, equipment, livestock and buildings.

Agribusiness Loan Guarantee: Provides loan guarantees to businesses producing an agribusiness product in Wisconsin.

CROP Guarantee: Provides loan guarantees for farmers to finance operating expenses.

FARM Guarantee: Provides loan guarantees to lenders that lend money to farmers to modernize their equipment.

Disadvantaged Group Financing
Linked Deposit Loan Subsidy: Provides low-interest loans for businesses owned by women and minorities.

Wisconsin Minority Business Development Program: Provides financial assistance for the start-up and expansion of minority-owned businesses. For the purposes of this program, women are not considered a minority.

Defense Loan and Technical Assistance Program: Provides loans to companies adversely affected by cutbacks in defense spending.

Venture Capital Funds
CAPCO Program: Venture capital funds made available to businesses that are unable to attain financing through other means.
Technology Development Fund: Program designed to commercialize technology developed at Wisconsin higher education institutions.

Labor Training Funds
Customized Labor Training: This program is designed to assist companies that are investing in new technologies or manufacturing processes by providing a grant of up to 50% of the cost of training employees on the new technologies. The program’s primary goal is to help Wisconsin manufacturers maintain a workforce that is on the cutting edge of technological innovation.

Technical Assistance
Small Business Development Center
The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) located at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, is one of ten university-based SBDC's in Wisconsin. Their mission is to provide learning opportunities and practical guidance to help individuals make informed business decisions. The Stevens Point SBDC works with small business in eight central Wisconsin counties, and offers several types of services including seminars, customized in-house training, and individualized counseling. (715) 346-3838

Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP)
In an effort to improve quality and productivity of small to medium sized Wisconsin Manufacturers, a partnership between government, industry, labor, and education was formed. The WMEP assessment process is designed to be broad based rather than in-depth. The purpose is to "raise flags" where more effort should be placed. After the assessment, this can lead to a technical assistance project, in which your company is paired with a facilitator to help design and implement solutions.

Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center (SHWEC)
The University of Wisconsin-Extension's SHWEC program was created to provide pollution prevention services to waste generators in Wisconsin. SHWEC' pollution prevention specialists will assess hazardous waste systems, provide no-cost nonregulatory technical assistance, and identify potential waste reduction options.