Financing Your Business in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Commerce (COMMERCE) has a broad range of financial assistance programs to help businesses undertake economic development. This quick reference guide identifies these programs and selected programs from other agencies. COMMERCE maintains a network of Area Development Managers to offer customized services to each region of Wisconsin. For more information on the following COMMERCE finance programs available in Rock County, contact us.

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-ED) 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. Communities can create community revolving loan funds from the loan repayments. Fax Form 806 *

The Customized Labor Training (CLT) 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. Fax Form 802 *

The Employee Ownership Assistance Loan (EOP) 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. Fax Form 804 *

The Economic Diversification Loan (EDL) Program has a goal of diversifying a local community's economy such that it is less dependant upon revenue from Gaming. The EDL program is designed to help businesses establish and expand operations. Fax Form 823 *

The goal of the Economic Impact Loan (EIL) Program Program is to help Wisconsin businesses that have been negatively impacted by Gaming. Recognizing that qualified businesses may have difficulty accessing capital, the EIL program is designed to cover a portion of the cost associated with modernizing and/or improving the businesses operations. Fax Form 824 *

The Enterprise Development Zone (EDZ) Program provides site specific tax incentives to new or expanding businesses whose projects will affect distressed areas. Fax Form 805 *

Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRB) are municipal bonds whose proceeds are loaned to private persons or to businesses to finance capital investment projects. All Wisconsin municipalities, cities, villages, and town are authorized to issue IRB's. Fax Form 814 *

The Major Economic Development (MED) Program is designed to assist businesses that will invest private funds and create jobs as they expand in or relocate to Wisconsin. Fax Form 801 *

The Rural Economic Development (RED) Program is designed to provide working capital or fixed asset financing for businesses with fewer that 50 employees. Fax Form 822 *

The Technology Development Fund (TDF) program helps Wisconsin businesses research and develop technological innovations that have the potential to provide significant economic benefit to the state. Fax Form 803 *

The Technology Development Loan (TDL) program helps Wisconsin businesses develop technological innovations that have the potential to provide significant economic benefit to the state. This program is designed to help businesses commercialize new technology. Fax Form 812 *

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. Fax Form 815 *

The Wisconsin Trade Project Program can help small export-ready firms participate in international trade shows. The business covers its own travel and lodging expenses. COMMERCE can then provide up to $5,000 in reimbursements to a business for costs associated with attending a trade show, such as booth rental, shipping displays or product brochure translation. Fax Form 813 *