The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is now accepting applications online for the $75 million “We’re All In Small Business Grant” program through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, June 21.

All applications will be considered, regardless of application date.

The program, which will provide $2,500 grants to 30,000 small businesses, is designed to help small businesses get back on their feet amid the COVID-19 pandemic while also encouraging them to adopt best practices to keep employees, customers and communities safe.

“Small businesses have been hit especially hard by the pandemic,” said Missy Hughes, WEDC Secretary and CEO. “The 'We’re All In' Small Business Grants are intended to provide the ‘starter fluid’ to get these economic engines running again.”

Funded primarily by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the grants will help small businesses with the costs of business interruption or health and safety improvements, wages and salaries, rent, mortgages and inventory.

FAQs about the grant and the materials businesses will need to apply can be found at wedc.org/WAI-Small-Business-Grant. 

HOW IT WORKS

Funded by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the "We’re All In" Small Business Grant Program will provide $2,500 grants to 30,000 Wisconsin small businesses to assist with the costs of business interruption or for health and safety improvements, wages and salaries, rent, mortgages and inventory. 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible, businesses must:

• be a Wisconsin-based, for-profit business;
• employ 20 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, including the owner;
• earn greater than $0 but less than $1 million in annual revenues (gross sales and receipts); and
• have started operating prior to Jan. 1, 2020, and have been in business as of Feb. 2020. (Seasonal businesses should use the highest total FTEs employed during the season.)

APPLICATION PERIOD

The online grant application will be accessible for one week from 8 a.m. Monday, June 15, through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, June 23. Businesses interested in receiving notifications about funding and other pandemic recovery resources from WEDC can subscribe to receive regular alerts.

BE PREPARED

Applicants are encouraged to prepare for the one-week application period by gathering the following required documents:

• • 2018 or 2019 federal tax return for business (If you started your business in 2020, you are not eligible for this grant). Applicable tax returns are:
  • • IRS form 1065 Partnership Return (no K-1s required)
  • • IRS form 1120 Corporation Return (no schedules required)
  • • IRS form 1120S S Corporation Return (no K-1s required)
  • • IRS form 1040 (sole proprietors) and the following:
    • Schedule C, Profit and Loss from Business
• • Signed W-9 and dated form available at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf
• • A letter or email of acknowledgement from a community organization indicating your business was in operation in February 2020.
• • The East Troy Area Chamber of Commerce will help small businesses with a letter of support. Contact Vanessa Lenz at vanessa@easttroy.org to request this document.
• Sample text for a letter or email can be downloaded here (file will be saved to your downloads folder automatically). An electronic letter submitted to you via email is acceptable.

HAVE QUESTIONS?

If you have questions regarding the "We’re All" In Small Business Grant, please review this page of frequently asked questions.