Governor Tony Evers and WEDC announced a major new initiative that combines federal CARES Act funding with specific Wisconsin programs aimed at helping small business respond to and recover from the effects of the COVID-19 health emergency. The We’re All In initiative includes $2,500 cash grants to assist with the cost of business interruption or for health and safety improvements, wages and salaries, rent, mortgages and inventory.

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.)

The online grant application will be accessible for one week from 8 a.m. Monday, June 15, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, June 21. A link to the application will be posted on this page. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation will make clear on this webpage and through all of its communications channels when the application period begins and ends. Businesses interested in receiving notifications about funding and other pandemic recovery resources from WEDC can subscribe to receive regular alerts.

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 letter or email can be from any of the following:
  • Chamber of commerce
  • Main Street or Connect Communities organization
  • Local business improvement district
  • Neighborhood economic development association
  • Local economic development organization
  • County economic development organization
  • Municipality, including tribal government
  • County
  • Local bank, credit union or community development financial institution
  • Regional UW Small Business Development Center
  • U.S. Export Assistance Center – Wisconsin
  • Regional economic development organization
  • Regional Planning Commission
  • Trade association

Please contact Matt Schreiber at (920) 623-5900 for any questions or if you need a letter of acknowledgement.  

For more information on the grant please visit https://wedc.org/programs-and-resources/wai-small-business-grant/