Wisconsin Development

Find the perfect site for your company.		Discover why Wisconsin is right for your business.
Editor Ken Harwood (608) 334-2174	Tax Incentives & Development Assistance for Wisconsin Business Tax incentives Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) can help a municipality undertake a public project to stimulate beneficial development or redevelopment that would not otherwise occur. It is a mechanism for financing local economic development project in underdeveloped and blighted areas. Taxes generated by the increased property values pay for land acquisition or needed public works. Agricultural Development Zone The Department of Commerce has established an Agricultural Development Zone (ADZ) program to help attract, promote, retain and encourage the expansion of agricultural businesses in Wisconsin. This program is designed to assist Wisconsin in regaining its prominence in the dairy industry and in dairy processing production. Community Development Zones The Wisconsin Department of Commerce Community Development Zone (CDZ) program can offer you non-refundable tax credits for new, full-time jobs that you create and for a portion of your eligible environmental remediation costs. Enterprise Development Zone Program The Enterprise Development Zone (EDZ) program provides tax incentives to new or expanding businesses whose projects will affect distressed areas. Technology Zone Credit Wisconsin's Technology Zone program offers tax credit incentives to new and growing businesses in the state's high-technology sectors. Development assistance Programs Community Development Block Grant Economic Development Program 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. When the business repays the loan, the community may retain the funds to capitalize a local revolving loan fund. This fund can then be utilized to finance additional economic development projects within the community. Brownfields Initiative The BROWNFIELDS GRANT INITIATIVE provides grants to businesses, organizations, and municipalities for redevelopment and environmental remediation activities on Brownfield sites where the owner is unknown, cannot be located or cannot finance the cleanup costs. Industrial Revenue Bonds The Department of Commerce's Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) Program allows all Wisconsin cities, villages and towns to support industrial development through the sale of tax-exempt bonds. The proceeds from the bond sale are loaned to businesses to finance capital investment projects at, primarily, manufacturing facilities. Even though IRBs are municipal bonds, they are not general obligations of the municipality. The company or business that will use the facilities provides the interest and principal payments on the loan. The local government is in partnership with the business, lending its name, but not its credit, to the bond issue. Business Employees’ Skills Training Program The Business Employees' Skills Training (BEST) program was established by the Wisconsin Legislature to help small businesses in industries that are facing severe labor shortages upgrade the skills of their workforce. Under the BEST program, Commerce can provide applicants with a tuition reimbursement grant to help cover a portion of the costs associated with training employees. Certified Capital Companies Program The Certified Capital Companies ("CAPCO") Program created an investment pool directed toward small, high-growth companies with an annual income of no more than $2 million and no more than 100 employees. Commerce has certified $50 million, or $16.6 million each, of certified capital investments in three CAPCOs who are responsible for making qualified investments in qualified Wisconsin businesses. Commerce is responsible for oversight of the CAPCOs. CleanTech Partners, Inc. Cleantech Partners is a Wisconsin-based, private, non-profit organization that invests in emerging, energy-saving technologies. We help developers commercialize their energy-saving technologies. We help businesses find markets in Wisconsin for their energy-saving technology. We help Wisconsin industries adopt and implement energy-saving technologies. We invest in renewable energy projects that show promise for Wisconsin. CleanTech Partners provides equity financing, loans, and more… Customized Labor Training Fund The CLT 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. Early Planning Grant Program The Early Planning Grant (EPG) program is designed to help individual entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Wisconsin obtain the professional services necessary to evaluate the feasibility of a proposed start up or expansion. Under the EPG program, applicants may receive a grant to help cover a portion of the cost of hiring a qualified, independent third party to develop a comprehensive business plan. Employee Ownership Assistance Loan Program The EOP program is designed to assist the employees of a distressed business obtain the professional services necessary to evaluate the feasibility of purchasing the business and operating as an employee-owned business. Entrepreneurial Training Grant Program Commerce has partnered with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to develop a pilot program designed to help individual entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Wisconsin. Under the Entrepreneurial Training Program (ETP), Commerce can provide applicants with a grant to help cover a portion of the cost of attending SBDC's new Entrepreneurial Training Course. Freight Railroad Infrastructure Improvement Program The Freight Rail Infrastructure Improvement Program (FRIIP) is one of two freight rail assistance programs WisDOT currently administers (also see the Freight Rail Preservation Program [FRPP]). Wisconsin’s original rail assistance program was created in 1977 to help preserve freight rail service during an era when widespread railroad bankruptcies and line abandonments threatened the availability of rail service in Wisconsin. Linked Deposit Loan LiDL provides an interest rate subsidy on lender financing to women or minorities who start-up or expand a business. Major Economic Development Program The MED program is designed to assist businesses that will invest private funds and create jobs as they expand in or relocate to Wisconsin. Minority Business Development Fund The Minority Business Development (MBD) loan program is designed to provide financial assistance for the start-up and expansion of minority- owned businesses in Wisconsin. This program provides low interest loans to assist in the development of minority-owned companies. Rural Economic Development Program The Rural Economic Development (RED) Program is designed to provide working capital or fixed asset financing for businesses. Since it's inception in 1990, the RED program has provided more than $1.4 million to over 110 Wisconsin businesses. Technology Development Fund The Technology Development Fund (TDF) program was established in 1984 to help Wisconsin businesses research and develop technological innovations that have the potential to provide significant economic benefit to the state. Technology Development Loan The Technology Development Fund (TDF) program was established in 1984 to help Wisconsin businesses research and develop technological innovations that have the potential to provide significant economic benefit to the state. Transportation Economic Assistance Program The Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA) program provides 50% state grants to governing bodies, private businesses, and consortiums for road, rail, harbor and airport projects that help attract employers to Wisconsin, or encourage business and industry to remain and expand in the state Commerce Staff Directory http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/BD/BD-bureaus.html#bbd

Find the perfect
site for your company.

Discover why Wisconsin is right
for your business.

Editor Ken Harwood (608) 334-2174

Tax Incentives & Development Assistance
for Wisconsin Business

Tax incentives

Tax Incremental Financing (TIF)
Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) can help a municipality undertake a public project to stimulate beneficial development or redevelopment that would not otherwise occur. It is a mechanism for financing local economic development project in underdeveloped and blighted areas. Taxes generated by the increased property values pay for land acquisition or needed public works.
Agricultural Development Zone
The Department of Commerce has established an Agricultural Development Zone (ADZ) program to help attract, promote, retain and encourage the expansion of agricultural businesses in Wisconsin. This program is designed to assist Wisconsin in regaining its prominence in the dairy industry and in dairy processing production.
Community Development Zones
The Wisconsin Department of Commerce Community Development Zone (CDZ) program can offer you non-refundable tax credits for new, full-time jobs that you create and for a portion of your eligible environmental remediation costs.
Enterprise Development Zone Program
The Enterprise Development Zone (EDZ) program provides tax incentives to new or expanding businesses whose projects will affect distressed areas.
Technology Zone Credit
Wisconsin's Technology Zone program offers tax credit incentives to new and growing businesses in the state's high-technology sectors.

Development assistance Programs

Community Development Block Grant Economic Development Program
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. When the business repays the loan, the community may retain the funds to capitalize a local revolving loan fund. This fund can then be utilized to finance additional economic development projects within the community.
Brownfields Initiative
The BROWNFIELDS GRANT INITIATIVE provides grants to businesses, organizations, and municipalities for redevelopment and environmental remediation activities on Brownfield sites where the owner is unknown, cannot be located or cannot finance the cleanup costs.
Industrial Revenue Bonds
The Department of Commerce's Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) Program allows all Wisconsin cities, villages and towns to support industrial development through the sale of tax-exempt bonds. The proceeds from the bond sale are loaned to businesses to finance capital investment projects at, primarily, manufacturing facilities. Even though IRBs are municipal bonds, they are not general obligations of the municipality. The company or business that will use the facilities provides the interest and principal payments on the loan. The local government is in partnership with the business, lending its name, but not its credit, to the bond issue.
Business Employees’ Skills Training Program
The Business Employees' Skills Training (BEST) program was established by the Wisconsin Legislature to help small businesses in industries that are facing severe labor shortages upgrade the skills of their workforce. Under the BEST program, Commerce can provide applicants with a tuition reimbursement grant to help cover a portion of the costs associated with training employees.
Certified Capital Companies Program
The Certified Capital Companies ("CAPCO") Program created an investment pool directed toward small, high-growth companies with an annual income of no more than $2 million and no more than 100 employees. Commerce has certified $50 million, or $16.6 million each, of certified capital investments in three CAPCOs who are responsible for making qualified investments in qualified Wisconsin businesses. Commerce is responsible for oversight of the CAPCOs.
CleanTech Partners, Inc.
Cleantech Partners is a Wisconsin-based, private, non-profit organization that invests in emerging, energy-saving technologies. We help developers commercialize their energy-saving technologies. We help businesses find markets in Wisconsin for their energy-saving technology. We help Wisconsin industries adopt and implement energy-saving technologies. We invest in renewable energy projects that show promise for Wisconsin. CleanTech Partners provides equity financing, loans, and more…
Customized Labor Training Fund
The CLT 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.
Early Planning Grant Program
The Early Planning Grant (EPG) program is designed to help individual entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Wisconsin obtain the professional services necessary to evaluate the feasibility of a proposed start up or expansion. Under the EPG program, applicants may receive a grant to help cover a portion of the cost of hiring a qualified, independent third party to develop a comprehensive business plan.
Employee Ownership Assistance Loan Program
The EOP program is designed to assist the employees of a distressed business obtain the professional services necessary to evaluate the feasibility of purchasing the business and operating as an employee-owned business.
Entrepreneurial Training Grant Program
Commerce has partnered with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to develop a pilot program designed to help individual entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Wisconsin. Under the Entrepreneurial Training Program (ETP), Commerce can provide applicants with a grant to help cover a portion of the cost of attending SBDC's new Entrepreneurial Training Course.
Freight Railroad Infrastructure Improvement Program
The Freight Rail Infrastructure Improvement Program (FRIIP) is one of two freight rail assistance programs WisDOT currently administers (also see the Freight Rail Preservation Program [FRPP]). Wisconsin’s original rail assistance program was created in 1977 to help preserve freight rail service during an era when widespread railroad bankruptcies and line abandonments threatened the availability of rail service in Wisconsin.
Linked Deposit Loan
LiDL provides an interest rate subsidy on lender financing to women or minorities who start-up or expand a business.
Major Economic Development Program
The MED program is designed to assist businesses that will invest private funds and create jobs as they expand in or relocate to Wisconsin.
Minority Business Development Fund
The Minority Business Development (MBD) loan program is designed to provide financial assistance for the start-up and expansion of minority- owned businesses in Wisconsin. This program provides low interest loans to assist in the development of minority-owned companies.
Rural Economic Development Program
The Rural Economic Development (RED) Program is designed to provide working capital or fixed asset financing for businesses. Since it's inception in 1990, the RED program has provided more than $1.4 million to over 110 Wisconsin businesses.
Technology Development Fund
The Technology Development Fund (TDF) program was established in 1984 to help Wisconsin businesses research and develop technological innovations that have the potential to provide significant economic benefit to the state.
Technology Development Loan
The Technology Development Fund (TDF) program was established in 1984 to help Wisconsin businesses research and develop technological innovations that have the potential to provide significant economic benefit to the state.
Transportation Economic Assistance Program
The Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA) program provides 50% state grants to governing bodies, private businesses, and consortiums for road, rail, harbor and airport projects that help attract employers to Wisconsin, or encourage business and industry to remain and expand in the state

Commerce Staff Directory

http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/BD/BD-bureaus.html#bbd