MENASHA—Due to high demand, the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (ECWRPC) is placing some businesses on a waiting list for the Main Street Bounceback Grants Program.
“We continue to receive a lot of demand for the program and would like to ensure that we have funding through the grant eligibility period of June 30, 2022,” said Kevin Englebert, ECWRPC Deputy Director, in a written statement.
With consultation and approval from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the agency has placed businesses filing for applications for spaces under 400 square feet on a waiting list for funding. This applies to both new applications and those that are in process and have not yet received final approval.
The Main Street Bounceback Grants program, part of the state Badger Bounceback pandemic recovery program, is still open to new or existing businesses that are opening a new location or expanding operations in a vacant commercial space as of January 1, 2021.
The program provides $10,000 to new or existing businesses and non-profit organizations moving into vacant properties in Wisconsin’s downtowns and commercial corridors.Â
Grant funds are available as part of the American Recovery Plan Act and distributed by Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) regional partners. Businesses must apply through the partner organization for the region in which they are located.
More information can be found here:Â https://wedc.org/programs-and-resources/mainstreet-bounceback-grants/
The eligibility period is scheduled to end June 30, 2022. Depending on demand for the program, funding availability, and other applicable eligibility factors, ECWRPC will begin reviewing applications on the waitlist toward the end of the eligibility period, Engelbert said.
Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Businesses filling spaces under 400 square feet are still encouraged to apply to the program.
The decision to wait list these businesses was made after careful consideration of all program factors and weighing demand for the program, Englebert said.
The waitlist only applies to the 10-county East Central region serving Calumet, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, Menominee, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago counties.
Please contact Kevin Engelbert at kenglebert@ecwrpc.org with any questions about eligibility.
