Organizations that support Wisconsin entrepreneurs through technical and financial assistance have been awarded nearly $2 million in the inaugural round of Small Business Technical Assistance grants from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
The SBTA program provides funding to organizations that assist entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state. Grant funds can be used to support operational costs, training, and events, or in-depth programming such as business accelerators.
The current round of grants will assist more than 2,000 individuals and businesses throughout the state.
Grant recipients in this round of funding include:
Northeast Entrepreneur Fund, Inc. (EFund) – $200,000
EFund provides multiple in-person training cohorts of Be Strategic, along with Small Business Capital Forums. These programs will bring business owners together to develop ideas to scale their business, and within the capital forums, provide additional opportunities for access to capital. Entrepreneurs have direct access to advisors for one-on-one technical assistance as they work through scaling their business and/or securing the capital needed to be successful.
Woodland Financial Partners – $110,500
The Expanding Capital Access is a three-year initiative that will provide technical assistance, including business planning, cash flow and budgeting, FSA application support, and management training to strengthen capacity, promote innovation, and expand wealth-building opportunities.
Latino Entrepreneurial Network – $25,600
The Thriving Together Program is an initiative supporting entrepreneurs and microenterprises across Wisconsin. Through individualized business assessments, hybrid learning, and strategic coaching, participants gain practical tools for business growth, peer learning, and capital readiness and helps entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses that contribute to Wisconsin’s economic vitality.
Community Education Initiative $50,000
Community Education Initiative (CEI) offers free, highly personalized business technical assistance and mentoring tailored to the unique needs of individuals and communities across Wisconsin, with a focus on rural northern counties. CEI aims to support job creation and retention while collaborating with other organizations to fill service gaps and maximize impact.
UW Center for Cooperatives – $127,600
The UW Center for Cooperatives (UWCC) will provide a range of technical assistance and program offerings to startup, converting, and established cooperatives across the state. A cooperative is a unique form of democratic business enterprise that requires specialized education, training, and development assistance. UWCC assists developing co-ops with organizational development; stakeholder surveys and meetings; feasibility analysis and business plans; meeting facilitation; membership drives; capitalization strategies; development of articles of incorporation, bylaws, and policy; and member and board training and education. It also provides referrals to legal, accounting, and other professional services.
Midwest Minority Supplier Development Council DBA North Central Minority Development Council – $128,000
The North Central Minority Development Council’s Wisconsin Statewide MBE Business Accelerator Program is a 12-month, statewide initiative that accelerates the growth of early-stage enterprises across Wisconsin’s six key economic sectors. The program guides participants through three phases—foundation and assessment; growth and scale; and launch and investment.
Progress Lakeshore – $64,600
Progress Lakeshore offers a comprehensive suite of entrepreneurial development services that guide small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs from ideation through growth. The initiative combines one-on-one counseling, peer mentorship, targeted training, and networking events, with a focus on expanding access to rural communities through virtual services and pop-up office hours. By creating an integrated continuum of education, mentorship, and technical assistance, Progress Lakeshore aims to increase business launch readiness, improve survival rates, and foster sustainable economic growth across the region.
Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation – $150,000
The Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation, in partnership with the UW–Oshkosh Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development and the Small Business Development Center at UW–Oshkosh, will implement the Innovation Foundry Program—an eight-week cohort program offered multiple times per year that helps established small businesses bring new ideas to market through workshops, mentorship, and individualized advising focused on market validation, financial planning, and launch preparation. UW–Oshkosh students will be integrated into the program as Student Innovation Associates, providing project support to participating businesses while gaining hands-on consulting experience.
For more information about the WEDC Small Business Technical Assistance Program, visit the WEDC website at: https://wedc.org/programs/small-business-technical-assistance-program/
