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Financing / Incentives

The Door County Economic Development Corporation specializes in securing financial assistance for businesses expanding or relocating to the Door County Peninsula.

We’ve worked closely with numerous local, state and federal agencies and have acquired the skills and contacts that enable us to help businesses in search of financial assistance easily cut through any red tape. If you are applying for a grant or loan, we strongly encourage you to contact us so that we can provide information and advice to strengthen your application.

The Wisconsin Department of Commerce has a broad range of financial assistance programs to help businesses undertake economic development.

Below is a list of some of the most frequently used available financing and incentive resources:

Grants

 

Wisconsin Early Planning Grant: The Early Planning Grant (EPG) program is designed to help individual entrepreneurs and small businesses obtain the professional services necessary to evaluate the feasibility of a proposed start up or expansion. Under the EPG program, the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Network (WEN) can provide a grant to cover a portion of the cost of hiring a for-profit, in-state, independent third party to develop a comprehensive business plan. In addition to formalizing an entrepreneur's goals and objectives, a well-prepared business plan is critical to attract the capital financing necessary for a business to be successful. The grant (up to $3,000 and requiring a 25% match) is available to business start-ups in the following industry sectors:
• Automation
• Agriculture/Food Products
• Biotechnology
• Information Technology
• Manufacturing
• Medical Devices
• Paper/Forest Products
• Printing
• Tourism
• Childcare (not including in-home childcare).

Entreprenurial Training Grant: Provides funding for entrepreneurs to attend a course focused on determining the viability of their business. Coursework addresses legal and financial issues, staffing, accounting, record-keeping and marketing. In addition, individual counseling and coaching will help to complete the business plan and prepare to request financing from banks, investors and/or public institutions.

Each January, DCEDC co-sponsors a 10-week entrepreneurial training course, taking students step-by-step through the process of writing a business plan. The grant covers up to 75% of eligible tuition costs; you will be required to provide a cash match of at least 25% of the eligible tuition costs. Registration for the course begins in November. Click here to get on the mailing list.

 

Tax Credits

  Community Development Zone Tax Credit: If your business will be located in Sturgeon Bay, you may be eligible to receive tax credits. To find out more about this program, contact Mary Paitrick.

NEWREP Technology Zone Tax Credit: Tax credits will be made available to high-technology businesses locating or expanding in the Northeast Wisconsin designated Technology Zone.
 

Loan Programs

  Door County Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund:

Sturgeon Bay Revolving Loan Fund Program:
These programs provide low interest loans to businesses located in Door County for the first two, in the City of Sturgeon Bay for the third, typically for fixed asset financing of up to $250,000. Job creation of one job per $20,000 loaned is required. Contact Sam Perlman for more information

WHEDA Small Business Guarantee Loan: WHEDA Small Business Guarantee (WSBG) helps to acquire or expand a small business with favorable financing terms.

Small Business Administration 7a Loan Program: 7(a) loans are the most basic and most used type loan of SBA's business loan programs. Its name comes from section 7(a) of the Small Business Act, which authorizes the Agency to provide business loans to American small businesses. Maximum loan size is $2,000,000.

Small Business Administration SBA Express Loan Program: Provides streamlined process for business to receive loans of $350,000 or less for start-up costs or expansion. Loans can be used for a revolving line of credit.

Small Business Administration 504 Loan Program: The CDC/504 loan program is a long-term financing tool for economic development within a community. The 504 Program provides growing businesses with long-term, fixed-rate financing for major fixed assets, such as land and buildings. A Certified Development Company is a nonprofit corporation set up to contribute to the economic development of its community. CDCs work with the SBA and private-sector lenders to provide financing to small businesses.

Small Business Administration Microloan Program: The Microloan Program provides very small loans to start-up, newly established, or growing small business concerns. Under this program, SBA makes funds available to nonprofit community based lenders (intermediaries) which, in turn, make loans to eligible borrowers in amounts up to a maximum of $35,000. The average loan size is about $13,000. Applications are submitted to the local intermediary and all credit decisions are made on the local level.

Rural Economic Development Microloan Program: The Rural Economic Development (RED) Program is designed to provide working capital or fixed asset financing for businesses in rural areas (Door County does qualify). Since it's inception in 1990, the RED program has provided more than $1.4 million to over 110 Wisconsin businesses.

Small Business Administration CAPLines: CAPLines is the umbrella program under which the SBA helps small businesses meet their short-term and cyclical working-capital needs.

Industrial Revenue Bonds: Wisconsin's Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) program now has more than $200 million available to assist small manufacturers with expansion projects through low-interest financing. The Department of Commerce garnts the bonding authority (volume cap allocation) to cities, villages and towns to issue the bonds on behalf of a business.

 

Export Loan Programs

Small Business Administration Export Express: The SBA Export Express program provides exporters and lenders a streamlined method to obtain SBA backed financing for loans and lines of credit up to $250,000.  Lenders use their own credit decision process and loan documentation; exporters get access to their funds faster.  The SBA provides an expedited eligibility review and provides a response in less than 24 hours.

Export Working Capital Program: SBA’s Export Working Capital Program (EWCP) loans are targeted for businesses that are able to generate export sales and need additional working capital to support these sales.  SBA’s aim for the EWCP program is to ensure that qualified small business exporters do not lose viable export sales due to a lack of working capital.  SBA provides incentives to banks so that they will make export loans to companies who would otherwise lack the funds. 

International Trade Loans: The SBA International Trade Loan program is a term loan designed for businesses that plan to start/continue exporting or those that that have been adversely affected by competition from imports.  The proceeds of the loan must enable the borrower to be in a better position to compete.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) is the official export credit agency of the United States, whose primary mission is to assist in financing the export of US goods and services to international markets.

 

Agriculture Loan Programs

Agribusiness Loan Guarantee: The Agribusiness Guarantee helps new or existing businesses obtain financing on favorable terms to develop or expand production of products using Wisconsin's raw agricultural commodities.

CROP Guarantee: Credit Relief Outreach Program (CROP) is a financing resource for farmers that provides guarantees on agricultural production loans.

FARM Guarantee: Farm Asset Reinvestment Management (FARM) is a loan guarantee for agricultural producers who want to start, expand or modernize their operations.

Milk Volume Production (MVP) Program: Dairy producers who plan to increase milk production by expanding their dairy herds may obtain equity gap financing through the MVP program. This program was created to support Wisconsin's dairy industry by easing the financial burden on dairy farmers who want to modernize and increase their herd size.

 

Disadvantaged Group Financing

Wisconsin Minority Business Development Program: The Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development program is designed to generate and foster the growth of minority businesses in the State of Wisconsin. The Bureau of Minority Business Development provides consultation and services to minority business owners, entrepreneurs, and resource organizations.

Linked Deposit Loan Subsidy: Provides low-interest loans for businesses owned by women and minorities.

Defense Loan and Technical Assistance Program: SBA's Defense Economic Transition Assistance (DELTA) program is designed to help eligible small business contractors to transition from defense to civilian markets.

 

Venture Capital Funds

Wisconsin Angel Network: The Wisconsin Angel Network's (WAN) mission is to increase the number and amount of early-stage equity investments in Wisconsin start-ups. WAN offers services to create and strengthen angel networks and to enhance cooperation among early-stage investors.

NEW Capital Fund : NEW Capital Fund, LP is an Appleton, WI based private equity fund with nearly $10 million of committed capital and 76 limited partners. The Fund is interested in engaging qualified entrepreneurs who are developing promising, high-growth Wisconsin businesses, predominantly in the life sciences, information technology, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors.

Technology Development Fund: The Technology Development Fund (TDF) program was established to help Wisconsin businesses research and develop technological innovations that have the potential to provide significant economic benefit to the state.

Technology Development Loan Program: The Technology Development Loan (TDL) program was established to assist Wisconsin businesses that have developed technological innovations that have the potential to provide significant economic benefit to the state. This program is designed to help the business commercialize the new technology.

 

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