Qualified New Business Venture
Early-stage businesses engaged in developing innovative products or services related to proprietary technology may be designated as Qualified New Business Ventures. This designation is designed to assist businesses in their efforts to attract investors by making state tax credits available to individuals and groups investing in these businesses.

Woman-Owned Business Enterprise Certification
This state program was established in order to facilitate contracting capabilities for women. For the purposes of state contracting women are not considered minorities.

Minority Business Development
This 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 owner, entrepreneurs, and resource organizations.

Blight Elimination and Brownfields Redevelopment (BEBR) Grants  
The BEBR program is designed to assist communities with assessing or remediating the environmental contamination of an abandoned, idle or underused industrial or commercial facility or site in a blighted area, or that qualifies as blighted.

Business Employees' Skills Training (BEST) Program
BEST was established to help small businesses in industries that are facing severe labor shortages upgrade the skills of their workforce. The BEST program provides applicants with a tuition reimbursement grant to help cover a portion of the costs associated with training employees.

Customized Labor Training (CLT) Program
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.

Dairy 2020 Early Planning Grant Program
The goal of the Dairy 2020 Early Planning Grant program is to encourage and stimulate the start-up, modernization, and expansion of Wisconsin dairy farms.

Early Planning Grant (EPG) program
The EPG program allows applicants working within certain industry clusters to hire an independent third party to help them prepare a comprehensive business plan.

Entrepreneurial Training Program (ETP)
For entrepreneurs that would rather prepare their business plan in a more formal setting and for those businesses that fall outside the identified industrial clusters of the EPG program (above). Under this program, applicants are provided with a grant to cover up to 75% of the tuition costs associated with enrolling in an approved course at their local Small Business Development Center.

Petroleum Environmental Clean-up Fund
This fund reimburses property owners for eligible clean-up costs related to discharges for petroleum tank systems. Contact Oscar Herrera, 608/266-7605.

Recycling Demonstration Grant Program
This program helps businesses and local governing units fund waste reduction, reuse, and recycling pilot projects. Contact Sheila Henneger, 608/266-9426, DNR.

Technology Assistance Grants (TAG)
TAG aids small, high-technology businesses in their efforts to obtain seed, early-stage or research and development funding.

Technology Bridge Grants
The Wisconsin Department of Commerce's Technology Bridge Grant program aids small Wisconsin businesses experiencing severe financial hardship while awaiting a decision on Phase II or other follow-on funding applications.

Technology Matching Grants
The Wisconsin Department of Commerce's Technology Matching Grant program is open to small Wisconsin businesses that are completing an application for federal funds to assist with the development or commercialization of a technologically-innovative product, process or service.

Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA) Program
TEA 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.

Community Development Block Grant for Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund (CDBG-ED/RLF)
Successful local development projects depend on effective partnerships. In pursuing their economic goals and objectives, many Wisconsin communities have used the CDBG-ED program to help businesses structure financial packages necessary for a start-up or to expand present operations. These loans, when repaid directly to the community, are used to capitalize a community Revolving Loan Fund (RLF).

Economic Diversification Loan (EDL) Program
The goal of the Economic Diversification Loan (EDL) program is to diversify a local community's economy. The EDL program is designed to help businesses establish and expand operations. The EDL program is a low interest loan program that may be able to finance a portion of the costs of these improvements.

Freight Railroad Infrastructure Improvement Program
This program awards loans to businesses or communities wishing to rehabilitate rail lines, advance economic development, connect an industry to the national railroad system, or to make improvements to enhance transportation efficiency, safety, and intermodal freight movement. Contact Ron Adams, Department of Transportation, 608/267-9284.

Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) Program
This program now has more than $200 million available to assist small manufacturers with expansion projects through low interest financing.

Milk Volume Production (MVP) Program
The MVP program is designed to assist dairy producers that are undertaking capital improvement projects that will result in a significant increase in Wisconsin's milk production.

Minority Business Development (MBD) Loan Program
The 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 (RED) Program
The Rural Economic Development  program is designed to provide working capital or fixed asset financing for businesses.

Tax Incremental Financing (TIF)
Tax Incremental Financing 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.

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

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

Wisconsin Trade Project Program
The Wisconsin Trade Project Program offers individual matching grants up to $5,000 to help small export-ready firms participate in international trade shows. The business covers its own travel and lodging expenses.

Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC)
WWBIC is an economic development corporation providing quality business education and access to capital for entrepreneurs.

The actual amount awarded per project is based upon a number of factors including wage levels, benefits, capital investment, and training.

Economic Development Tax Credit Program – Tax credits, which are nonrefundable and nontransferable, must be applied against a certified business’s Wisconsin income tax liability. In the case of an S-Corporation, LLC or other pass-through entity, tax credits flow through to the owners in the same way as the income. The tax credits have a 15-year carry forward.

• Job Creation – Tax credits can be earned through the creation of new, full-time positions that pay at least $10.88 per hour. Businesses must create the jobs within three years and maintain them for at least two additional years. Tax credits will be released on an annual basis, in direct proportion to the number of jobs created.
• Capital Investment – Tax credits may be earned through capital investment for property and equipment. Expenditures for working capital, employment costs, moving costs, intellectual property and unrelated fees and permits are not eligible. Tax credits will be released on an annual basis, as eligible expenditure take place. Businesses whose primary activity includes such things as retail, commercial development, creation, entertainment or direct health care are not eligible to earn tax credits through capital investment.
• Employee Training – Tax credits may be earned through many types of training provided to existing and new employees in full-time positions. Training must be related to a specific project. Eligible training costs include trainee wages, trainer costs and trainer materials Tax credits will be released on an annual basis, as eligible training costs are incurred.

Dairy Manufacturing Facility Investment Credit – Provides refundable credits for businesses that have invested to modernize or expand dairy manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin. Businesses can earn up to 10% of the amount spent in a taxable year for modernizing and expanding dairy manufacturing facilities. The maximum amount a business can receive is $200,000.

Food Processing Plan t and Food Warehouse Investment Credit – Refundable Tax credits are earned by incurring eligible expenses for food processing plant or food warehouse modernization or expansion, which means constructing, improving or acquiring buildings or facilities, or acquiring equipment for food processing or food warehousing.

Meat Processing Facility Investment Credit – Refundable tax credit for taxpayers who have invested to modernize or expand meat processing facilities in Wisconsin and who have been certified by the WI Department of Commerce.

Agricultural Development Zone (ADZ) Program
The Agricultural Development Zone program was designed to help attract, promote, retain and encourage the expansion of agricultural businesses in Wisconsin.  Within the New North, the counties of Marquette and Green Lake qualify and are part of the South Central ADZ Region.

Angel Investment Tax Credit Program
Angel investors and angel investor networks that invest in Qualified New Business Ventures may be eligible to claim an income tax credit on that investment, equal to 12.5% in each of two years.

Community Development Zones
Wisconsin's Community Development Zone (CDZ) Program can help if you plan to expand your business, start a new one, or relocate your current business to Wisconsin. The CDZ Program is a tax benefit initiative designed to encourage private investment and to improve both the quality and quantity of employment opportunities within designated zones.  Within the New North, those zones are the counties of Florence, Oconto, Marquette, and Marinette, and the cities of Sturgeon Bay, Green Bay, Fond du Lac, Two Rivers and Manitowoc.

Enterprise Development Zones
The Enterprise Development Zone Program provides tax incentives to new or expanding businesses whose projects will affect distressed areas.

Research Credits 
Wisconsin actively encourages investment in research as well as the construction, equipping and expanding of new qualified research locations.  The link supplied here references a PDF file outlining a variety of available tax credit programs, including research credits.

Venture Capital Tax Credits
Venture Capital Funds that are certified by the Department of Commerce and that invest in Qualified New Business Ventures may be eligible to claim a 25% income tax credit on that investment.  Up to $2 million in aggregate cash equity investment by a qualified fund in a single Qualified New Business Venture may qualify for the tax credit.

Wisconsin Technology Zone Program
Wisconsin's Technology Zone Program offers stimulus to the growth of businesses in Wisconsin's high-technology sectors.  The New North encompasses the NEWREP Technology Zone.