The Wisconsin Small Business Development Center Network has created this page to anchor important resources and information amid quickly changing conditions and unprecedented measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Staff across all of our centers are available to work with you via phone or virtual means. We are thinking of you and the challenges you face. And we are here to help as best we can.
We’re here to help.
We’re All In Small Business Grants
Funded by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the We’re All In Small Business Grant Program will provide $2,500 to 30,000 Wisconsin small businesses to assist with the costs of business interruption or for health and safety improvements, wages and salaries, rent, mortgages and inventory.
Applications will be accepted June 15-21.
To be eligible, a business must:
- be a Wisconsin-based, for-profit business;
- employ 20 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, including the owner;
- earn greater than $0 but less than $1 million in annual revenues (gross sales and receipts); and
- have started operating prior to Jan. 1, 2020, and have been in business in February 2020.
Applicants are encouraged to prepare for the one-week application period by gathering the following required documents (for more details on applicable documents, please visit WEDC’s site):
- 2018 or 2019 federal tax return for business (If you started your business in 2020, you are not eligible for this grant).
- Signed W-9 form available at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf.
- A letter or email of acknowledgement from a community organization indicating your business was in operation in February 2020.
If you are seeking a letter of acknowledgment from Wisconsin SBDC, please fill out the following form:
Paycheck Protection Program
NOTICE: The SBA has resumed accepting new Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications as of 9:30 a.m. Monday, April 27.
The Paycheck Protection Program is an SBA loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest or utilities. This became possible thanks to the federal CARES Act.
Businesses apply for PPP through approved lenders. This PPP lender tracker is searchable by ZIP code.
If you don’t have a business loan, you can reach out to your current bank for a referral. If you have a loan but your lender is not a PPP lender, contact us if you’d like assistance in getting connected or check our Paycheck Protection Program FAQs.
NOTE: To check the status of your application, contact your lender.
PPP Application Video Walkthrough: Consultant Kristi Smith of the Southwest Wisconsin SBDC walks you through the SBA PPP application process.
PPP Loan Forgiveness: On May 15, the SBA released its application form and detailed instructions, including measures to reduce compliance burdens and simplify the process for borrowers:
SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan Assistance
NOTICE: As of 11 a.m. Monday, May 4, the SBA has resumed accepting new Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance applications on a limited basis only, in order to provide unprecedented relief to U.S. agricultural businesses. At this time, only agricultural business applications will be accepted due to limitations in funding availability and the unprecedented submission of applications already received.
Applicants who have already submitted will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis; contact SBA disaster customer service if you have a question about your loan status.
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small aquaculture businesses and most private nonprofit organizations. We set up a page to help you navigate the process: wisconsinsbdc.org/disasterloans
These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.
The federal Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act also introduced an expansion of EIDL to include up to a $10,000 advance.
To check the status of your application, contact the SBA.
Note: The SBA has 3 other coronavirus relief measures in place.
- SBA Express Bridge Loans allow small businesses that currently have a business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 quickly.
- Through SBA Debt Relief, the SBA will automatically pay the principal, interest and fees of 7(a), 504, and microloans for a period of six months.
- The Paycheck Protection Program is covered in detail on this page as well.
Wisconsin Resources for Businesses & Employers
For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services website. To follow the statewide response to COVID-19, visit the inter-agency site.
- Workplace Safety:
- Businesses, Employers and Workers overview
- Reopen Guidelines:
- WEDC Reopen Guidelines (general and industry-specific)
- Wisconsin Economic Development Association Road to Recovery recommendations
- Badger Bounce Back, Be Ready Guide: Joint guide from Gov. Tony Evers and WEDC for businesses and employees (full plan)
- PPE & Testing:
- PPE Supplier Network
- Personal Protective Equipment guidance
- Testing supplies: Offer or request them
- Support Small Business
- Main Street Marketplace: Connect to over 230 online small businesses across 34 Wisconsin Main Street communities, all in one marketplace.
- COVID-19 Small Business Relief
- Child Care Counts: COVID-19 Emergency Payment Program: Supporting early care & education providers during this unprecedented health emergency.
- USDA Business & Industry CARES Act Program: This program offers loan guarantees to rural businesses and agricultural producers that are not eligible for USDA Farm Service Agency loans.
Unemployment
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) is encouraging people to learn more about unemployment and apply online due to unprecedented call volume and tens of thousands of applications. DWD says over 98 percent of those who have applied through the website have been able to successfully start, complete and file their claim for unemployment benefits. Below are popular links to help answer your questions.
Federal Guidance
Federal guidance and resources to help your business respond to COVID-19. The agencies will be updating their pages regularly as regulations and processes change:
- Federal Resources for Small Businesses, a website with multiple agency resources
- SBA Guidance and Resources
- CDC Guidance for Reopening
- CDC Interim Guidance
- Department of Labor Resources
- IRS and Tax Relief
- IRS Employee Retention Credit under the CARES Act
- Farmers.gov USDA COVID-19 Resources
- Coronavirus Recovery Information in Other Languages
WBD Small Business Resources
WBD, Your Business Finance Resource, has curated a directory of small business resources.
In addition to their deferment program specifically for WBD business borrowers, they offer a resource page for business borrowers to access financial aid information from state and federal programs.
For more than 35 years, WBD has been helping small businesses get the money they need to grow and succeed. As one of the top Certified Development Companies in the country, WBD has a full range of resources to serve business lending needs from tens of thousands of dollars to ten million dollars. If your business is ready to take the next step, let the lending experts at WBD help make it possible.
WWBIC Fast Track & Kiva Loans
WWBIC is open for business virtually to all! For current and new small business clients, they are offering fast track loans up to $25,000! Find out more and apply here.
Access WWBIC Classes here.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kiva US is offering small business applicants expanded loan sizes, now up to $15,000 and grace periods from 1-6 months.
Please find an announcement about Kiva US product changes here. An FAQ regarding the product changes can be found here.
- To apply kiva.org/borrow
- For help kivaushub.org/application
- To reach Kiva: Kiva Greater Madison area, Kiva Greater Milwaukee, Kiva West Allis, Main Street or Connected Communities
Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship COVID-19 Resources
The Institute has created an anchor page to update clients on how to contact us, event and class modifications, resources and ways to support small businesses.
Client FAQ
Wisconsin SBDC staff has curated and is updating a list of common questions we are fielding, with answers, to help address your most important questions.
Still have questions?
If you still have questions about your small business, let us know.