Resource Directory

Rural Economic Development

RESOURCES AND GRANTS FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES

Whether you’re an individual, a business or a community organization, you can use the directory below to search a vast library of resources, tools and services. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), its economic development partners and other organizations around the state offer a range of resources on all aspects of economic well-being, from childcare and education to businesses and housing. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Reach out to us directly, we want to help.

Photo of the owner of J&J Sports in Lake Tomahawk.

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Success Story

Woodland Regional Technical Academy: Boosting Rural Education

Education & Schools, Workforce

Educational and career opportunities are often limited for students in rural areas. To level the educational playing field for rural ...Read more

Success Story

Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network: Expanding Access to Child Care

Child Care

Throughout the state, day care programs have closed, plagued by problems with finding and keeping employees, handling administrative requirements and ...Read more

Success Story

Community First Washburn County: Mobilizing to Keep Residents Healthy

Business, Health & Mental Health

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, a statewide lockdown in March and April forced non-essential businesses to close, putting employees out ...Read more

Success Story

UW Population Health Institute: Improving Rural Health

Health & Mental Health

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a higher toll on residents of rural Wisconsin, following years of reduced health services for ...Read more

Success Story

Soil Sisters: Supporting and Celebrating Women Farmers

Arts & Culture, Start-Up & Entrepreneur

More than a decade ago, more women began to realize that they were choosing to become farmers in hopes of ...Read more

Success Story

Snow River Cooperative: Employees Buy Former Company

Workforce

When Columbian Home Products announced in fall 2019 that it would close its Crandon division, Snow River Products, the eight ...Read more

Success Story

RideSMRT: Increasing Transportation Options in Rural Areas

Tourism, Transportation

Southwest Wisconsin features scenic views from lazy roads that curl through the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. For people living ...Read more

Success Story

PBS Wisconsin Ready to Learn: Enhancing Early Education

Education & Schools

Children in low-income communities often miss out on some of the educational opportunities available to those in higher-income areas, and ...Read more

Success Story

Inventors & Entrepreneurs Club of Juneau County: Supporting Entrepreneurs

Business, Education & Schools, Start-Up & Entrepreneur

Juneau County is a largely rural area in west central Wisconsin with a population of about 27,000. Manufacturing had been ...Read more

Success Story

Door County Emergency Support Coalition: Help for the Homebound

Health & Mental Health, Other

When the COVID-19 pandemic left many people isolated at home, the Door County Fire Chiefs Association joined forces with local ...Read more

Success Story

Cuba City Presidential Plaza – Community Gathering Space

Arts & Culture, Parks & Outdoor Recreation, Tourism

Cuba City is a thriving agricultural and business community in southwest Wisconsin, and a neighbor to Platteville and Dubuque—but one ...Read more

Success Story

Alliant Energy: Bringing Solar Power to Low-Income Communities

Energy, Housing, Sustainability

Alliant Energy wants to expand access to solar energy to help reduce its dependence on fossil fuels for generating electricity—but ...Read more

Program

Entrepreneurial Training Program; Entrepreneurial Training Program Grants

Business, Education & Schools, Start-Up & Entrepreneur

The Entrepreneurial Training Program provides expert guidance on business plan development to Wisconsin entrepreneurs and small businesses through an 8 ...Read more

Program

Connect Communities Program

Connect Communities supplements the Main Street program by expanding services to more downtowns across the state. Connect Communities provides training ...Read more

Program

Wisconsin Manufacturing and Agriculture Credit

Business

Wisconsin is well known for our manufacturing. We provide incentives to manufacturers to maximize their production here including the Manufacturing ...Read more

Program

Historic Preservation Tax Credit (HTC) Program

Arts & Culture, Business

The Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program provides transferable tax credits to eligible entities rehabilitating certified historic buildings to incent reinvestment ...Read more

Program

Regional Economic Development Directors

Business

Regional Economic Development Directors provide personalized support for the specific business development needs of your community, coordinating inputs from various ...Read more

Program

Qualified New Business Venture (QNBV) Program

Business, Start-Up & Entrepreneur, Workforce

Eligible investors receive a Wisconsin income tax credit equal to 25 percent of the value of the investment made in ...Read more

Program

Diverse Business Development Program

Business, Workforce

The goal of the Diverse Business Development (DBD) Program is to support existing, new and expanding minority-, woman-, LGBT- and ...Read more

Program

Fabrication Laboratories (Fab Labs) Grant Program

Education & Schools, Workforce

The program is designed to support hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) education by assisting public school districts ...Read more