As we look ahead to the New Year, we’re also looking back on the completion of one of Wisconsin’s most successful small business development initiatives – the Main Street Bounceback grants.
When Governor Evers created the program in the spring of 2021, the idea was to help communities build thriving downtowns by providing $10,000 grants to businesses and nonprofits that moved into empty storefronts.
The governor initially provided $50 million in federal recovery funds, or enough to assist 5,000 businesses. As demand for the grants surged, he increased funding to cover another 2,500 businesses, then 2,500 more – bringing total funding to $100 million for 10,000 grants.
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