DE PERE – Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Secretary/CEO Secretary Missy Hughes joined De Pere business and community leaders to announce a $100,000 Small Business Development Grant to help small businesses move into vacant downtown storefronts.
The City of De Pere will expand its Experience De Pere Business Recruitment Grant Program to the Main Avenue commercial corridor, where new or expanding retail, restaurant or experience-based businesses are eligible for $5-15,000 grants to start or expand their business.
“The grant is available to all “experience-based” businesses, such as breweries, museums, arcades, and art studios that are open to the public, as well as retailers, restaurants and taverns,” a WEDC release stated.
“With this grant, the program will now extend to the Main Avenue corridor from Fort Howard Drive to Lawrence Drive, opening the door for more retail, restaurant, and experience-based businesses to grow. Grants of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 are available, with a focus on unique concepts and underserved entrepreneurs,” a City of De Pere release added.
Orsetta Craft Kitchen opened in the spring of 2024 and was the first recipient of the city’s Experience De Pere Business Recruitment Grant.
Orsetta Craft Kitchen is a chef-owned restaurant that blends “elevated flavors, cozy ambiance and sustainable cooking to create unforgettable dining moments.”
Governor Tony Evers is announcing today that 10 communities statewide will receive a total of $1.5 million in Small Business Development Grants to assist local downtowns.
“From Lancaster to Ashland, communities throughout Wisconsin are partnering with businesses to make sure we continue to build an economy for all, where everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” Governor Evers said. “These grants ensure that our incredible small businesses have the resources they need to prosper.”
“Across Wisconsin, I’ve had the chance to meet local leaders who are stepping up to create communities where people are excited to live, work, and grow,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development agency. “These investments will give communities another tool to keep that momentum building.”
“The Small Business Development Grant we are receiving is more than an investment in our downtown—it’s an investment in the dreams and drive of De Pere’s small business community,” said De Pere Mayor Jame Boyd. “With these additional resources, we’re strengthening our economic heart, attracting new ideas, and fueling the vitality that makes our city thrive.”
Other SBDG grant recipients include: Ashland Area Development
Corporation - $200,000; Village of Bonduel - $100,000; Dunn
County Economic Development Corporation - $250,000; Grant
County Economic Development Corporation - $120,000; Village of
Hortonville - $100,000; Pittsville Community Development
Authority - $90,000; City of Sheboygan Falls - $50,000; Urban League of Greater Madison - $250,000; and Waupaca County
Economic Development Corporation - $250,000.
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