NORTHEAST WIS. – On Oct. 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that over $1 million in project funding had been awarded to 11 Wisconsin organizations through the Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) Program.
The RBDG Program provides funding for cooperatives, agencies, nonprofit corporations, higher education institutions and federally-recognized tribes with less than $1 million in gross annual revenue that serve rural communities with a population of less than 50,000 people.
According to the USDA, “The purpose of the program is to promote economic development and job creation projects through the awarding of grant funds to eligible entities.”
USDA Rural Development Wisconsin State Director Andrew C. Iverson provided further information in a press release, explaining, “The organizations who are receiving these grants are mentoring and advising while leading the way for Wisconsinites to be able to engage in business endeavors that boost local economies, create and support jobs and make products and services more accessible to rural Wisconsinites.”
One organization that received grant funding was the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund Inc., which will use a $95,000 grant to provide training, technical assistance and flexible financing for small businesses in 13 northern Wisconsin counties.
Marketing manager Samantha Erkkila shared that “the Entrepreneur Fund is a mission-driven organization that actively partners with entrepreneurs to stimulate the growth of successful businesses and advance economic development in rural and underserved communities.”
Based out of Minnesota, the Entrepreneur Fund expanded their reach in 2023 to collaborate with businesses in 29 counties and 12 Native nations across Minnesota and Wisconsin, including Marinette County. Between 2023 and 2025, the organization supported more than 480 businesses in northern Wisconsin by providing $16.9 million in lending funds, helping to sustain and create more than 3,000 jobs.
“Our team supports small businesses through a combination of expert guidance, tailored capital, and strategic partnerships that expand opportunity and [build] stronger businesses for the long term,” Erkkila explained.
One way that the Entrepreneur Fund does this is by providing small businesses with loans of up to $750,000 for start-up financing, growth and expansion loans, working capital and equipment loans, commercial real estate and ownership transition financing.
“As a mission-driven organization and certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), we expand access to responsible capital and support for businesses that may not yet qualify for traditional financing. Working alongside banks, economic development organizations and community partners, we help fill gaps and create opportunities that support a more diverse regional economy,” she shared.
They also provide guidance through business planning, financial management support and access to educational programs and workshops.
Another organization that received RBDG Program funding to support local business owners is the Tourism & Economic Development Corporation for the Oconto Region (TEDCOR) — also known as the Oconto County Economic Development Corporation.
TEDCOR received a $30,000 grant to provide technical assistance to businesses throughout Oconto County.
According to executive director Jayme Sellen, TEDCOR’s technical assistance program “provides [one-on-one] consultation services to Oconto County businesses with 25 or fewer employees and less than $1 million in annual revenues for free. We’ve been providing these services for roughly 10 years.”
Consultations often help business owners work through their financial needs, such as traditional banking, writing business plans, succession planning and marketing.
“One of the biggest hurdles for any new business is obtaining financing from a bank. Our consultant has been able to assist several businesses organize required documentation including business plan development with strategic growth goals, pricing and cost structure analysis and financial projections to present an application to a traditional lender for short term working capital needs and longer term equipment or real estate acquisition. We have also helped some businesses with planning for the future, either selling their business to an outside organization or passing it down to the next generation,” Sellen added.
Business owners interested in learning more about these organizations can reach out to the Entrepreneur Fund online through https://www.efund.org/ or call (218) 623-5747. To learn more about TEDCOR, visit https://tedcor.org/ or contact Sellen at (920) 834-6969 or jsellen@tedcor.org.
For more information about the RBDG Program, visit www.grants.gov or contact a USDA program specialist in Wisconsin at wi-rd-bcp-so@usda.gov.
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