FOR THE ANTIGO TIMES

The Langlade County Micro-enterprise Assistance Grant Program is now accepting applications.

Program Description

Langlade County Economic Development Corporation (LCEDC) is the program administrator of the Langlade County Microenterprise Business Assistance Program. The Microenterprise Program provides up to $10,000 grants to microenterprise businesses (5 or fewer employees including the owners) that have been adversely impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. Langlade County has received $282,500 from the Wisconsin Department of Housing and Community Development as a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to implement this program. Funding for this program was made available under the Federal CARES-Act. We anticipate serving between 20 and 25 micro-enterprise businesses.

Eligibility

To qualify for this grant, a business must be:

• Small; defined as five or fewer employees including the owner(s). All employees, regardless of full-time or part-time status, are included in the employee count.
• Located in Langlade County
• Owned by a person(s) of qualifying income. If there are multiple owners of the business, the majority

(51% or more) of the owners must meet the income eligibility requirements or 51% of the employees must meet the income eligibility OR

• 51% of total employees must meet the income eligibility
• The business started operating on or before December 31, 2020, is still operating in 2021, and suffered an economic loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. An economic loss may be from lost revenue or increased expenses as a result of the pandemic
• Meets all other CDBG-CV and Microenterprise Assistance program guidelines

Additional eligibility requirements:

• Only one grant allowed per family.
• Only one grant allowed per business.
• Business owner(s) must be current on income and property taxes.

Ineligible entities include units of government and businesses primarily engaged in crop production, animal production or aquaculture, lessors of real estate, or nonprofit organizations

Eligible Use of Funds:

Grant funds must reimburse working capital needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Examples include:

• Operating expenses such as payroll, rent, mortgage, insurance, utilities, inventory, professional fees, and COVID-19 related expenses such as protective equipment

How to Apply

The Langlade County Micro-enterprise Assistance Grant Program is now accepting Applications. The complete application, including instructions, is available for download at www.langladecountyedc.org.

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until all available funds have been fully expended not to exceed beyond date of April 1, 2023. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis depending on the demand. Please make sure to download, review, and complete all related File Attachments, including Program Guidelines, Certifications, and Forms. Please read the program guidelines carefully for instructions on how to apply and to ensure that your business is eligible for this program.

For additional information about the application process or to receive a printed hardcopy of the application by mail or hand delivery please contact Angie Close, Economic Development Executive Director at aclose@co.langlade.wi.us or call 715-623-5123.