LAFAYETTE COUNTY – Lafayette County will be awarding $15,000 to 10 area businesses in March thanks to their Launch Lafayette County grant program.
Launch Lafayette County is an incentive program designed to assist existing and new Lafayette County businesses in updating their facilities, improving visibility, refining facades and otherwise improving the prominence of a business within their community.
This year, the grant program received over 50 applications with requests totaling over $130,000, representing over $2 million in anticipated improvement projects in Lafayette County.
The county was looking for a way to support local businesses last year amidst the ongoing pandemic and Supervisor Scott Pedley was the first to suggest that the County look at a grant program for new and existing businesses. In conjunction with the Lafayette County Economic Development Committee, the Lafayette Development Corporation provides funds for the Launch Lafayette County Grant Program. Even though the program has a limited amount of funds, Economic Development Director, Abby Haas, said that the grant program, which is in its second year, saw a very successful first year. From a grocery store remodel, to coffee shop expansions along with improved signage and websites, the grant dollars remained in Lafayette County and their impact can be seen across the communities.
The Development committees are truly focused on small business success in Lafayette County and are looking for even more ways to support local businesses through grant funding, including the possibility of allocating local American Rescue Plan funds to businesses in the coming years.
Along with Launch Lafayette County, many area businesses have also received Main Street Bounceback Grants, a grant program from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation that provides $10,000 to businesses expanding their commercial footprint or occupying previously vacant commercial spaces. These funds are part of the State of Wisconsin’s allocation of American Rescue Plan funds.
“We hope that even more funds will be available to award in future years; but we are thrilled to have been able to award over $30,000 in grant funds in our first two years of the program.” Stated Haas.
Launch Lafayette County Grant Recipients for 2022 are: DAT Campground-Shullsburg, Monson Septic Pumping and Portable Restrooms-Wiota, Southern Wisconsin Meat Cooperative-Argyle, Patrick Clair LLC-Darlington, Altimate Tops LLC-Shullsburg, Town and Country Insurance Services Inc-Darlington, Paint & Rust Mercantile-Blanchardville, Doan’s Auto Care Center LLC-Belmont, Hideaway Acres Supper Club-New Diggings and Lil’ Wonders Child Care LLC-Belmont.
Grant Recipients will present and showcase how they used the grant funds at the Lafayette Development/Economic Development Annual Meeting.
For more information about “Launch Lafayette County”, contact Abby Haas; [email protected].