560.53 History
History: 1987 a. 320.
560.54
560.54
State agency coordination. The department shall coordinate entrepreneurial assistance programs and intermediary assistance programs offered by agencies by doing any of the following:
560.54(1)
(1) Identifying the needs of entrepreneurs and intermediaries relating to the development in the state of new businesses with high growth potential.
560.54(2)
(2) Ensuring that individuals assisting entrepreneurs and intermediaries have the training necessary to provide adequate assistance.
560.54(3)
(3) Ensuring that existing and new entrepreneurial assistance programs and intermediary assistance programs are matched to the needs of the entrepreneurs and intermediaries.
560.54(4)
(4) Ensuring that agencies and other persons which provide entrepreneurial assistance programs and intermediary assistance programs understand the responsibilities of the agencies which provide entrepreneurial assistance programs and intermediary assistance programs.
560.54 History
History: 1987 a. 320.
560.55
560.55
Evaluation and report. 560.55(1)
(1) The department shall prepare an evaluation of the effectiveness of entrepreneurial assistance programs and intermediary assistance programs offered in this state. The department shall develop appropriate criteria and collect and analyze relevant information as a basis for the evaluation.
560.55(2)
(2) No later than January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the department shall submit to the governor and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for distribution to the legislature under
s. 13.172 (2), a report containing the evaluation prepared under
sub. (1) and describing the result of the department's activities under
s. 560.54 since the period covered in the previous report. The department may combine this report with other reports published by the department. The report may include recommendations for legislative proposals to change the entrepreneurial assistance programs and intermediary assistance programs.
560.55 History
History: 1987 a. 320.
WISCONSIN DEVELOPMENT FUND
560.60
560.60
Definitions. In this subchapter:
560.60(1m)
(1m) "Biotechnology" means technology related to life sciences.
560.60(2)
(2) "Business" means a company located in this state, a company which has made a firm commitment to locate a facility in this state or a group of companies at least 80% of which are located in this state.
560.60(3)
(3) "Consortium" means an association of a business and a higher educational institution, or an association of a business and the Great Lakes composites consortium, which association is subject to an agreement complying with this subchapter.
560.60(4)
(4) "Eligible recipient" means a business, small business, consortium or governing body, except that for a grant or loan under
s. 560.65, "eligible recipient" means a business, a municipality or other public entity, a nonprofit organization or an entity organized by a group of any of those entities.
560.60(6)
(6) "Governing body" means a county board, city council, village board, town board, regional planning commission or transit commission under
s. 59.58 (2) or
66.943.
560.60(8)
(8) "Higher educational institution" means any of the following:
560.60(8)(b)
(b) An institution which is located in this state and offers a post-baccalaureate or professional degree program.
560.60(10)
(10) "Job" means a position providing full-time equivalent employment for one individual for one year, beginning after a project is completed. "Job" does not include initial training before an employment position begins.
560.60(11)
(11) "Major economic development project" means a project to which any of the following applies:
560.60(11)(a)
(a) The project is necessary to retain a significant number of jobs in a political subdivision.
560.60(11)(b)
(b) The project is necessary to significantly increase the number of jobs in a political subdivision.
560.60(11)(c)
(c) The project will lead to significant capital investment in this state by a business.
560.60(11)(d)
(d) The project will make a significant contribution to the economy of this state.
560.60(13)
(13) "Political subdivision" means a county, city, town or village.
560.60(14)
(14) "Project" means a business development that increases the productivity of a business or its employes in this state, leads to significant capital investment in a business in this state, leads to the retention of existing jobs in this state or creates new jobs in this state.
560.60(15)
(15) "Small business" means a business operating for profit, with 250 or fewer employes, including employes of any subsidiary or affiliated organization.
560.60(17)
(17) "Technology" includes biotechnology.
560.60(18m)
(18m) "Technology-based nonprofit organization" means a nonprofit corporation that is organized under
ch. 181, or an organization described in section
501 (c) (3) of the internal revenue code that is exempt from federal income tax under section
501 (a) of the internal revenue code, and that has as a mission the transfer of technology to businesses in this state.
560.602
560.602
Policies and standards for awarding grants and loans. The department, with the approval of the board, shall promulgate rules to establish policies and standards for awarding grants and loans under this subchapter. The rules shall include all of the following:
560.602(1)
(1) A statement of the department's economic development policy that is consistent and coordinated with economic development policies expressed in the statutes and established by other state agencies.
560.602(5)
(5) Provisions for the development of a biennial plan for awarding grants and loans under this subchapter, before the commencement of each odd-numbered fiscal year, and for the submission of the biennial plan to the governor and the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under
s. 13.172 (3).
560.602 History
History: 1991 a. 269.
560.605
560.605
Grant and loan criteria; generally. 560.605(1)
(1) The board may award a grant or loan under
s. 560.61 upon the receipt and consideration of an application by an eligible recipient for a project under
ss. 560.62 to
560.66, if the board determines all of the following:
560.605(1)(b)
(b) The project will retain or increase employment in this state.
560.605(1)(c)
(c) The project is not likely to occur without the grant or loan.
560.605(1)(d)
(d) Financing is unavailable from any other source on reasonably equivalent terms.
560.605(1)(e)
(e) The eligible recipient receiving the grant or loan will contribute, from funds not provided by this state, whichever of the following applies:
560.605(1)(e)2.
2. For grants and loans under
s. 560.63, not less than 50% of the cost of the project excluding projects located in targeted areas and costs described in
s. 560.63 (3).
560.605(1)(h)
(h) The project will not displace any workers in this state.
560.605(2)
(2) The board shall consider all of the following before awarding a grant or loan to an eligible recipient for a project under
ss. 560.62,
560.625,
560.63 or
560.66:
560.605(2)(a)
(a) The extent to which the project will retain or increase employment in this state.
560.605(2)(b)
(b) The extent to which the project will contribute to the economic growth of this state and the well-being of the residents of this state.
560.605(2)(c)
(c) Whether the project will be located in an area of high unemployment or low average income.
560.605(2)(e)
(e) The intention of the eligible recipient to repay the grant or loan.
560.605(2)(f)
(f) Whether the project will be located in a targeted area.
560.605(2m)(b)
(b) Whether the area has a low median household income.
560.605(2m)(c)
(c) Whether there is a high percentage of households in the area receiving aid to families with dependent children under
s. 49.19.
560.605(2m)(d)
(d) Whether there has been a significant decline in the population in the area.
560.605(2m)(e)
(e) Whether property values in the area have been declining.
560.605(2m)(f)
(f) Whether a significant number of workers in the area have been permanently laid off by their employers or whether public notice has been given by an employer of either a plant closing or a substantial reduction in work force that will result in a significant number of workers in the area being laid off permanently.
560.605(2m)(g)
(g) Whether the area is designated as a development zone under
s. 560.71 or as an enterprise development zone under
s. 560.797.
560.605(2m)(h)
(h) Any other factor the board considers to be an appropriate indicator of a targeted area.
560.605(4)
(4) The board shall give priority for grants or loans under this section to eligible recipients that certify that they use or will use techniques or processes that reduce or eliminate the use of ozone-depleting substances that are listed as class I substances under
42 USC 7671a.
560.605(5)
(5) The board shall give more favorable terms on loans and grants awarded to projects that will be located in targeted areas than to loans and grants awarded to projects that will not be located in targeted areas.
560.605(5m)
(5m) The board shall give priority for grants or loans under this section to eligible recipients that certify that they give priority or will give priority in hiring employes to recipients of aid to families with dependent children under
s. 49.19.
560.61
560.61
Wisconsin development fund. At the request of the board, the department shall do all of the following:
560.62
560.62
Technology development grants and loans. 560.62(1)(1) The board may award any of the following under
s. 560.61 to any of the following for any of the following purposes:
560.62(1)(a)
(a) A technology development grant or loan to a business or consortium to fund technical research intended to result in the development of a new, or the improvement of an existing, industrial product or process.
560.62(1)(b)
(b) A technology development loan to a business to provide working capital or fixed asset financing for the development of the infrastructure of the business or for the initial commercialization of the new industrial product or process if the business received a technology development grant or loan under
par. (a) and if the research that was funded by the grant or loan under
par. (a) resulted in the successful development of a new, or the improvement of an existing, industrial product or process. A business that receives a loan under this paragraph may use the proceeds only to pay costs related to the production, marketing or sales of the new or improved product or process.
560.62(2)
(2) The board may not award a technology development grant or loan under
sub. (1) (a) unless the business or consortium seeking the grant or loan first enters into a written agreement regarding all of the following:
560.62(2)(a)
(a) The ownership of any patents or licenses which result from the technical research.
560.62(2)(b)
(b) Dissemination of information relating to the technical research.
560.62(2)(c)
(c) Responsibilities of persons conducting the technical research.
560.62(2m)
(2m) The board may award a grant under
s. 560.61 to a consortium, a higher educational institution or a technology-based nonprofit organization to provide matching funds for establishing a manufacturing extension center that will promote technology transfer to businesses in this state. The proceeds of the grant may be used only to pay for fixed-asset costs related to the project and costs directly related to technology transfer activity between the manufacturing extension center and a business, excluding common overhead expenses and marketing or other administrative costs. The board may allow a portion of the match provided by the grant recipient to be in-kind.
560.62(3)
(3) Funds expended or encumbered in any fiscal year for grants and loans under this section may not exceed 40% of the total budgets of all technical research projects awarded grants or loans under this section in that fiscal year excluding funds expended or encumbered for projects that are located in a targeted area.
560.62(4)
(4) In each biennium, the board may expend or encumber up to a total of 1% of the moneys appropriated under
s. 20.143 (1) (c) for that biennium for any of the following:
560.62(4)(a)
(a) Evaluations of proposed technical research projects.
560.62(4)(b)
(b) Grants to small businesses for preparing proposals for the federal small business innovative research program under
15 USC 638.
