JOURNEY TO GROWTH – EQUITY INJECTIONS
Small Business Equity Injections for WWBIC Clients – Spring 2026
Eligibility Requirements
Any WWBIC client who fits ALL of the following requirements will be eligible for the chance to win one of 14 equity injections of $5,000. Please note that not all eligible clients will receive an equity injection.
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You must be a US citizen owning/operating an active business in Wisconsin for at least three months
- You must have submitted an updated WWBIC CIF, BIF and/or EIF form betweeen January 1 and April 17, 2026; these forms can be found at bit.ly/wwbicform
- The business owner must have attended at least one 60-minute training session through WWBIC or received a 60-minute personalized WWBIC counseling session (WWBIC loan clients only) between January 1 and April 17, 2026
- You or your business have not received any other equity injection or grant through WWBIC in the last 365 days
- Any Kiva loans or WWBIC loans your business may have outstanding must be in good standing (within 30-60 days due) as of March 31, 2026
- Your business must be in good standing with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions as of March 31, 2026
- The business owner must meet current household low to moderate income guidelines as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (see chart below)
How do I sign up?
No application forms or other sign ups are required. If you/your business fits all of the eligibility requirements by the deadlines listed on this page, then your business will automatically be added to the list of clients for potential selection.
How will the winners be selected?
All WWBIC clients deemed eligible according to the eligibility requirements listed on this page will be sorted into six separate lists according to WWBIC region. From those six lists, recipients of Small Business Equity Injections of $5,000 each provided by US Bank will be selected through a random drawing as detailed below:
- Two from Milwaukee Region
- Three from North Central Region
- Two from Northeast Region
- Three from South Central Region
- Two from Southeast Region
- Two from Southwest Region
When will the winners be announced?
Winners will be selected and notified by email between May 1-10, 2026.
Requirements for winners
If you are selected as a winner, before you receive your equity injection, you will have 7 days after notification to:
- Complete an ACH form for payment
- Complete a 2026 W9 form
- Submit a video testimonial (or written testimonial with photo) to WWBIC stating how this equity injection will impact your business
- Sign an agreement regarding how the equity injection you receive will be used
Note: funds received may need to be reported as taxable income
Awards Ceremony
US Bank will host a hybrid (in person as well as virtual) training session through WWBIC in mid-May. At the end of the presentation, US Bank will announce each winner. Equity injection winners will be requested to attend if at all possible, and winners attending in person will be photographed with an awards check.
Questions?
If you have questions on this program, please reach out to your primary WWBIC contact or email us at welcome2wwbic@wwbic.com
JOURNEY TO GROWTH – ACCELERATOR
Small Business Trainings and Pitch Competition with WWBIC and US Bank
The Journey to Growth program also includes an accelerator training series and pitch competition. This program started in March 2026. Registration is now closed and is not open to additional participants.