Press Release: New Webinar Series to Support Wisconsin Small Business Owners

STATE OF WISCONSIN

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION

Tony Evers, Governor

Kathy Blumenfeld, Secretary-designee

New Webinar Series to Support Wisconsin Small Business Owners 

Office of Business Development Kicks Off Webinar Series on June 22

Madison, Wis. – Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) Secretary-designee Kathy Blumenfeld has announced a new webinar series to help established and aspiring Wisconsin small business owners and organizations to grow their skills and business, learn about contracting with the State of Wisconsin, and other upcoming opportunities.

“We know that growing a business or organization can be a daunting task, and our goal is to make the process easier to navigate by developing and sharing valuable tools and resources,” said Blumenfeld. “Working with our agency partners, we’re proud to support the Evers Administration mission to create an economy that works for everyone.”

Currently scheduled webinars include:

• “Tips for Effective Grant Writing” - June 22 at 1 p.m.
• “Supplier Diversity Webinar” – June 29 at 4 p.m.  – An introduction to certification and doing business with the State of Wisconsin.

In anticipation of a surge of competitive federal funding opportunities, as part of the Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Wisconsin is poised to secure a significant amount of funding across multiple sectors. The “Tips for Effective Grant Writing” webinar aims to help maximize the funding coming to Wisconsin. Maria Redmond, Director of the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy, has previously secured over $85 million in grants for various organizations, and will walk attendees through the grant organization and application process and tips on submitting successful proposals.

The Wisconsin Supplier Diversity Program certifies minority-owned business enterprises (MBE), disabled service veteran-owned businesses (DVB), and women-owned business enterprises (WBE) to provide better opportunities for doing business with the State of Wisconsin. Certified MBE and DVB businesses may receive a five percent bid preference when they bid on state contracts, per state statute. The “Supplier Diversity Webinar” will provide attendees information about the benefits of certification and how to navigate the program. More information about the Wisconsin Supplier Diversity program is available at SupplierDiversity.gov.

All webinars are presented in concert with the Office of Business Development, and will be recorded and open to the public. Registration is free and highly recommended to participate in Q&A with panelists and presenters. Recordings will be available on the DOA YouTube channel. Other topics will be announced on the Office of Business Development page, here: https://doa.wi.gov/Pages/DoingBusiness/OfficeOfBusinessDevelopment.aspx

For additional information about business owner opportunities, please visit the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation small business resource page, here: https://wedc.org/smallbusiness/ as well as the Badger Bounceback website: https://badgerbounceback.wi.gov/assistance/#ForMyBusiness