LAFAYETTE COUNTY – Lafayette County will be awarding over $15,000 to 11 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 improve the prominence of a business within their community.

This year, the grant program received over 60 applications with requests totaling over $120,000, representing over $565,000 in anticipated improvement projects in Lafayette County.

The county was looking for a way to support local businesses. 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 Layette Development Corporation is supporting the new program.

Any business currently established within Lafayette County or who are committed to establishing a location within the county by October of that year can apply for grant funds.

Economic Development Director, Abby Haas, hopes that even more funds will be available to award in future years; but is thrilled to be able to award over $15,000 in the first year of the grant. The grant program will be available for local businesses to apply for each February, and funds will be awarded in March for the selected projects

Launch Lafayette County Grant Recipients for 2021 are: Kunderts Main Street Market – Blanchardville, My Turn Pub/Community of Belmont – Belmont, Second Chance Coffee and Music –Shullsburg, Lucky Cow Coffee and Gelato – Darlington, Tri-State Soft Wash LLC – Darlington, KelliLu Cafe – Benton, Mushroom Holler LLC - Argyle, Ancil Norland Landscaping - Argyle/Wiota, Mi Casita LLC – Darlington, Marcia's In-home Daycare – Darlington and Gleason Cattle Company Meats – Shullsburg.

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].