Wyoming Business Council

In October 2023, the WBC organized a research and alignment trip to the Kansas City Metro area to observe and learn what the region is doing to enhance economic growth through industry cluster development, regional collaboration, and policy-making. ​

The Wyoming contingent – a diverse group of partners from the WBC, UW, local economic developers, legislators, and the Governor’s office – spent time understanding how a collaborative vision drove the development of policy, higher education, and local economic development.

Learn more at wbc.pub/AnnualRpt2023

🙌 HUGE CONGRATULATIONS🙌 to the Wind River Development Fund & partners - the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative, Wind River Food Sovereignty Project &Central Wyoming College- on your Recompete Pilot Program Grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration!

This $36 million grant is a well-deserved recognition of your hard work & collaboration & will pay dividends for the economic development & social well-being of the people of the Wind River Indian Reservation for years to come.

See the press release & learn more at wbc.pub/News

Join Our BEAD Pre-Qualification Webinars!

For companies and agencies applying for BEAD funding for broadband infrastructure, we highly recommend completing a pre-qualification application. This process ensures you meet the minimum eligibility requirements for financial and organizational capability, as well as compliance certifications.

Prepare for BEAD funding by completing the pre-qualification application. We'll guide you through the process and portal in our webinars.

• Overview Webinar: Monday, Aug. 12, 1-2 PM
• Technical Assistance Webinar: Monday, Aug. 26, 1-2 PM

Learn More & Register at wbc.pub/BEAD

Welcome to The Opera House in Kemmerer, WY—a beautifully restored historic venue offering a unique blend of entertainment, culture, and community events. This iconic establishment showcases how local businesses enrich our heritage and stimulate economic growth.

Take a journey through Wyoming and uncover the hidden gems that make our state extraordinary!

Happy National Shooting Sports Month!

Shooting sports and fi****ms manufacturing are vital to Wyoming's heritage and economy. They provide jobs, promote outdoor recreation, and support our strong community values. Celebrate with us and honor these industries' impact on our great state!

Learn more: https://www.shootingsportsmonth.org/

It's National Shooting Sports Month! 🎉 Have fun and celebrate on the range this month. It’s a perfect time to learn something new.

🔗 Learn more: https://www.shootingsportsmonth.org/

Economic clusters are geographic concentrations of companies and institutions that connect around a particular field, often spanning multiple areas, including workforce training and education, jobs, research and development, and manufacturing.

Wyoming is exploring cluster development in energy, technology, and controlled environment agriculture (CEA).

Exciting News! The State Shooting Sports Complex Task Force is Moving Forward!

The Wyoming Business Council has been part of the task force efforts from the beginning and recently attended site visits in Cody and Gillette following a review of applications from nine Wyoming communities competing for the complex site. After careful consideration, the task force voted 8-4 to award Cody the site. 🎉

Comprised of legislators and representatives from various sectors, the task force, including our very own Strategic Partnerships Director Ron Gullberg, brings a unique economic development perspective to the project. This initiative promises to boost Wyoming's fi****ms and outdoor recreation industries, providing significant economic, industry, and recreational growth opportunities.

Next up: Drafting a recommendation letter to Governor Mark Gordon and relevant committees to secure the $10 million funding adopted in the 2023 legislative session.
Stay tuned for more updates as this exciting project develops!

Learn more at wyoleg.gov/Committees/2024/S35.

The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) Board of Directors will hold a special meeting via Zoom tomorrow, July 31, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

This Special Meeting is called for the consideration of time-sensitive broadband topics, a graphic design and content creation support contract, a contract amendment with an existing loan servicer, and a business 50/50 loan. No other business will be discussed at this meeting.

A full agenda and information to join the meeting are available at wbc.pub/WBC_Board.

Discover the finest locally-raised beef at Beck Ranch Premium Beef in Lonestar, WY! They offer top-quality cuts that are sure to impress any meat lover. Stop by their ranch to see their dedication to excellence firsthand and take home some delicious Wyoming beef.

Wyoming entrepreneurs like those at Beck Ranch are driving our state's growth, one delicious steak at a time. Visit them today and taste the difference!

Step 3: Gather Resources & Partners
How can we expand our impact? It’s crucial to consider all the different resources and people necessary to bring to the table to be successful, building a coalition to understand how we all can help solve these problems.

Learn more at wbc.pub/Approach

Wyoming BEAD Challenge Portal Now Open For Rebuttals

The Rebuttal Phase for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Challenge Process is open from July 1 to July 30, 2024. During this phase, permissible challengers can provide rebuttal evidence against challenges submitted during the Challenge Phase.

This is your opportunity to correct any challenges believed to be made in error. Timely submission of adequate evidence is vital to the process and accuracy of the challenge data.

Learn more at wbc.pub/BEAD and submit your rebuttal evidence as soon as possible.

Governor Mark Gordon announced the launch of the Wyoming Grant Assistance Program (WYGAP), a statewide effort to increase Wyoming’s access to federal funding and support grants management capacity in local communities. WYGAP will provide technical assistance for state agencies, local governments, nonprofits, and small businesses to identify, pursue, and manage grants that support local priorities.

The Grants Management Office also created the Wyoming Grants Connect Hub, a one-stop shop resource with a searchable database of over 300 state and federal funding opportunities.

Learn more about the initiative and the services available at a free webinar this Friday at 10 a.m. Register for the webinar at bit.ly/WYGrantsWebinar.

Organizations looking for assistance can learn more and apply at sbd.wyo.gov/grants/grant-assistance-program.

Welcome to Sidekicks Book & Wine Bar in Rock Springs, WY—a cozy haven where you can enjoy a great read and a fine glass of wine. Businesses like Sidekicks enrich our community and play a crucial role in boosting our local economy.

Check out what Wyoming businesses have to offer!

Sidekicks Book-Bar Rock Springs Business & Economic Development Alliance Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce Downtown Rock Springs

“I attended the A2A Community Planning Workshop in Riverton with the hopes of getting a few nuggets of information regarding how I can better serve my community through economic development, and I am so thankful I attended. The benefits of learning to identify specific needs and tasks are immeasurable but, in a nutshell, I walked through the door of the workshop in the morning with a mental snapshot of my community in the future, and when I left the workshop, I held a cache of tools at my disposal, including an inventory of improvements, an itemized strategic plan to achieve the improvements, and a timed set of achievable goals for each improvement.” - Sherry Oler, Mayor, Town of Hudson

Wyoming is thrilled to announce a new $800 million Meta data center in Cheyenne! This incredible investment will support 100 permanent jobs and create approximately 1,000 construction jobs at the peak of construction.

The state-of-the-art data center will be located at the High Plains Business Park, strategically situated between I-25 and U.S. 85, midway between College Drive and Terry Ranch Road. If you're driving on northbound I-25, you can already see some of the site work underway just past the High Plains Road interchange.

This development underscores Wyoming's commitment to innovation and growth. Stay tuned for more updates! Learn more at wbc.pub/META_WY24

Cheyenne Data Center Governor Mark Gordon City of Cheyenne, Wyoming - Government Cheyenne LEADS

🌟 Exciting Opportunity for Wyoming Businesses! 🌟

The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) Market Expansion Grant is now accepting applications on a rolling basis! This grant helps defray costs for private Wyoming-based for-profit businesses participating in market expansion activities.

The primary focus is to assist businesses in overcoming challenges associated with expanding into new markets outside of Wyoming. This is a reimbursement grant, meaning you must obtain approval before initiating any market expansion activities and then submit a reimbursement request afterward. Businesses are responsible for covering initial costs and assume responsibility for any debts or liabilities incurred.

Don't miss this chance to grow your business and reach new markets! Apply today at wbc.pub/MEG.

Explore Star Valley Mercantile in Afton, WY—a charming local shop offering unique gifts, artisanal goods, and community treasures. By supporting local shops like this, we drive economic development and foster a thriving, vibrant economy.

Let Wyoming entrepreneurs fuel your exploration!

A new WBC program – Assessment to Action (A2A) – introduces the concept of the economic growth flywheel and problem analysis to help community leaders identify specific barriers that are obstructing their ability to achieve local economic development goals.

Learn more about Assessment to Action at wbc.pub/A2A

MEETING NOTICE! The Wyoming Main Street Advisory Board will meet in person in on Wednesday, June 19, starting at 8:30 a.m. The meeting will be held in the Downtown Sheridan Association office at 121 S Main Street; Sheridan, Wyoming, and concurrently via Zoom.

This meeting will include reviewing the 2024 Best Practices Workshop and the recent Main Street Now conference in Birmingham, Alabama, a discussion of local program requirements, a continued discussion of 20 years of Wyoming Main Street, and more.

Learn more at wbc.pub/MS_Board