BRC FAQ’s
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Building Resilient Communities (BRC) Program RULE Changes
The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) has launched a completely rebuilt application system for the Building Resilient Communities (BRC) – formerly Business Ready Community – grant and loan program, the state’s primary investment tool for infrastructure Wyoming communities need to attract investment, support business growth, and create jobs.
The new application system includes a streamlined online portal built to align with new BRC rules approved by Governor Gordon on February 2, 2026, along with a library of approximately 50 new documents: application templates communities can use to build their project proposals, and step-by-step guidance to help applicants understand the new requirements and prepare strong public presentations for the WBC Board of Directors and State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB).
For additional support navigating these changes, contact your local Regional Director or the WBC team.
Jump to a Specific Section
Program Overview and Changes
Why are these changes being made to the BRC program, and why now?
The Wyoming Business Council team and Board of Directors have been reviewing data, testing, and learning about what has been working with BRC and what hasn’t for the past several years. Our analysis revealed that the current BRC rules are too broad and don’t serve all problems, projects, and initiatives through the BRC program.
Based on our findings and the key issue that “BRC decisions are not always in alignment with the strategic direction of the Business Council,” we determined that the rules needed to be more focused and strategic.
How do these changes align with the state's investment strategy?
The WBC’s #1 priority is solving barriers to growth to reverse economic decline, build local capacity and resilience, and create opportunities for current and future generations of Wyomingites. The strategic focus on BRC projects to identify and address local barriers to growth is a crucial component of meeting this mission.
Our goal is to reverse the trend of youth exodus from the state and the impacts it has on families, communities, and businesses. Revising BRC rules is one way we are experimenting with focusing on bold ideas and big changes to create more good jobs and an environment where our kids can live, work, and thrive.
For more information about the WBC’s approach, visit wbc.pub/Approach or review the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).
Key principles of our approach:
- Act as a catalyst for economic development projects
- Participate in funding, but not be the sole funding source
- Bring together three levers of change: Leadership, Investments, and Policy
Impact on Communities
How do these changes impact communities and their access to funding?
The most significant change for communities is the 25% match requirement. However, this match can come from many different sources, including federal funds, local reserves, private contributions, and other sources.
Important to remember:
- This is about “co-investment” for the future of our communities.
- Expected returns are based on your actual investment, and impact is often found in the subtle details.
What does this mean for smaller communities?
Resilience starts with a strong plan and a focus on community development that drives growth. Proposed changes to how the WBC manages planning grants may help with better timing alignment to ensure planning grants are available when communities are ready.
Key points:
- Barriers to growth exist in all communities, regardless of size.
- Solutions identified through community planning may be addressed using BRC.
- The WBC team and local Regional Directors are available to help communities navigate available tools and changes.
What support will the WBC provide communities through these changes?
With these proposed rule changes, we expect more from communities in their applications and projects. But, we also expect to provide more support on our end to increase education and understanding about economic development and local capacity building, as well as analysis on barriers to growth, so communities can successfully address their biggest challenges.
The WBC is raising its level of support to help communities be more successful at identifying and addressing their primary barriers to growth. We are developing a Guide to Identifying Barriers to Growth along with enhanced educational opportunities to empower local leaders with the knowledge and tools to support and grow economic development in their communities.
Application Process and Eligibility
Do these changes affect grant and loan application deadlines and timelines?
Yes. Once these rules take effect, application categories by deadline will be removed:
- Rolling basis: Planning applications and those involving a business
- Quarterly deadlines: Applications to solve a barrier to growth without a business
What is a barrier to growth? How does a community define or identify these barriers?
Barriers to growth are obstacles or root causes of problems that limit the economic progress of communities, regions, states, or nations.
To develop a strong plan or project, you must first understand the problems you need to address. This involves identifying policies or systematic limiting factors that are economic constraints contributing to your community’s current situation.
Our focus:
- Long-term, systemic change (not short-term wins)
- Policies, programs, and systems designed to unlock sustainable growth
- We are preparing a helpful guide and data sources for communities to identify their specific barriers.
What kind of projects are/aren't eligible? Has that changed?
Not eligible: Projects that don’t identify or address a barrier to economic growth are no longer eligible for BRC funding.
Our economic development plan pre-dates the rule changes and doesn't identify barriers to growth. How can we address this? When does a plan become outdated?
We are developing a guide to help identify and quantify barriers to economic growth that can be integrated into your current plan if needed.
Plan timeline guidance:
- Plans generally range from 5 to 25 years
- Plans should be reviewed, amended, and updated regularly to ensure goals, objectives, and recommendations remain relevant
Funding and Match Requirements
Are there changes to the maximum amount communities can apply for in a BRC project?
Maximum project requests have been eliminated, and the new maximum for a project to solve a barrier to growth is the current balance of the BRC account.
- Managed Data Center Cost Reduction (MDCCR) stays at $2.25 million
- Planning stays at $100,000
What is a ‘match,’ and who can fund it? What if we can't afford 25%?
The match can come from various sources, including a BRC loan—it just can’t be other WBC funding. The most successful BRC projects have historically had investment from all parties involved.
What if our community has minimal match dollars, but the opportunity is promising?
Match dollars can come from many different sources, including a loan from the BRC program itself, federal funds, local reserves, private contributions, and other sources.
Important perspective: This is not the state asking for more money—it’s expecting you to invest more in yourself. This way, you can generate more revenue to leverage in the future.
What are the changes to Revenue Recapture, and how will that affect our community?
Local operational expenses shall be used primarily for personnel expenses, and at least 25% of local recapture shall be used for the next revenue-generating project.
Working with Regional Directors
Now that we are pitching our own projects, do we still need to work with a regional director? Is the draft application still due two weeks before the official deadline?
Yes, involving your regional director is still required. Working with your regional director early and throughout the project development and application process helps you navigate the BRC program more effectively.
The two-week minimum requirement allows your regional director to provide important feedback about your application before the submission deadline, and your regional director will act as a coach as you prepare for your WBC Board and State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) presentations.
Specific Project Types
What are the different BRC project types going forward?
Previously, there were five different types of BRC projects: Business Committed, Community Project, Community Readiness, Planning, and Managed Data Center Cost Reduction (MDCCR). Planning had an additional two subtypes of available funding options. We are moving to a more focused “Barriers to Growth” lens:
- Plans to identify and solve barriers to growth
- Projects to solve an existing barrier to growth (with or without a business); with a business, it could also be an MDCCR
Can BRC be used for housing projects?
Yes, if housing is an identified barrier to growth and a housing project requires publicly owned infrastructure (water, sewer, or roads), then BRC could be a useful tool.
Can my community apply for more than one grant or loan?
Historically, BRC awards per applicant have been limited to one per calendar year, except for applications involving a committed business. With the increased focus on barriers to growth, communities with multiple projects that address identified barriers may be eligible for additional applications. This policy is still being developed and is not yet addressed in statute or rule. We encourage potential applicants to provide feedback on this topic during the public comment period.
Planning Block Grant
What is the planning block grant? How will it work for small communities?
The planning block grant process would allow BRC staff to request funds from the WBC Board and SLIB up-front (up to a certain amount) for planning grant purposes during the following year.
Benefits:
- Allows the WBC to accept planning applications more frequently than once per year.
- Applicants present their project to WBC staff only.
- No need to present at WBC Board or SLIB meetings.
Reversing Economic Decline
The Business Council mentions that Wyoming is in "economic decline," but our community’s economy is growing. What evidence supports this statement?
Wyoming’s economy is not generating sufficient activity to provide a high quality of life for current and prospective residents. Multiple data points confirm our state has been in economic decline for several years:
Economic Performance Indicators:
- Real GDP is declining.
- Employment growth is flat and underperforming compared to other states.
- Population is growing, but the workforce remains stagnant.
- Wages are falling, and productivity lags behind peer states.
- The Brain Drain Crisis: Most concerning is that over 60% of Wyoming residents aged 30-40 leave the state permanently—the highest outmigration rate in the entire United States. We’re losing our most productive citizens during their prime earning years.
These trends are substantiated by Wyoming’s Growth Perspective and Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).
Bottom Line: Wyoming faces a clear choice: acknowledge these economic realities and take decisive action, or continue losing our young talent and economic vitality to states that offer better opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions about BRC
Application Details
- Limited to one Planning Project per applicant per calendar year
- Applications due on or before February 1st
Required Application Documents & Templates
- Project Narrative
- Project Budget with Match Information
- Elected Official Certification
- Images & Renderings of the Project
- Revenue Recapture Plan for Applicant
- Match Categories
- Development Agreement Template
- Lease & Purchase Agreement Template
- 2-Party Development Agreement Template
- Legal Notice Sample Form
- Resolution BRC Program Template Planning Grants
- Project Contacts Form (WORD)
- WBC Standard Photo Release (WORD)
Required Business Information
- Hiring Plan & Capital Expenditures
- Business Financials (Previous 3 years)
- Business Plan
Likely Follow up Documents
- Certified & Stamped Cost Estimates
- Other Barriers to Growth (If Selected)