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The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) is proposing major changes to the Business Ready Community (BRC) grant and loan program, which funds public infrastructure in communities to unlock economic growth. Program rule changes are intended to better align with the Council’s mission of reversing economic decline and building strong, self-reliant communities. Review the proposed rules at rules.wyo.gov and leave your written comments by Sunday, July 27, 2025, at wbc.pub/25BRC_Comment.
For additional support navigating these changes, contact your local Regional Director or the WBC team.
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.
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:
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:
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:
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.
Yes. Once these rules take effect, application categories by deadline will be removed:
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:
Not eligible: Projects that don’t identify or address a barrier to economic growth are no longer eligible for BRC funding.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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:
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:
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.