Wyoming Business Council

Supports Wyoming Business Council, the state agency fostering business growth and economic opportunity across Wyoming.

The Wyoming Business Council is Wyoming's state economic development agency, headquartered in Cheyenne with ten regional offices. It was founded in 1998 and operates under a 13-member board of Wyoming business leaders co-chaired by Governor Mark Gordon. CEO Josh Dorrell leads the agency, which exists to widen economic opportunity across the state.

Its funding work combines grants, loans, and matching funds for startups, small businesses, rural communities, and local governments. The strongest named routes are the Wyoming SBIR/STTR Match Grant, which can reach $200,000, Kickstart Wyoming at up to $50,000, the Building Resilient Communities grant and loan program at up to $5 million, and Rural Development & Leadership Grants up to $10,000. The Broadband Office inside WBC also handles federal pass-through broadband money from NTIA and Treasury.

WBC is most relevant where state capital has to move through local partners rather than straight to a company, though it does make direct awards in a few cases such as SBIR matching and broadband. Its portfolio spans business financing, market expansion, community infrastructure, rural development, and broadband buildout, with applicants usually needing a clear public benefit or commercialization case.