Downtown Oshkosh is a great place to live, work and play. Local business owners agree downtown Oshkosh is good for business and good for their future.
Do you want to open up a small business but aren’t sure where to start? Try contacting the Small Business Development Center at UW Oshkosh! The Small Business Development Center at UW Oshkosh helps entrepreneurs succeed at any stage. We offer no-cost, confidential consulting and business education across a wide region, primarily serving Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, Outagamie, Sheboygan, Waushara and Winnebago counties.
If you are interested in meeting with a representative from the SBDC, set up an appointment today.
If you are looking to sign a lease, buy a building, or start work on your business, you may need to work with certain city departments.
Follow this guide to learn who you should contact at the City of Oshkosh.
If you have any questions about starting a business in downtown Oshkosh, please contact John Zarate, Oshkosh Economic Development Specialist at (920) 236-5028.
The Downtown Oshkosh Business District flows with rich heritage and economic opportunities for entrepreneurs. The BID invites you to explore financial assistance offered to qualifying business applicants. To further promote our diverse downtown environment, we are excited to offer the Downtown Oshkosh Business Improvement District Recruitment Fund Grant (RFG).
This grant offers financial assistance to new business ventures or relocating establishments. The downtown environment has grown over time, and we are happy to support our progress in any way possible. The RFG program awards up to $5,000 to individual businesses to assist with relocation to the BID, or fund an expansion project for a business currently located within the BID district. The mission of the funds is to:
Are you thinking about relocating your business to the downtown Oshkosh area? Over the last several years, we’ve invested in infrastructure, developed a new unified brand identity and created a community-centered series of events that regularly draw in the public. We are also continually updating and improving our unique downtown. Click here to view a map of the BID district to find out if your location qualifies for the Recruitment Fund Grant. Better yet, we invite you to come to downtown Oshkosh and explore all we have to offer. We think you will be pleasantly surprised!
From 2003 to 2020, over 60 businesses received financial assistance through the RFG program. The grant has leveraged more than $4.5 million dollars in private investment. We’ve distributed more than $267,000 creating and retaining more than 365 career and job opportunities in our downtown environment.
Think your business would make an excellent addition to our downtown environment? We encourage you to download our application today. Invest in downtown Oshkosh; invest in your business!
The Downtown Business Improvement District established the Beautification Grant Program. The grant may be utilized alone, in conjunction with the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce’s Revolving Loan Fund (if requirements are met), or with any other private financing. The Beautification Grant cannot be used in conjunction with the Recruitment Fund Grant.
The Beautification Grant program is available to any Downtown Oshkosh property owner located within the Business Improvement District boundaries. The program is also available to tenants of such buildings given the property owner’s written consent. Eligible applicants must be open for a minimum of three months and provide a signed lease of two years.
Interested in applying for the Beautification Grant program? Download our application to apply. Grants are awarded to eligible applicants on a first come first serve basis while funds are still available. Don’t delay, apply today!
The Mural Grant Program has been established by the Downtown Oshkosh Business Improvement District (BID) and the Oshkosh Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The purpose of the mural grant program is to encourage exterior artwork that contributes to the beautification and economic vitality of the Downtown Oshkosh BID.
The Mural Grant Program is available to any Downtown Oshkosh property, lying within the Business Improvement District boundaries. All projects must have written consent of the property owner.
Interested in adding a mural to your building? Please review the City of Oshkosh Mural Ordinance, and complete the City of Oshkosh Mural Application before applying for the grant. After your mural application is approved, you may apply for the Mural Grant Program as long as your mural is being placed within the BID boundaries.
Before applying for any of our offered grant programs, please make sure your business is located within the boundaries of the Business Improvement District. The area is indicated on this map by the green and black dotted line.
For more information, please contact us at (920) 303-9200 ext. 101 or info@downtownoshkosh.com.
Looking for another kind of assistance? The Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce offers the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) for those who are looking to locate their business within the Business Improvement District, but who fall outside this area.
The RLF promotes local economic development in the Oshkosh area, with an emphasis on the central business district. The fund is designed to promote and foster entrepreneurial expansion, as well as expansion and retention of the workforce and business opportunities in the Oshkosh area.
Through the RLF, the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce provides loans of up to $25,000 on favorable terms tailored to meet the needs of qualified borrowers for eligible projects that are matched by a qualified lender loan.
For more information about the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce’s Revolving Loan Fund, please contact Colan Treml at (920) 303-2265 or colan@oshkoshchamber.com.
The Greater Oshkosh Capital Catalyst Fund was developed with funds reallocated from the Greater Oshkosh Revolving Loan Fund and funding from the City of Oshkosh and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).
The program allows for any single business enterprise to obtain funds from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $100,000. Loans, grants and equity positions are all viable awards from the Greater Oshkosh Capital Catalyst Fund. The maximum grant that can be awarded is $10,000.
In an additional effort to make our downtown appealing to both visitors and residents of our city, the Downtown Oshkosh BID has compiled all of the information you might need to beautify your business in Downtown Oshkosh along with information on the BID Beautification Grant Program.
Included:
Download the PDF – coming soon
The Downtown Oshkosh Business Improvement District offers a gift card program exclusively for the downtown environment! We believe this is the perfect opportunity to allow the downtown area to continue to thrive by offering a program that fits all your shopping and entertainment needs.
Downtown gift cards can be purchased in any amount and redeemed at any participating business within the greater downtown area. Users will have the freedom to redeem just a fraction of the card value, or the full card value at any participating establishment.
The gift card program offers maximum flexibility with more choices than any other gift card on the market. The downtown Oshkosh gift card program is accepted by more than 50 businesses located in the downtown area.
Take a look at the available office and retail spaces located within the Business Improvement District. If you would like more information on a property, please contact the building owner/broker directly.
582 N Main St.
Retail/Office
For Sale
Gary Eake (Listing Agent): (920) 426-0417
$210,000
Learn more
404 N. Main St.
Office
For Lease/Variety of Suites
Starting at $12.50 sq. ft.
Jim Robl: (920) 420-6943
The Venture Project Co-Working Space – 210 N Main St
Office
For Lease
Memberships starting at $47/mo.
Learn more
City Center Executive Suites
Office Suites (192sf)
For Lease
$15/sf
Controlled access
Jessica Felker: (920) 233-5050 or jfelker@northnet.net
Learn more
203 Otter Ave.
Office Suites (200, 300, 400)
For Lease
Starting at $200 per month
(920) 517-8672 or CopperHallOshkosh@gmail.com
Learn more
Black Teak Properties
Multiple commercial spaces for lease!
(920) 230-8325 or info@blackteak.com
Learn more
Alexander and Bishop Properties
Multiple commercial spaces for lease!
Peter Jungbacker: (920) 233-7219 ext. 24
To add your property listing to our website, please email info@downtownoshkosh.com
The BID MemberCO is a group of volunteer business owners and downtown activists committed to goodwill community partnerships, working for the greater good of our downtown. We accomplish this through effective promotions and specialized events, which draw consumers to our downtown.
Meetings are held the second Wednesday of every month at 8:15 a.m. at various locations.
For more information, please contact Jessie Meidl, Downtown Oshkosh BID Manager at (920) 303-9200 ext 101 or email info@downtownoshkosh.com.