NCWRPC News | Fall 2025 | Issue 87

WEDC Talent Recruitment Grant

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) recently announced the launch of a new Talent Recruitment Grant Program that aims to support the efforts of local communities to attract new residents to Wisconsin. The grant program is backed by $5 million in state funding and will provide grants up to $500,000 per project. WEDC will accept applications for the grant program beginning on Jan. 5, 2026, with the window closing on Jan. 31, 2026.

Eligible applicants under this program, which offers a new tool for communities to encourage individuals and families to relocate to Wisconsin, include cities, villages, towns, and counties located in Wisconsin, as well as American Indian Tribes. Nonprofit organizations whose mission aligns with economic development, workforce and talent development, or community development can also apply for grants.

Under the program, grants can be used to cover the cost of administering a local talent recruitment program and/or the cost of incentivizing households to relocate into Wisconsin from outside the state. Households would be eligible for talent attraction incentives under the program if the household has an income of at least $55,000. Applicants must provide WEDC with a talent recruitment program plan and comply with certain reporting requirements, as well as provide matching funds of at least 20 percent. 

Program guidelines, eligibility criteria, and application instructions are available on the  WEDC website.

WEDC Vibrant Spaces Grant

The Vibrant Spaces Grant, an element of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s (WEDC’s) Community Development Investment (CDI) Grant Program, is designed to assist communities in creating vibrant and engaging spaces that make it easier to recruit and retain residents, sustain a robust labor force, and enhance local quality of life. With the help of this grant, new and enhanced public gathering places will foster community connections and provide accessible locations for the programming and amenities local residents desire—with the additional benefit of boosting foot traffic for area businesses.

Grants in amounts from $25,000 to $50,000 are available to help local communities develop and enhance public spaces. The application must come from the municipality, and only one application per municipality will be considered per fiscal year. Previous awardees must wait at least one fiscal year between Vibrant Spaces awards (except for the City of Milwaukee, in which different commercial corridors may apply for a grant award annually). A Vibrant Spaces Grant application does not affect a community’s broader eligibility for a CDI Grant. In the FY26 grant cycle, no more than 40 grants will be awarded. Applicants must provide a 1:1 match of the grant amount, with the exception of economically distressed communities or communities with population less than 5,000, which need only provide a 25% match.

For more information, please visit WEDC's Vibrant Spaces Grant website, or reach out to your Regional Development Director.

Centergy is hosting a Site Readiness Workshop on December 8 from 1pm - 4:30 pm in Stevens Point. The Site Readiness Workshop is designed for local elected officials, county and municipal staff, and economic development professionals who play a role in shaping community growth and investment readiness.

Participants will walk away with a stronger understanding of how industrial projects take shape — from site selection to community engagement — and the tools to communicate more effectively with stakeholders. Whether you help plan, zone, recruit, or approve development, this session will give you practical insights into building capacity, clarity, and community value.

• Understand modern industrial development and what drives site selection
• Learn how municipalities can control sites to attract quality investment
• Gain strategies for transparent, effective communication with stakeholders
• Evaluate economic and community impacts of industrial projects
• Discover key industry trends shaping site needs and design

The Federal Recreational Trail (grant) Program (RTP) administered by the Wisconsin DNR has some proposed application changes for 2026. As part of these changes, the RTP program guidance will no longer be combined with the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Local Assistance Program or the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program guidance. This notice also includes a date change for the RTP grant application deadline, changing from May 1 to March 1 annually.

The goal of the RTP is to encourage the maintenance, rehabilitation and development of trails and trail-side amenities by providing cost-sharing assistance to governmental units and qualified trail organizations. Funding is available for both motorized and non-motorized trails.

The RTP grants are facilitated by the DNR in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, through funding appropriated to Wisconsin by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. Due to the processing time required for necessary project reviews by all state and federal agencies, the DNR proposes to move the application deadline from May 1 to March 1 annually, starting in 2026.

• Summary of proposed changes: The RTP grant program guidance will not change substantially from its previous application years. However, this public comment opportunity serves as notice that a Draft RTP Grant Program Guidance is now available for public comment. This notice also pertains to the change in the RTP grant application deadline to March 1 annually, starting in 2026.



• Next steps: Once the 21-day comment period is complete, all comments will be considered, revisions will be made to the draft guidance document as warranted, and the Final Program Guidance, Applications and Instructions will be made available on the DNR's Recreational Trail Program Grants webpage. 

We are pleased to announce that Austin Waldvogel has joined our staff as a GIS Manager. Austin has three Bachelor of Science Majors and three Minors from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. His Majors are in Geoscience – Environmental Analysis, Geography – Physical Environment, and GIS and Cartography. Austin has Minors in Geology, Earth Science and Spatial Analysis. He will be mainly working in the areas of GIS and Land Use. Austin previously worked for Vilas County as the GIS Analyst and SSP Innovations as a Data Specialist before joining the NCWRPC. Austin will be taking over for Andy Faust, who is retiring after 30 years with the organization.

Austin can be reached via phone at 715-849-5510, Extension 305, or through email at awaldvogel@ncwrpc.org.