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Governor Tony Evers has invested nearly $5 billion in federal funds in Wisconsin’s recovery. Learn more about how you, your business, organization, or community can apply for help, and how these programs are helping Wisconsinites bounce back. 

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For Me

For Me

Help is available for Wisconsin residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, from a variety of programs funded with federal dollars. Local community organizations are helping residents apply and receive assistance so Wisconsin families can bounce back.

Learn more about current, upcoming, and previous programs.

Current Programs

For Homeowners

The Wisconsin Help for Homeowners (WHH) program was designed to assist individuals and families who live in Wisconsin with overdue housing-related bills, both with and without a mortgage, who meet income and other eligibility requirements, and have experienced a qualified economic hardship since January 21, 2020. The Wisconsin Department of Administration is running the WHH program in partnership with WISCAP and other community organizations across the state.

Application deadline: March 8, 2024

Learn More About the Help for Homeowners Program and Apply by March 8, 2024

The ARPA Well Compensation Grant program provides funding to eligible landowners, renters or WI business owners to replace, reconstruct or treat contaminated private water supplies that serve a residence or non-community public water system wells. To be eligible, family or business income may not exceed $100,000 for the prior calendar year. The Well Abandonment Grant program provides funding assistance to properly fill and seal abandoned or unused private or non-community public water system wells. Applications are being accepted while funding remains available or until December 6, 2024, whichever happens first.

Learn More About the Well Compensation Program and Apply Now

For Renters

The Wisconsin Emergency Rental Assistance Program (WERA) has assisted 40,000 households with close to $260 million in assistance for rent, utilities, and home internet bills, and prevented thousands of evictions across the state. WERA is run by the Wisconsin Department of Administration in partnership with WISCAP and other community organizations across the state. The program has closed to new applications as of January 31, 2023, but housing stability services remain available. 

Learn More about the WERA program

In 2021, families enrolled in the Wisconsin Shares Program received additional assistance with childcare costs for children between the ages of 0 and 3. The temporary increase ended on June 30, 2021, but Wisconsin Shares is still available to help families.

Find Assistance
Learn more about the program that ended June 30, 2021

For Students in the Meat Industry

Funding from the $5 million Meat Talent Development program will be available to attract students to meat careers, and provide financial support to students in Wisconsin meat processing training programs.

More information will be available here: https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Growing_WI/MeatTalentDevelopment.aspx

For People Looking for Work

Governor Tony Evers is investing in career coaching for anyone looking for a job that pays a family-sustaining wage and anyone facing job insecurity during the pandemic. Even if you've never received government help finding work, you could receive coaching and support to help you find a new job or a new career. You may even be eligible to receive help with childcare, transportation, and other supports.

The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) will make grants of up to $10 million to fund up to 40 career coaching project positions across the state that will provide career coaching to Wisconsinites.

Learn more about the program in development
Learn more about other programs from DWD

For Legal Aid assistance

Gov. Tony Evers recently announced an $8 million grant to support Wisconsinites who need legal assistance to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant will be made to the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation Inc. (WisTAF) to fund civil legal aid organizations statewide and to build a Wisconsin Law Help website, a user-friendly online legal assistance portal that will help Wisconsinites access accurate legal information, and legal assistance to address housing-related issues, access unemployment benefits, workforce opportunities, health coverage, or other pandemic related hardships.

For UW and K-12 Student Mental Health Challenges

The Get Kids Ahead initiative provides $15 million to fund mental health services in K-12 schools across Wisconsin, with an additional $5 million to help UW System students access mental health support both on campus and remotely. Public school districts can receive a minimum of $10,000, with additional distributions on a per-pupil basis.

For My Business

For My Business

Governor Tony Evers is investing in Wisconsin businesses across the state because he believes that small businesses are the backbone of our communities. A variety of grant programs have already helped more than 115,000 small businesses statewide. New grant programs target industries that have been slower to bounce back.

Current Programs

For Businesses Treating Contaminated Wells

The ARPA Well Compensation Grant Program provides funding to eligible landowners, renters or WI business owners to replace, reconstruct or treat contaminated private water supplies that serve a residence or non-community public water system wells. To be eligible, family or business income may not exceed $100,000 for the prior calendar year. 

Applications are being accepted while funding remains available or until December 6, 2024, whichever happens first.  

For Businesses Moving into Commercial Space

The Main Street Bounceback Grants have provided $10,000 to help over 8,500 new or existing businesses across the state. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is working with economic development partners to administer Main Street Bounceback Grants. While the program has ended to new applications as of December 31, 2022, final awards are still being announced.

Learn more about Main Street Bounceback

Note: This program closed to new applications on December 31, 2022.

For Hospitals, Nursing Homes, and Home and Community-Based Medical Service Providers

Governor Tony Evers and the Department of Health Services (DHS) announced a five percent increase in reimbursement rates for several types of home and community-based services, provided to members of Wisconsin's Medicaid programs.

Learn more

For Live Music, Event and Entertainment Venues

In 2020, Gov. Evers invested more than $17 million to support live music and entertainment venues across Wisconsin. The Live Music and Entertainment Venue Grant Program grants were awarded to nearly 100 live venues.

Learn more about the Live Music and Entertainment Venue Grant Programs

In 2021, up to $10 million was made available to help eligible owners of event venue businesses bounce back from the pandemic. The Wisconsin Department of Administration will make Event Venue Assistance Grant awards of up to $200,000 per eligible applicants.

Learn more about the Event Venue Assistance grant program

An additional $12 million was also made available to help owners of small businesses who provide a significant portion of their goods and services to various live events. The Wisconsin Department of Administration will make Live Event Small Business Assistance Grant awards of up to $200,000 per eligible applicant.

Learn more about the Live Event Small Business Assistance grant program

Read some of the press coverage here:

For Hotels & Lodging

In 2020, Gov. Evers invested more than $18 million to help Wisconsin’s hotel and lodging industry bounce back from the pandemic.

Learn more about the COVID-19 Lodging Grant Award
View a list of all recipients

Read some of the press coverage here:

In 2021, Gov. Evers invested another $75 million in 888 Wisconsin hotel and lodging entities through the Wisconsin Tomorrow Lodging Grants. Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, grants of up to $2 million were made to hotels and lodging entities still recovering from the pandemic.

Read some of the press coverage here:

For Businesses Looking for Workers

Gov. Evers is investing $130 million in workforce innovation, development, training, and career coaching. These investments include:

  • $10 million in a Worker Connection Program to provide career coaching for workers facing job insecurity during the pandemic that will include with childcare, transportation, and other supports.
    Learn more
  • $20 million in a Worker Advancement Initiative to subsidize employment and skills training opportunities with local employers to unemployed individuals. These grants will be provided to 11 workforce development boards around the state to provide subsidized work for approximately 2,000 individuals.
    Learn more
  • $100 million in a Workforce Innovation Grant to non-profit and government entities to help local communities solve COVID-19-related workforce challenges.
    Learn more

Additional programs to help employers find workers are available from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development here.

For Meat and Poultry Processors

The Meat and Poultry Supply Chain Resiliency Grant Program will provide up to $150,000 to Wisconsin meat processors, through a $10 million statewide investment. Processors are required to provide a match of 100 percent of the grant amount, and grants will be awarded through a competitive selection process. 

Learn more

For Meat Processing Businesses Looking for Workers

In January 2022, Governor Evers announced up to $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for meat talent development programming. This funding will be used to attract students to meat careers, provide financial support to students in Wisconsin meat processing training programs, support program development, and connect the meat processing industry with potential employees.

The State of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) will work cooperatively with stakeholders and the industry to implement a program that strengthens Wisconsin's meat processing supply chain and workforce.

More information will be available here: https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Growing_WI/MeatTalentDevelopment.aspx

For Small Businesses

In 2020 and 2021, Gov. Evers invested more than $370 million in four rounds of We’re All In Grants to businesses across a variety of categories, including:

The Evers Administration also administered another $420 million to small businesses recovering from the pandemic in the Wisconsin Tomorrow Small Business Recovery Grants program. Administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, these grants were funded with American Rescue Plan Act dollars. 84,000 Wisconsin small businesses with revenues between $10,000 and $7 million annually were invited to apply for $5,000 grants.

Read some of the press coverage here:

For Farmers

In 2020, Gov. Evers invested $50 million in helping Wisconsin farmers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Assistance was made through two rounds of the Farm Support Program. In the first round, $41.6 million was distributed to nearly 12,000 farmers. The second round distributed $8.4 million to more than 3,300 farmers. Nearly 60 percent of second-round recipients reported earning less than $40,000 annually, making this assistance important to thousands of family farms across Wisconsin. A new American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) round of funding will be made available to farmers in the fall of 2021.

In 2021, An additional $50 million was made available to support Wisconsin’s agricultural producers through a new round of the Wisconsin Farm Support Program. Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, the Wisconsin Farm Support Program application opened Nov. 8 and closed on Nov. 29.

Sign up here to receive email alerts about the program
Learn more about the Wisconsin Farm Support program

Read some of the press coverage here:

For Movie Theaters

In 2020, Governor Tony Evers invested $10 million to support Wisconsin’s privately owned movie theaters impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Movie Theater Grant Program helped 54 small town, drive-in, and other theaters across the state.

In 2021, an additional $10 million was made available to eligible movie theaters still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wisconsin Department of Administration has made Movie Theater Assistance Grant awards of approximately $15,000 per movie theater screen to 49 theaters across the state.

Learn more about the Movie Theater Assistance Grant

Read some of the press coverage here:

For Childcare Providers

Gov. Evers quickly invested federal dollars to support Wisconsin’s childcare providers. In 2020, Evers funded two programs – the first invested $51 million of federal Coronavirus Aide, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds with 2,712 providers statewide between May and July. The second program, called Supplementary Payment Program, invested another nearly $80 million in the fall of 2020.

In April 2021, Gov. Evers again invested another nearly $60 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars with more than 3,000 providers across the state through Child Care Counts payment programs.

Learn more about previous assistance for childcare providers here

Read some of the press coverage here:

For For-Profit Summer Camps

Up to $8 million is available to help for-profit overnight summer camps located in Wisconsin impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wisconsin Department of Administration will make Summer Camp Assistance Grant awards of up to $50,000 per eligible applicant.

Learn more about the Summer Camp Assistance Grant Program

For Minor League Sports Teams

Up to $2.8 million is available to help minor league sports teams in Wisconsin continue to bounce back from the pandemic. The Wisconsin Department of Administration will make Minor League Sports Teams Assistance Grant awards of up to $200,000 per eligible applicant.

Learn more about the Minor League Sports Team Grant Program

For Diverse Small Businesses

More than $100 million has been awarded to help support small businesses in communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. $42 million will go to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) across the state to make grants to small businesses, and $57.6 million will support diverse and rural chambers and nonprofit organizations that provide small business technical assistance, support, and grants to diverse-owned small businesses.

For My Organization

For My Organization

Governor Tony Evers is investing in non-profits and community organizations working to help residents and the state bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic. These programs are funded with federal dollars. Local community organizations are helping residents apply and receive assistance. Learn more about current, upcoming, and previous programs.

Current Programs

The State of Wisconsin has received over $41.8 million for HOME-ARP, to provide targeted development of rental housing units, supportive services, and nonprofit capacity building. Eligible applicants may now apply for funds to develop rental housing units and provide supportive services to qualifying populations. Qualifying populations include families and individuals experiencing homelessness, at risk of experiencing homelessness, fleeing domestic violence or human trafficking, veterans that meet certain criteria and their families, and other populations that are housing insecure.

Learn more

Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. 

For Non-Profits Moving into Commercial Spaces

The Main Street Bounceback Grants have provided $10,000 to new or existing non-profit organizations moving into a new commercial space. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is working with economic development partners to administer Main Street Bounce Back Grants. While the program has ended to new applications as of December 31, 2022, final awards are still being announced.

Learn more about Main Street Bounceback

For Safer Communities and Law Enforcement

More than $50 million investment has been announced for community safety initiatives, including $36 million for statewide programs to support local and tribal law enforcement agencies and funding to help alleviate the pandemic-related backlog of criminal cases. All local and tribal law enforcement agencies will be able to receive funds for eligible costs.

For Non-Profit After-School and Summer Programs

Governor Tony Evers invested in three non-profit after-school and summer program grants to ensure these necessary programs could meet the needs of children and families while keeping Wisconsin children, families, and workers safe.

The Out of School Grant Program provided $6.6 million to 42 organizations around the state in late 2020.

In 2021, Gov. Evers invested another $51 million in Beyond the Classroom and Beyond the Classroom Technical Grants for 115 Wisconsin non-profit organizations providing virtual and in-person programming for school-aged children.

Learn more about Out of School Grants
Learn more about Beyond the Classroom Grants
Beyond the Classroom Technical Grants

Read some of the press coverage here:

For Childcare Providers

Gov. Evers quickly invested federal dollars to support Wisconsin’s childcare providers. In 2020, Evers funded two programs – the first invested $51 million of federal Coronavirus Aide, Relief, and Economic Security(CARES) Act funds with 2,712 providers statewide between May and July. The second program, called Supplementary Payment Program, invested another nearly $80 million in the fall of 2020.

In April 2021, Gov. Evers again invested another nearly $60 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars with more than 3,000 providers across the state through Child Care Counts payment programs.

Learn more about previous assistance for childcare providers here

Read some of the press coverage here:

For Organizations that Support Diverse Small Businesses

$57.6 million in grants will support diverse and rural chambers and nonprofit organizations that provide small business technical assistance, support, and grants to diverse-owned small businesses and other businesses disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The Wisconsin Department of Administration will administer grants to eligible applicants that build capacity at non-profit chambers and similar organizations to help all parts of Wisconsin’s small business economy that were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic bounce back.

Learn more about the Diverse Business Assistance Program

For Non-Profit Organizations Focused on Solving Workforce Challenges

Up to $40 million was made available to support non-profit and governmental entities to help local communities solve pandemic-related workforce challenges. Round 2 Workforce Innovation Grants were announced July 2022.

Learn more about the Workforce Innovation Grant Program.

For Workforce Development Boards

Gov. Evers is investing up to $20 million with local workforce development boards in partnership with community-based organizations to subsidize employment and skills training opportunities with local employers to unemployed individuals. Called the Worker Advancement Initiative, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development will provide 11 workforce development boards funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to provide subsidized work to approximately 2,000 individuals.

Learn more

For Food Banks and Food Security Non-Profits

In 2020, the Evers Administration invested $15 million in food banks, food pantries, and other non-profit organizations. This investment provided Wisconsin food products to hungry Wisconsin residents, while supporting the infrastructure needed to ensure food reached those who needed it most. Seventeen food banks and non-profit organizations received a combined $5 million in Food Security Network Support Grants and two organizations received a combined $10 million through the Food Security and Wisconsin Products Grants.

Learn more about both grant programs

For Cultural Organizations

In 2020, the Evers Administration invested more than $15 million with 385 cultural organizations across Wisconsin. Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration, the grants assisted cultural organizations that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and covered costs such as lost revenue, increased worker compensation costs, cleaning and sanitizing, and the purchase of equipment to facilitate telework.

Learn more about the COVID-19 Cultural Organization Grant Program

Read some of the press coverage here:

For Non-Profit Health Care Organizations

Over $95 million has been invested in local governments, non-profit healthcare organizations, and Tribal governments to help end health disparities or to prepare for future pandemic response needs. The Wisconsin Department of Administration is administering the Healthcare Infrastructure Grants with awards ranging up to $20 million per eligible project. See the Explore the Data page for details. 

Learn more about the program

Read some of the press coverage here:

For CDFI-Run Grants to Diverse Small Businesses

$28.8 million investment will support Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) that administer grants to Wisconsin diverse-owned microbusinesses and other businesses disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wisconsin Department of Administration will administer grants of up to $5 million per CDFI to allow CDFIs to design and implement grant programs across the state for small business and entrepreneur assistance across the state.

Learn more about the Diverse Business Investment Program

For Wisconsin’s Historical Places and Organizations

In 2021, Gov. Evers invested $1 million with the Wisconsin Historical Society to assist in reopening historic sites closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Live Event Venue Non-Profit Organizations

Up to $10 million is available to help eligible owners of event venue non-profit organizations and businesses bounce back from the pandemic. The Wisconsin Department of Administration will make Live Event Venue Grant Program awards of up to $200,000 per eligible applicant.

Learn more about the Event Venue Assistance Grant Program

For Destination Marketing Organizations

Up to $15 million is available for non-profit, local government, and Wisconsin Tribal government tourism-promotion and tourism-development organizations working to help Wisconsin’s economy bounce back. The Wisconsin Department of Administration is making awards of up to $500,000 per eligible applicant. Applications for the Destination Marketing Organizations Grant Program have closed, and awards have been made. See the Explore the Data page for details. 

Learn more

For Non-Profits Focused on Equitable Recovery

Over $80 million investment is helping non-profit organizations working on equity and inclusion in the areas of economic, early childhood, education, health, housing, and the environment. The Wisconsin Department of Administration is administering Equitable Recovery Grants of up to $1 million per eligible applicant. See the Explore the Data page for details. 

Read some of the press coverage here:

For Tourism Non-Profits

Up to $10 million was made available to tourism non-profit organizations and to Tribal and local governments to invest in capital projects that support regional, national, or international travel. The Wisconsin Department of Administration administered Tourism Capital Grants of up to $3.5 million per eligible applicant. The application period closed Nov. 19, 2021.  See the Explore the Data page for details. 

Learn more about the program

For Non-Profits Responding to the Pandemic

In the fall of 2020, Gov. Evers invested $10 million in non-profit organizations providing health care, housing and shelter, adult education, and other critical services to Wisconsinites during the pandemic.

Learn more about the COVID Pandemic Response Nonprofit Grant Program

For Organizations Addressing Equity Gaps in Education, Healthcare and More

Gov. Evers has made a $82 million investment to assist community-based organizations that are providing services or programming to increase equity and eliminate disparities in health, early childhood, education, economic support, housing, and environmental justice for Wisconsin residents in qualified census tracts or communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. See the Explore the Data page for details. 

Learn more about the Equitable Recovery Program

For Tourism Capital Projects

$21.9 million was made available to tourism non-profit organizations and to Tribal and local governments to invest in capital projects that support regional, national, or international travel. The Wisconsin Department of Administration is administering Tourism Capital Grants of up to $3.5 million per eligible applicant. See the Explore the Data page for details. 

Learn more about the program here

Read some of the press coverage here:

For My Community

For My Community

Current Programs

For Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery Efforts

The Evers Administration is distributing more than $411 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Local Recovery Fund dollars to smaller communities across Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Revenue is assisting municipalities with populations under 500,000 to apply for funds. The first payment of 50 percent of a municipality’s allocation will be made in 2021 and the remaining portion will be made in 2022.

Learn more

Deadline: Rolling until funds are expended.

For Addressing Workforce Challenges

Up to $100 million will be available to support non-profit and governmental entities to help local communities solve pandemic-related workforce challenges. Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration, eligible regional applicants may receive up to $10 million as part of the Workforce Innovation Grant Program.

Sign up for the Badger Bounceback newsletter to learn more

For COVID-19 Response Activities

In 2020, the Wisconsin Department of Administration distributed $200 million to local government entities for emergency response activities, supplies, testing, housing for at-risk individuals, COVID-19-related employee costs, and other activities. The Routes to Recovery program reimbursed counties, cities, villages, and towns for unbudgeted expenditures incurred between March 1 and November 6, 2020.

Learn more about the program here.

Gov. Evers also invested in ongoing pandemic response efforts of local communities utilizing federal Coronavirus Aide, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds. Those investments included testing supplies and lab diagnostics, contact tracing, testing coordination, pandemic plan updates, personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitizing supplies.

Learn more about those investments on the Response and Recovery Dashboard here

For Safer Communities and Violence Prevention

Governor Evers announced more than $50 million investment for community safety, $36 million of which will go to statewide programs to support local and Tribal law enforcement agencies and funding to help alleviate the pandemic-related backlog of criminal cases. All local and Tribal law enforcement agencies will be able to receive funds for eligible costs. A breakdown of the allocations can be found here.

This brings the governor's overall investment into violence prevention and public safety to more than $100 million, including a $45 million investment announced in 2021 to support violence prevention efforts and crime victims.

For Supporting Wisconsin Schools

Nearly every school district across the state, including more than 450 local education agencies, will be awarded funds through the governor’s $15 million “Get Kids Ahead” initiative. Schools will be able to use these funds to provide direct mental healthcare, hire and support mental health navigators, provide mental health first aid and trauma-based care training, or provide family assistance programs. Every public school district in the state was eligible to opt in to receive these funds and was guaranteed to receive a minimum of $10,000. The remainder of the funds were allocated on a per-pupil basis.

Learn more about the program here

For Local Governments Investing in Equity and Pandemic Recovery

Over $212 million was made available through the Neighborhood Investment Fund Grant program for eligible local and tribal governments to build new or improved facilities and take on other significant projects with an eye towards serving populations that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The grant is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration, investing in shovel-ready projects. 

Check out the Explore the Data page for investment details.

Learn more about the Neighborhood Investment fund program
Sign up for the Badger Bounceback newsletter to learn more

Read some of the press coverage here:

For Tourism Capital Projects

$21.9 million was made available to tourism non-profit organizations and to Tribal and local governments to invest in capital projects that support regional, national, or international travel. The Wisconsin Department of Administration is administering Tourism Capital Grants of up to $3.5 million per eligible applicant.

Learn more about the program

Read some of the press coverage here:

For Expanding Broadband Access

Governor Tony Evers is investing $100 million in broadband infrastructure improvements across Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) is administering the American Rescue Plan Act Broadband Access Grants. In July 2021, the PSC received 240 applications totaling more than $420 million. The PSC met on September 24, 2021, to evaluate applications and will meet again to finish deliberations before finalizing an approved project list by the end of October. The PSC will approve projects that will be completed by December 31, 2024.

Learn more about the grants here

For Healthcare Infrastructure Investments

Over $97 million is available through the Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment Grant program for eligible local and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations to invest in new or expanded healthcare facilities to address health disparities in underserved communities. The grant is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration and will invest in shovel-ready projects.

Read more in the program press release. Additional information is available on the program website as well as the Explore the Data page.

Read some of the press coverage here: