Wisconsin healthcare workforce grant applications face Aug. 17 deadline
Wisconsin organizations seeking funding to address rural healthcare workforce shortages have until 3 p.m. Central time Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, to submit applications for the state’s WIG: HEART grant program.
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is accepting competitive applications for projects intended to help rural and semi-rural communities recruit and retain healthcare workers, expand training, improve care availability and reduce employment barriers such as transportation, housing and child care.
Applications and every required exhibit must be submitted through DWD’s online application system. The agency says incomplete applications will not be evaluated or scored.
What the grants offer
Eligible lead applicants may request between $500,000 and $10 million for projects designed to operate over four years. DWD says approximately $4.9 million is available for Year 1.
DWD’s June announcement describes WIG: HEART as a program offering up to $150 million over four years. The current application, however, is for the first year of the program, and the approximately $4.9 million figure is the amount identified for Year 1 rather than the total four-year program amount.
The formal grant announcement lists an anticipated Year 1 period from Oct. 30, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027. It also says applicants must reapply annually for later-year funding, which will depend on available federal funding, performance and progress toward milestones.
DWD’s program webpage lists the broader four-year schedule as running through Sept. 30, 2030. The agency’s FAQ instead lists Sept. 1, 2030, creating a discrepancy in the posted materials. The formal grant announcement is the controlling source for the Year 1 dates used in this application round.
Who may apply
Lead applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or governmental entities that are located in and serve designated rural or semi-rural Wisconsin counties.
The rural target counties include Adams, Ashland, Barron, Buffalo, Burnett, Clark, Crawford, Florence, Forest, Green Lake, Iron, Jackson, Juneau, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Monroe, Oneida, Pepin, Polk, Portage, Price, Richland, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, Vilas, Washburn and Wood.
The semi-rural target counties include Bayfield, Brown, Calumet, Chippewa, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Manitowoc, Marathon, Oconto, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pierce, Racine, Rock, Sauk, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago.
Applicants located only in Milwaukee County or serving only Milwaukee County are not eligible. DWD classifies all of Milwaukee County as metropolitan for this program.
Eligible organizations may apply as lead applicants on more than one application when representing different partnerships, but the cumulative award amount for a lead applicant is capped at $10 million.
What projects can cover
Grant priorities include healthcare workforce recruitment and retention, training and technical assistance, technology-enabled care solutions, appropriate care availability, limited capital expenditures and infrastructure, regional collaboration and workforce development.
Projects also may address barriers that make it difficult for workers to enter or remain in the healthcare workforce. Eligible wraparound supports can include transportation, child care and housing. Housing assistance for students or trainees is limited to short-term housing for rural clinical rotations when included in an approved project.
Funds may support partnerships involving healthcare employers, workforce development boards, schools, colleges, universities, local governments, economic development organizations and nonprofit groups. DWD says applications will be evaluated competitively and should show measurable effects for workers, such as job placements, employer hiring commitments or wage gains.
No project outcomes are known before awards are made. DWD reserves the right to make no award.
What applicants must submit
A complete application package includes:
- The application
- Exhibit 1: Year 1 budget
- Exhibit 2: Years 2 through 4 budget
- Exhibit 3: Timeline
- Exhibit 4: W-9 form
- Exhibit 5: Due diligence checklist and pre-award risk assessment
- Exhibit 6: Letters of commitment from identified partners and sub-recipients, combined into one PDF
- Exhibit 7: Indirect cost rate agreement, if applicable
DWD’s grant announcement says all required materials must be uploaded through the applicant portal. The application must identify organizations supporting the project and designate which partners will receive grant funds as sub-recipients.
Funding comes with reporting requirements
WIG: HEART generally operates as a reimbursement program. Organizations pay eligible project costs and then request reimbursement from DWD. The agency may issue advance payments of up to 5% of a Year 1 award for initial planning activities.
Remaining funds will be released on a reimbursement basis, subject to allowable expenses, available funding and progress toward required milestones. Grantees must provide quarterly and annual reports covering implementation, spending, performance measures and unresolved problems.
Project activities may begin only after the grant agreement between the organization and DWD is fully executed. Costs incurred before the contract is executed are not eligible for reimbursement.
Clinical workforce recruitment and retention projects carry an additional obligation. Clinicians recruited or retained through those initiatives must commit to serving rural communities for at least five years. DWD’s FAQ says telehealth alone does not satisfy the requirement; covered clinicians must be physically located and practice in rural Wisconsin.
What happens after the deadline
DWD will review applications competitively through an independent evaluation committee. The formal grant announcement lists tentative award announcements for the week of Oct. 12, 2026, with the Year 1 grant period anticipated to begin Oct. 30.
The grants could eventually affect healthcare access and employment opportunities in rural Wisconsin by supporting local training pipelines, recruitment efforts, care-delivery planning and assistance for workers facing practical barriers. The effect on staffing, services and residents will depend on which applications receive awards, how projects perform and whether funding remains available in later years.
Sources
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