Wisconsin Fast Forward Grants

Standard Wisconsin Fast Forward Grants

Industry Sectors Worker Training Grants

The objective of the Wisconsin Fast Forward (WFF) standard grant program is to award funds to businesses from all Wisconsin industry sectors that reimburse the costs of customized occupational training for unemployed, underemployed, and incumbent workers. The customized, business-driven training will qualify workers for full-time employment, higher level employment, or increased wages.

Open to all industry sectors and companies of any size.

Grant Amount: Grant awards range from $5,000 to $400,000 per grantee. A grantee serving as an applicant for a consortium of employment placement partners may apply for more than $400,000.

Match: Cash or in-kind match equal to 50% of the amount of the grant award is required.

Application Deadline: 3 p.m. CST on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024.

Sign up at https://wisconsinfastforward.com/signup/ now to receive information when exciting new grant funding opportunities become available.

Read grant award summaries to learn more about WFF funded projects.

Review archived GPAs here.

Expanded Wisconsin Fast Forward Grants

The objective of the Wisconsin Fast Forward (WFF) expanded grant program is to award funds that reimburse the costs of workforce development activities, as specified in the Grant Program Announcement (GPA).

Teacher Training and Recruitment Grants

This expanded WFF grant program is to recruit, train, and prepare individuals to teach in low-income or urban school districts in Wisconsin.

Open to: Applicants must be registered as a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and are exempt from taxation under section 501(a).

Amount: Up to $1,000,000 is being made available for this GPA.

Grant Amount: Up to $500,000.

Match: No Match required.

Application Deadline: The completed application, required forms, and supporting documents to WisconsinFastForward@dwd.wisconsin.gov emailed by 3 PM CST on Dec. 16, 2024.

Technical Education Equipment Grant

The purpose of the grant is to reimburse school districts for the purchase and installation costs of technical education equipment used in vocational training and technical education in advanced manufacturing fields, including costs for equipment operation software and instructional materials to train students.

Open to Wisconsin School Districts.

Amount: Approximately $504,894 is being made available for this GPA.

Grant Amount: Grant awards will range from $5,000 to $50,000 per grantee.

Match: Cash or in-kind match equal to 200% of the amount of the grant award is required ($2 Match for each $1 WFF award).

Application Deadline: The completed application, required forms, and supporting documents to WisconsinFastForward@dwd.wisconsin.gov emailed by 3 PM CST on April 16, 2024.

Sign up at https://wisconsinfastforward.com/signup/ now to receive information when exciting new grant funding opportunities become available.

Read grant award summaries to learn more about WFF-funded projects.

Review archived GPAs here.

Program Resources:

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Grantee Tools

OSD provides Grant Administration training opportunities to new and existing grantees after new grant awards are announced. Grantees are encouraged to use the Grant Administration Handbook resources below to effectively manage grant projects: