Wisconsin Innovation Grants, Round 2: The Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) is accepting applications from eligible Wisconsin counties, municipalities, and tribal governments that transfer qualifying public services or duties through an intergovernmental innovation plan. The program provides applicant financial assistance, not a government vendor-procurement contract. Eligible service areas include emergency medical services, fire and public safety, public health, housing and zoning, public works, information technology, parks, and other services listed in the official instructions.
Individual applicant award: The annual grant amount is calculated as 25% of the transferor entity’s documented total cost to deliver the transferred service or duty in the calendar year immediately preceding the transfer, subject to a maximum of $10,000,000 per recipient per year. DOR may make up to five annual payments within the statutory period ending June 30, 2030. The state’s approximately $228,000,000 remaining program funding is a statewide balance, not an individual grant award. Actual payments are project-specific and depend on eligibility and annual compliance.
Application windows: Round 2 opened October 1, 2026. Phase 1 applications submitted through December 31, 2026 are considered for earlier payment processing; Phase 2 runs January 1 through March 31, 2027. March 31, 2027 is the final Round 2 application date. DOR’s current materials state these dates without a specific application cutoff hour or time zone.
Eligibility and restrictions: The applying transferor must be a Wisconsin county, municipality, or tribe. A transferee may be another county, municipality, tribe, nonprofit joint district, or private entity, but nonprofit or private transferees cannot receive DOR grant distributions directly. The signed agreement must be dated November 13, 2024, or later, last at least three years, identify the transferred duty, document prior-year costs and financial allocations, and meet required service-continuity conditions. A renewal of an agreement already in effect before November 13, 2024, is ineligible. DOR prioritizes public safety, fire protection, and EMS collaborations.
Financial conditions: This program uses a prior-year cost-based payment formula rather than a standard percentage-match requirement. During the award period, combined service-delivery costs may not exceed 115% of the pre-transfer baseline; exceeding that threshold suspends the subsequent grant payment. Annual cost certification is required, and DOR may audit grant recipients. Applicants must supply supporting cost calculations and a fully executed agreement.
How to apply: Eligible county and municipal clerks, tribal representatives, or authorized designees must submit Form SL-405 electronically through MyDORGov, attaching the signed service-transfer agreement and innovation plan. Review the current five-page Form SL-405 instructions, DOR factsheet, and September 29, 2026 Q&A before submitting. The DOR Round 2 newsletter and updated application instructions control the 2026–2027 application period.
Official sources reviewed October 29, 2026: DOR Innovation Grants; Form SL-405 instructions; Round 2 announcement; and September 2026 Q&A.