Brownfield Grant Program

The Brownfields Grant Program is administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) through its Business and Community Development Division. Established under Wisconsin statute, the program is designed to address environmental contamination challenges that hinder the redevelopment of industrial and commercial properties. These sites, commonly referred to as brownfields, are often abandoned, idle, or underutilized due to real or perceived contamination issues. The program plays a critical role in advancing economic development by transforming these properties into productive, marketable assets that contribute to community revitalization and economic growth. The primary purpose of the program is to provide financial assistance for environmental remediation activities that enable redevelopment of contaminated sites where no responsible party can be identified or held financially accountable. By reducing the environmental and financial barriers associated with site cleanup, the program facilitates investment in areas that would otherwise remain stagnant. The program is particularly focused on supporting projects that demonstrate strong redevelopment potential and positive impacts on public health, environmental quality, and local economies. Funding under the program can be used for a defined set of eligible activities related to environmental investigation and remediation. These include site assessments, removal of hazardous materials, soil remediation, installation of environmental control systems such as vapor intrusion mitigation, and demolition activities necessary to prepare a site for redevelopment. However, certain costs are explicitly excluded, including new construction expenses, indirect construction costs, delinquent taxes, and regulatory lien payments. All funded activities must be approved prior to incurring costs, and matching funds are required, typically at a 3:1 ratio, though this may be reduced to 1:1 under specific conditions such as projects located in economically distressed or rural communities. Eligibility for the program is broad and inclusive, encompassing individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, local governments, and tribal entities. Applicants must meet several key requirements, including demonstrating that environmental contamination exists and that the responsible party is unknown, cannot be located, or lacks the financial capacity to address remediation. Additionally, applicants must provide recent Phase I and Phase II environmental reports, generally completed within five years of application submission, and must engage with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for technical assistance or review of remediation plans prior to contracting. The application process begins with engagement with a WEDC Account Manager to assess project suitability. Qualified applicants are then invited to submit a formal application through the Network Wisconsin platform. Applications undergo underwriting review and are evaluated based on several criteria, including economic development potential, environmental impact, project readiness, financial feasibility, and alignment with community development plans. Additional considerations include the extent of contamination, the adequacy of remediation planning, and the involvement of diverse contractors. The program operates on a continuous application basis, allowing applicants to submit proposals at any time. Awards are made in consultation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and recipients are required to adhere to performance reporting obligations. These include annual reporting on capital investment, remediation progress, and other project metrics. Recipients must also retain documentation for audit purposes for a minimum of three years following the final report submission. While no fixed award timeline is specified, the program anticipates funding multiple projects annually, with a total program allocation of over two million dollars in the most recent fiscal cycle. Overall, the Brownfields Grant Program serves as a strategic tool for environmental and economic transformation, enabling communities across Wisconsin to reclaim contaminated properties and reposition them for productive use. Its structured approach to funding, combined with rigorous eligibility and evaluation criteria, ensures that resources are directed toward projects with meaningful and measurable impacts.

Ensure strong documentation of contamination and remediation plan align project with community economic development goals demonstrate financial readiness and include third party cost estimates