Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA)
Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA) supports Wisconsin governing bodies with public transportation improvements that help attract and retain businesses while creating or preserving jobs.
Funder: Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Due Dates: Rolling (first come, first served)
Funding Amounts: Lesser of 50% of eligible costs or $5,000 per job created or retained; $3.4 million available annually
Summary: Matching grants support publicly owned transportation improvements essential to Wisconsin business development and job creation or retention.
Key Information: Advertising construction or disturbing project right-of-way before grant award and WisDOT document approval makes the project ineligible.
Description
The Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA) program, administered by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), provides matching state grants to governing bodies for road, rail, harbor, and airport improvements. It supports transportation projects essential to attracting employers to Wisconsin or helping existing businesses remain and expand. The program is intended to advance improvements more quickly than normal state programming processes allow.
TEA links public transportation investment to specific, non-speculative business developments and lasting employment commitments. A business must commit to creating or retaining jobs, and the community must demonstrate that both the business development and transportation improvement depend on the proposed assistance. Projects must benefit the public and retain the transportation improvement in public ownership.
