Greater Wausau Prosperity Partnership Awarded $500,000 Talent and Recruitment Grant

Wednesday, May 20th, 2026 -- 8:00 AM

The Greater Wausau Prosperity Partnership (GWPP) has been awarded a $500,000 Talent Recruitment Grant (TRG) through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to launch the Marathon County Workforce Relocation and Retention Initiative, in collaboration with Visit Wausau and regional partners.

The initiative is designed to attract out-of-state professionals, families and remote workers through relocation incentives, employer partnerships and quality-of-life destination marketing.

The grant was announced as part of a statewide $5 million investment by Gov. Tony Evers and WEDC supporting innovative workforce attraction initiatives across Wisconsin.

According to WEDC, the Marathon County initiative will focus on attracting talent in high-demand sectors such as engineering and healthcare while pairing financial incentives with a lifestyle-focused onboarding process designed to improve long-term retention.

“Greater Wausau offers a unique combination of opportunity, affordability and strong community connection,” said Renae Krings, senior director of the Greater Wausau Prosperity Partnership.

“This initiative gives us the opportunity to more intentionally tell the story of Greater Wausau and showcase why more people are choosing communities like ours. We are also grateful for the support of the Dwight and Linda Davis Foundation and Visit Wausau in helping make this initiative possible.”

The successful application included collaboration among employers, municipalities, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, tourism and workforce development partners throughout the region.

Visit Wausau will assist with marketing strategy, quality-of-life storytelling, visitor-to-resident engagement efforts and digital outreach designed to help convert prospective visitors and interested households into long-term residents.

“This initiative reflects how closely visitation, talent attraction and long-term community vitality are connected,” said Tim White, executive director of Visit Wausau. “Many people first discover Greater Wausau as visitors. Once they experience the outdoor recreation, arts and culture, affordability and quality of life here, they begin to see the region not just as a place to visit, but as a place to build a future.”

The WEDC Talent Recruitment Grant program was created through 2025 Wisconsin Act 15 to help Wisconsin communities address workforce shortages and projected population decline through innovative recruitment and relocation strategies.

Eligible projects include marketing,administration and relocation incentives designed to attract out-of-state households to Wisconsin communities. Additional details about the Marathon County Workforce Relocation and Retention Initiative will be announced in the coming months.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.