WisDOT MAPSS - Accountability - Transportation Facilities Economic Assistance and Development (TEA) Grants - The continuous effort to use public dollars in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
Transportation Facilities Economic Assistance and Development (TEA) Grants - The continuous effort to use public dollars in the most efficient and cost-effective way.When businesses want to expand within or move to Wisconsin, they can apply for a TEA grant to defray a portion of transportation facility improvement costs associated with the move. The target is to leverage 50 dollars of private capital investment for every dollar of grant funds provided.
The Transportation Facilities Economic Assistance and Development (TEA) program provides state matching grants to local governments to complete road, rail, harbor, and airport improvement projects that help attract employers to Wisconsin, or that encourage businesses to remain and expand within Wisconsin. The goal is to attract and retain business in Wisconsin, which increases the number of local job opportunities, improves the local tax base, and boosts spending in the local economy.
The most significant factor affecting this measure is the lack of a direct relationship between job creation and the amount of funds awarded to the total capital investment made. Since the amount of funding awarded for a project is based on the number of jobs created rather than the amount of capital investment made, it is equally likely that a project may involve large private sector investments as it is to involve a relatively small amount of investment. In 2023, the one project had a capital investment to grant dollar ratio that did not meet the target of $50.
WisDOT continues to partner with other state agencies as well as regional and local economic development agencies to promote the availability of the TEA program. Outreach is conducted at various business and industry functions including Wisconsin Economic Development Association (WEDA) conferences, regional economic development conferences, and other region- or state-sponsored events.