Office of Emergency Communications Grant Announcement
SFY2026 NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Program

Application Submission Deadline:
11:59 PM CT February 26, 2026   

All questions for the NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Program should be directed to: grant.grywalsky@widma.gov or interop@widma.gov. If you experience difficulties with the email address above, please call [608] 888-5501 for assistance.

Application Submission:  Applications must be emailed as attachments to interop@widma.gov by the application deadline. All application documents other than the excel budget spreadsheet must be submitted in PDF format. Emailed applications should be labeled with the subject “SFY26 Track 1 NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Application” or “SFY26 Track 2 NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Application” depending on which track you apply for. Applicants can either apply for Track 1 or Track 2, not both.  

Description: The Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs/Office of Emergency Communications (DMA/OEC) is pleased to announce the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2026 NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Program funding opportunity. The NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Program is intended to provide funding to county land information offices for data creation, preparation, and remediation activities necessary for enabling Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1).

Opportunity Category: Competitive

The SFY26 NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Program is introducing two parallel tracks to address different stakeholder needs as the transition to NG9-1-1 progresses in each county.

Track 1: Data Creation/Remediation

• This track should be used to provide grant assistance to jurisdictions that still need to bring their data up to the i3 standard to be used for full call routing on the ESInet. This may include jurisdictions that have gone live on the ESInet using the phased approach, or have not yet transitioned to an ESInet.
• This is a 1-time grant and all data must meet specific benchmarks prior to grant closeout.
• Funding for Track 1 requests will be prioritized.

Track 2: Data Maintenance

• This track should be used to provide support for data maintenance tasks to ensure continued compliance with the data standard for enabling NG9-1-1.
• Applicants apply for a fixed quarterly data maintenance reimbursement amount that would be provided on an annual basis at the end of the grant performance period. The quarterly amount will be determined in the grant award document.
• There is no local match source required for this track.

Eligibility

Applicant Eligibility specific to Track 1: County land information offices that:

• Have not previously received a grant through the OEC GIS Grant Program for contractual services or in-house staffing to perform data remediation/creation; or
• Do not have GIS data ready to be used for full call routing on an ESInet.

Suggested Applicants for Track 1

• Door County
• Iowa County
• Kewaunee County
• Lafayette County
• Langlade County
• Price County
• Shawano County
• Vilas County

Applicant Eligibility specific to Track 2: County land information offices that:

• Previously received a grant through the OEC GIS Grant Program for contractual services or in-house staffing to perform data remediation/creation; or
• Have GIS data ready to be used for full call routing on an ESInet.

Suggested Applicants for Track 2

• Adams County
• Ashland County
• Barron County*
• Bayfield County
• Brown County
• Buffalo County
• Burnett County
• Calumet County
• Chippewa County
• Clark County
• Columbia County
• Crawford County
• Dane County
• Dodge County*
• Douglas County*
• Dunn County
• Eau Claire County
• Florence County
• Fond du Lac County
• Forest County
• Grant County*
• Green County
• Green Lake County
• Iron County
• Jackson County
• Jefferson County
• Juneau County
• Kenosha County
• La Crosse County
• Lincoln County*
• Manitowoc County
• Marathon County
• Marinette County
• Marquette County
• Menominee County
• Milwaukee County*
• Monroe County
• Oconto County
• Oneida County*
• Outagamie County
• Ozaukee County*
• Pepin County
• Pierce County
• Polk County
• Portage County
• Racine County
• Richland County
• Rock County
• Rusk County
• Sauk County
• Sawyer County
• Sheboygan County
• St. Croix County
• Taylor County
• Trempealeau County
• Vernon County
• Walworth County
• Washburn County
• Washington County
• Waukesha County
• Waupaca County
• Waushara County
• Winnebago County
• Wood County

*Denotes counties that have not received a GIS grant to date and may be eligible for projects under Track 1. SFY26 will be the only opportunity for these counties to receive grant funding under Track 1.

The lists provided above are not definitive. If an applicant believes their county has been placed in the incorrect track, please contact interop@widma.gov by February 15^th, 2026.

Required Benchmarks

Each track requires that specific benchmarks be met prior to receiving grant funding. The required benchmarks for this grant announcement are detailed in the Statement of Policy NGSP.1 NG911 GIS Grants, Version 4.0: GIS Grants Policy 2026

Allowable/Unallowable Expenses

Below is a general list of allowable and unallowable expenses under the SFY26 NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Program, including examples.

Allowable Expenses for Track 1:

• Costs to contract with a third party to perform:
  • Remediation, gathering, and creation of NG9-1-1 data layers
  • Legacy database synchronization
• Costs to hire additional staff to perform the services described above
• Server upgrades required for NG9-1-1 GIS data transition
• Training directly related to NG9-1-1 GIS data implementation and workflows
• ESRI ArcGIS or other vendor software and related training to support NG9-1-1 data creation and remediation
• GIS to CAD workflows and ETLs
• Costs for ALI data extracts
• Addressing data management startup costs directly related to enabling NG9-1-1 data maintenance
• Ortho-imagery used to support 9-1-1 mapping

*Bolded items above will be prioritized.

Allowable Expenses for Track 2:

• GIS staff working on 9-1-1 data
• GIS data provisioning software
• Mapping software upgrades
• Server upgrades required for 9-1-1 data/mapping
• Costs for ALI data extracts
• Ortho-imagery used to support 9-1-1 mapping

NOTE: All funds received through reimbursement in Track 2 must go towards supporting 9-1-1 services.

Unallowable Expenses for Track 1 and Track 2:

• General county overhead costs
• Costs for providing emergency services or emergency services equipment
• Expenses not directly related to NG9-1-1 implementation

Anticipated Funding Amount

A maximum of $6 million in State Fiscal Year 2026 has been made available for grants under the SFY26 GIS Grant Program.

For Track 1: Applications for the priority items under Track 1 will receive overall funding priority. Grant funds will be received in the form of reimbursement following project closeout and confirmation that all grant benchmarks were met. You should use your required vendor quote(s) to determine your estimated project budget and consider the maximum amount that you are able to match from local sources and the ability to pay for the full project upfront. It is highly recommended that the Track 1 application includes all costs necessary to get the county ready to be able to meet Track 2 benchmarks.

For Track 2: It is estimated that Track 2 applicants may be eligible to receive between $6,000 – $37,500 per quarter. Final quarterly award amounts will be identified within the grant award documents. Grant funds will be distributed through four quarterly payments after submission and review of documentation confirming all grant benchmarks were met for each quarter.

Source of Funds: This state grant was authorized by Wis. Stats. § 256.35 (3s) (br), with anticipated funds allocated to DMA from the 9-1-1 Fund. DMA reserves the right to limit the maximum amount that will be funded for individual grants based on available state funds and funding priorities. DMA cannot guarantee future grant funding levels.

Match/Cost Sharing Requirement

Under the SFY2026 Track 1 NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Program, there is a 5% cost share/match requirement. Cash match only. Your proposed project budget total must reflect a maximum of 95% state share and a minimum of 5% local match. For more information on cash match, how to calculate your local share, and supplanting, please see the OEC Grant Guide: OEC Grant Guidance

There is no cost share/match requirement for the SFY2026 Track 2 NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Program.

Grant Timeline

These timelines may change at any point during the grant process. Changes will be communicated to all applicable parties. Individual periods of performance may differ from the below timeline.

Application Period: January 14 – February 26, 2026

Award Notice: No later than March 2026

Project Start Date: April 1, 2026

Progress Report: DueQuarterly

Project End Date: March 31, 2027

Application Requirements

Application Submission: Applications must be emailed as attachments to interop@widma.gov by the application deadline. All application documents other than the excel budget spreadsheet must be submitted in PDF format. Emailed applications should be labeled with the subject “SFY26 Track 1 NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Application” or “SFY26 Track 2 NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Application” depending on which track you apply for. Applicants can either apply for Track 1 or Track 2, not both. 

Track 1 Application Checklist:

• Track 1 Grant Application Form: email interop@widma.gov for a copy of the form
• Budget Spreadsheet: email interop@widma.gov for a copy of the spreadsheet
• Vendor Quote(s) for each grant funded project
• Joint letter from each PSAP in the county and the Land Information Office indicating support and coordination for NG9-1-1 implementation. A new letter should be submitted in each application.

Track 2 Application Checklist:

• Track 2 Grant Application Form: email interop@widma.gov for a copy of the form
• Joint letter from each PSAP in the county and the Land Information Office indicating support and coordination for NG9-1-1 maintenance. A new letter should be submitted in each application.

Award Process

Applicants will be notified once an award decision has been made. The award documents will specify the awarded grant amount, including the local match amount required, the grant period of performance, and any special conditions that have been placed on the grant award.

Awardees must return award documents to interop@widma.gov prior to starting the grant project. All SFY26 grant projects may begin no sooner than April 1^st.

Reporting Requirements

If awarded a grant, your agency may be responsible for completing a progress report on a quarterly basis as listed in the award package. A progress report form will be provided.

Reimbursement/Payment

Payments will be made via a paper check unless electronic means are requested specifically by the agency prior to the payment. Additional forms to enable ACH electronic payment will need to be completed.

Track 1: One-time reimbursement will occur when you submit your closeout materials. Exceptions may be made in the event of extreme financial hardship.

Track 2: Payment for the quarters in which the eligibility benchmarks are met will be made through four quarterly payments after submission and review of documentation confirming all grant benchmarks were met.

Recordkeeping Requirements

Grant financial and administrative records shall be maintained by grantees for a period of no less than four (4) years following the date of the closure/audit of the grant award. Equipment records shall be maintained for a period of four (4) years following the final disposition, replacement, or transfer of the equipment. Grantees shall record all match earned by its agency, including all supporting documentation.

Grantees shall keep records of different state fiscal periods separately, identified, and maintained so that backup documentation may be readily located. Grantees are also obligated to protect records adequately against fire or other damage. When records are stored away from the grantee’s principal office, a written index of the location of records stored should be on hand and available.

Contact Information

For general questions related to the NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Program, please send an email to grant.grywalsky@widma.gov or interop@widma.gov. If you experience difficulties with the email address above, please call [608] 888-5501.