What is it?
Landing a competition-related event often requires an upfront financial commitment or even cash. The Ready, Set, Go! grant program helps out communities by providing those booking assistance funds. We have two other partners to help with the administration of this program - the Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation and the Wisconsin Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus.
We’ll consider requests that will bring events into the state, as we’re looking for new sources of revenue. If the event is profitable, the grant recipient then repays either 50% of the grant or 50% of the profit, whichever is less. This helps us to sustain funds and keep the program going.
Why apply?
Getting an event to your local area gives you a chance to make a great impression on participants, their families and fans, turning them into lifelong fans of Wisconsin tourism. Money will be spent in the community and hotel rooms will be reserved. There’s also a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy with this, in that once you’ve hosted a successful sporting event, you’re on the radar screen for more.
Our fund has $100,000 available for matching grants. We can help out with 50% of a bid fee or 50% of other allowable facility costs, up to a maximum of $20,000.
Next Steps
- Read through the application
- Determine if your bid is a fit
- Cross-reference deadlines listed to the right
- Apply!