Nominations are being accepted through June 9 for individuals, businesses, projects, and organizations that are making significant contributions to propel Wisconsin’s economy forward.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Association (WEDA) along with award partners; the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the Wisconsin Counties Association, and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities are now soliciting nominations for WEDA’s Community and Economic Development Awards, which recognize businesses, organizations, individuals, projects or communities that are making significant contributions that propel Wisconsin’s economy forward.

An impartial panel of partners, sponsors and WEDA members will screen the nominations to ensure that they are complete and appropriate. The judges will independently score each nomination. The WEDA staff will tabulate the scores to determine the finalists and award winning nominations. The judges scoring and rankings will determine the winners in each category.

Awards recipients will appear in media and publications statewide, and recipients and will receive formal recognition at WEDA’s Community and Economic Development Awards event September 13 in Madison.

Awards will be given in six categories:

  • Business Retention and Expansion: Recognizing economic development initiatives that focus on retaining and growing businesses within communities and regions.
  • Human Capital: Recognizing initiatives or programs are a vital part of a successful economic development effort. These efforts utilize strategic approaches to strengthening the skills of the workforce by the private sectors; increasing and developing the pool of workers; enhancing the skill sets of low-skilled and other disadvantaged workers and/or integrating and aligning economic and workforce development activities by building a comprehensive workforce system.
  • Public-Private Partnership: Recognizing an outstanding and innovative development project that has significantly enhanced the economic revitalization of a specific area or community.
  • Economic Development Initiative: Honors economic development initiatives that focus on retaining and growing businesses within communities and regions.
  • Economic Driver: Recognizes a business that continues to investment with their Wisconsin business operations, human capital, and communities over a period of years.
  • Real Estate Redevelopment & Reuse: Recognizes innovative real estate redevelopment or reuse projects that demonstrate measurable and quantitative impact on employment and tax base.
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