Omro students work in teams to manufacture a toy front end loader in the school’s fab lab.
WEDC expects to award grants to 10 districts; deadline is Jan. 15
MADISON, WI. OCT. 13, 2025 – The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is now accepting applications for its Fabrication Laboratories (Fab Labs) Grant Program, which provides funding to help public schools build or expand fab labs.
The grant program supports hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) education by assisting public school districts with equipment purchases for instructional and educational purposes in fab labs. Fab labs are high-tech workshops with the latest equipment, including computer-controlled manufacturing components such as 3D printers, laser engravers and computer numerical control routers.
WEDC’s investment in the program puts fab labs within reach for schools that might otherwise not have the financial means to install such facilities.
“Fab labs provide students a powerful opportunity not just to build in-demand skills, but also to explore innovation, creativity and hands-on problem-solving,” said Sam Rikkers, deputy secretary and Chief Operating Officer of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development agency. “These labs serve as a launchpad for the talent that will drive Wisconsin’s economy forward.”
WEDC will provide grants of up to $25,000 to public school districts, or up to $50,000 to consortiums of two or more districts, for the creation and/or expansion of fab labs. The minimum grant amount is $10,000.
For this year’s funding cycle, applicants are being asked to match 50% of the amount of grant funds requested. For example, if a district is requesting a grant of $25,000, the district must provide a match of at least $12,500. The funds may be used to purchase equipment used for instructional and educational purposes by elementary, middle, junior high, or high school students.
Since the program’s inception, WEDC has awarded over $5.5 million in grants to 133 districts. In May, grants totaling $ 496,761 were awarded to 20 districts.
WEDC is allocating $250,000 this fiscal year and anticipates awarding 10 grants. Recipients will be announced in the spring 2026.
Fab Labs Grants will be awarded on a non-competitive first-come, first-served basis, with applicants evaluated on application completeness, evidence of readiness and long-range planning, curriculum, business and community partnerships, financial need, and previous awards.
Applicants may only be awarded one grant per fiscal year. Applicants can receive a maximum of three grants over a program’s lifetime. The three-award limit does not apply to the following: Milwaukee Public Schools; the expansion of a Fab Lab to allow use by K-8 students; the expansion of a Fab Lab to include artificial intelligence, or related skills training.
More information on the program, including application details, can be found at wedc.org/fablabs. The deadline to apply is Jan. 15.
