Let’s amplify the impact of your marketing budget

You have a great community with unique offerings, incredible employers, and an excellent quality of life. Even with all that going for you, you may still run into workforce challenges and need to market yourself to attract new talent. WEDC’s Talent Attraction and Retention Marketing Cooperative Initiative is here to help increase your marketing power.

For eligible partners, WEDC will provide dollar-for-dollar matching funds to support talent attraction and retention marketing. This can include advertising as well as activities such as market research, audience targeting, and development of creative materials.

Participation is limited to eligible entities. Specific projects must be approved (using the supplied application form) in advance, and only preapproved expenses are eligible for reimbursement. Eligible expenses are reimbursed only after proof of advertising placement or other expenditure is provided.

Total funds are limited to $600,000 and will be reserved for projects in the order they are approved.

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply?

  • Review the detailed initiative guidelines.
  • Download the application.
  • Save and rename the completed application with your name (e.g., yourname-talent-coop-application.pdf)
  • Send the completed application, any attachments, and a current IRS Form W9 to talentcoop@wedc.org

Who is eligible to participate?

  • Government, public, and nonprofit organizations that promote economic development
  • Regional and industry economic development entities
  • State government agencies representing key industry sectors (state agencies are exempt from the matching requirement; maximum WEDC support of $75,000 applies)
  • Please refer to the initiative guidelines for additional eligibility requirements and limitations.

What are the dates of the initiative?

  • Eligible expenses with prior approval must be:
    • For advertising or other marketing activities initiated on or after July 2024
    • Incurred by May 30, 2025
  • Applications for reimbursement must be received by June 13, 2025.

What amount of matching funds can I receive?

  • Maximum reimbursement per participant in FY25 is $75,000
  • Minimum proposal size is $10,000 (eligible for a $5,000 match)
  • Those who participated in the FY24 Co-op Initiative are eligible for a maximum award of $50,000
  • Multiple requests will be accepted from the same applicant, up to the applicable limit for the fiscal year
  • Multiple requests contingent on the overall availability of Co-op Initiative funds

How much money is available through this initiative?

Total funding available through WEDC for this initiative is $600,000. Funds are reserved based on the order of application approval until the total budgeted amount is reserved.

Is an application or a contract required?

Yes, both are required. An application must be submitted and approved by WEDC’s senior vice president of marketing and brand strategy to be accepted into the Co-op Initiative. Once the application is approved, the applicant must agree to a contract provided by WEDC.