Wisconsin · Midwestern US
Wisconsin cybersecurity grants for defense contractors
Wisconsin's defense-manufacturing footprint spans Fort McCoy, the Army's largest installation in the state, Volk Field Air National Guard Base, and a statewide network of DoD suppliers feeding primes like Fincantieri Marinette Marine and Oshkosh Corporation. If you hold or pursue DoD work, a CMMC gap assessment shows exactly where you stand, and the Cyber Grants Alliance grant can cover it.
CMMC Phase 2 status: under DoD review. DoD suspended the CMMC Phase 2 third-party certification requirement in July 2026 pending a program review. Phase 1 self-assessment against NIST SP 800-171 remains mandatory now, and self-certified compliance carries more liability with third-party verification on hold.
Why it matters here
Where does Wisconsin's defense work come from?
Wisconsin's defense economy centers on two major installations, Fort McCoy and Volk Field Air National Guard Base, alongside a substantial defense-manufacturing supply chain feeding primes like Fincantieri Marinette Marine and Oshkosh Corporation, creating significant contracting opportunities, and CMMC obligations, for local businesses.
Monroe County
Fort McCoy
The U.S. Army's largest installation in Wisconsin at roughly 60,000 acres, located between Tomah and Sparta. Fort McCoy functions as a Total Force Training Center supporting readiness for reserve and active-component forces across all service branches, with over 100,000 military personnel training there annually. It is also used by law enforcement, including the Wisconsin State Patrol Academy, for range and tactical training.
Camp Douglas, Juneau County
Volk Field Air National Guard Base
Home to the Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, one of only four Air National Guard CRTC sites in the U.S., and the 128th Air Control Squadron. Hosts Patriot Warrior, the Air Force Reserve Command's largest annual training exercise since 2006. Adjacent Camp Williams hosts the U.S. Property & Fiscal Office for Wisconsin and the Army National Guard's Consolidated State Maintenance Facility.
Statewide supply chain
Fincantieri Marinette Marine & Oshkosh Corporation networks
Two of Wisconsin's largest defense primes anchor a statewide supplier network of roughly 2,500 discrete defense suppliers, generating sustainment, logistics, manufacturing, and IT-support contracting activity, and CMMC flow-down obligations, across the state.
Your local partner
Who is Wisconsin's CMMC and manufacturing partner?
Wisconsin is served by two NIST-recognized Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) affiliates covering different parts of the state, rather than a single statewide center.
WMEP — Madison (southern & eastern Wisconsin)
The Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership is an independent not-for-profit serving southern and eastern Wisconsin manufacturers with general consulting support. No CMMC- or cybersecurity-specific service is confirmed on its published profile.
UW-Stout Manufacturing Outreach Center — Menomonie (northern & western Wisconsin)
Hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Stout, this MEP affiliate lists cybersecurity among its Innovation & Technology service areas. UW-Stout separately received a $124,555 federal grant to build ACCESS, an AI-powered CMMC education support system for defense suppliers, run with partners including Chippewa Valley Technical College and the Wisconsin Procurement Institute. ACCESS's current operational status has not been independently confirmed — check with UW-Stout before relying on it as an active service.
More resources
What other cybersecurity support can Wisconsin businesses use?
No currently active Wisconsin state program directly funds or subsidizes CMMC gap assessment or remediation costs. The one program that did, WISECURED, closed in 2021. What remains active is free technical assistance and education, not direct financial subsidy of compliance costs.
WISECURED — closed, no longer accepting applications
A $1.1 million DoD grant awarded to UW-Whitewater's Cybersecurity Center for Business, delivered through Fincantieri Marinette Marine and Oshkosh Corporation's supplier networks. It provided CMMC gap awareness, self-assessment, and remediation planning to roughly 2,500 Wisconsin defense suppliers, but the program's own page states it is complete and is no longer accepting new applications. Do not treat it as an active funding source.
Wisconsin Procurement Institute — APEX Accelerator
Funded in part by the Defense Logistics Agency and WEDC, WPI offers free CMMC-specific education for Wisconsin businesses pursuing government contracts, including a recurring webinar series covering CMMC program updates and compliance responsibilities. This is technical assistance, not grant funding for assessment or remediation costs.
WEDC & Wisconsin SBDC awareness resources
WEDC's "Cybersecurity Matters" series offers free general small-business cybersecurity education. The Wisconsin SBDC's "Small Business, Big Threat" tool is a free, confidential, non-technical risk-assessment resource with a module for government contractors. Both are educational; neither is CMMC-specific or a source of compliance funding.
The grant
How much does a CMMC gap assessment cost in Wisconsin?
Through the CMMC gap assessment grant, it is a $5,000 in-kind award, no cash changes hands. You receive the assessment itself, delivered by a certified partner. 100 grants are available.
Confirm you qualify
Open to U.S. defense contractors and manufacturers in the supply chain that hold or pursue DoD contracts and have not yet completed a CMMC assessment.
Get assessed against NIST 800-171
A certified partner reviews your current controls and produces a scored gap report showing what stands between you and CMMC Level 2.
Leave with a remediation plan
You receive a prioritized action list and the resources that can fund the fixes, so compliance becomes a budget line, not a guess.
Questions
Frequently asked questions — Wisconsin CMMC grants
Who qualifies for the CMMC gap assessment grant in Wisconsin?
The grant is open to U.S. defense contractors and manufacturers in the DoD supply chain that hold or are pursuing DoD contracts and have not yet completed a CMMC assessment. Wisconsin businesses supporting Fort McCoy, Volk Field Air National Guard Base, or the defense supply chains of primes like Fincantieri Marinette Marine and Oshkosh Corporation are typical candidates.
How much does a CMMC gap assessment cost in Wisconsin?
Through the Cyber Grants Alliance program, the assessment is delivered as a $5,000 in-kind grant, no cash award. You receive the assessment itself from a certified partner. 100 grants are available.
What is Wisconsin's MEP center?
Wisconsin has two NIST-recognized Manufacturing Extension Partnership affiliates. WMEP, based in Madison, serves southern and eastern Wisconsin. The UW-Stout Manufacturing Outreach Center, based in Menomonie, serves northern and western Wisconsin and lists cybersecurity among its service areas; UW-Stout separately received a $124,555 federal grant to build ACCESS, an AI-powered CMMC education support system, though its current operational status has not been independently confirmed.
Is CMMC Level 2 enforcement still happening on November 10, 2026?
No. DoD suspended the CMMC Phase 2 third-party (C3PAO) certification requirement on July 13, 2026, pending a program review, so there is no confirmed enforcement date at this time. Phase 1 self-assessment against all 110 NIST SP 800-171 controls remains mandatory now, and self-certified SPRS scores carry more liability while third-party verification is paused. A gap assessment is still the essential first step.
Do subcontractors in Wisconsin need CMMC?
If your contract or a prime's contract involves Controlled Unclassified Information, CMMC requirements generally flow down to subcontractors that handle that information. A gap assessment is the fastest way to confirm what applies to you.
Ready when you are
Apply for your CMMC gap assessment grant
100 in-kind awards, $5,000 each. Confirm eligibility and submit in minutes.