Rural Technology Transformation Fund: Allocations to Improve Health Services in Rural Wisconsin
Funding opportunity summary
The Rural Health Transformation Program will award an estimated $209 million over five years in technology grants. Grants will be rolled out in two rounds to different types of healthcare organizations. Through these grants, Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) seeks to bolster the state’s capacity to provide high-quality care to rural residents via technological innovations. Applicants may apply to multiple Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding opportunities for which their organizations are eligible. Download the full grant funding opportunity to access application questions and instructions.
Download the full grant funding opportunity and addenda (PDF)
Key dates
Application release
July 1, 2026
Application submission due
Aug. 1, 2026
Application questions due
July 7, 2026. Responses will be posted within one week. Please send questions to: DHSRuralHealth@dhs.wisconsin.gov and place Technology Transformation Application Questions in the Subject line.
Estimated date for award notification
September 2026
Estimated funding
Funds will be distributed to eligible organizations in two separate funding rounds as outlined below.
Eligible applicants by funding round
Round 1: This funding announcement pertains to Round 1, which includes an estimated $61 million, pending CMS approval, to be allocated over three years beginning in 2026. Round 1 funds will be allocated to healthcare organizations with one or more Rural Health Clinics and healthcare organizations with one or more Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) serving rural and semi-rural communities as defined in Addendum Exhibits 3 and 4. Only organizations listed in Addendum Exhibit 4 are eligible to apply for Round 1 funding.
Round 2: The second round of funds, estimated at $148 million pending CMS approval, will be allocated over three to four years beginning in the summer or fall of 2027. Round 2 funds will be available to other types of health organizations as outlined in Exhibit 3: hospital organizations with one or more locations, local health departments, Tribal clinics, healthcare organizations with one or more free and charitable clinics, and healthcare organizations with one or more opioid treatment facilities serving rural and semi-rural communities. A separate funding opportunity for Round 2 funds will be announced in 2027, along with a list of eligible organizations.
Round 1: Estimated funds for FQHCs
| Year 1 | Year 2* | Year 3* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | 10/1/2026–7/31/2027 | 8/1/2027–7/31/2028 | 8/1/2028–7/31/2029 |
| Total funding available | $15,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 |
| Average anticipated award per organization | $1,260,000 | $420,000 | $420,000 |
*Pending CMS approval
Round 1: Estimated funds for Rural Health Clinics
| Year 1 | Year 2* | Year 3* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | 10/1/2026–7/31/2027 | 8/1/2027–7/31/2028 | 8/1/2028–7/31/2029 |
| Total funding available | $28,000,000 | $6,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Average anticipated award per organization | $1,011,111 | $216,667 | $72,222 |
*Pending CMS approval
Award amount
Award amounts will vary based on the total number of requests received and the scope of the projects submitted. DHS will negotiate the terms of the award, including the award amount, with selected applicants prior to entering into a contract.
Number of available awards
The number of available awards will be determined by the number and scope of responses submitted by eligible organizations.
Application submission
All applications must be submitted online through the Rural Technology Transformation Fund Application form. Preview the survey questions in the Rural Technology Transformation Fund Application (PDF).
Background
The Wisconsin Rural Health Transformation Program is focused on improving healthcare access and health outcomes in rural communities across Wisconsin. This funding opportunity is part of RHTP, a federal funding opportunity provided to states through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). DHS received a first-year award from CMS for $203,670,005.21 to invest in rural capacity, sustainability, and innovation. The program aims to improve access to care through three initiatives: strengthening the healthcare workforce, enhancing technology innovation, and cultivating coordinated care partnerships. Through collaboration among healthcare providers, public health agencies, and community-based organizations, the program seeks to improve health and well-being in rural communities.
As artificial intelligence, interoperability, and cybersecurity shape how care is delivered, rural facilities need to adopt digital tools that meet their unique clinical and operational needs. Health technology solutions have the potential to accelerate improved quality, expanded access, and reduced cost of care for rural residents. Adopting more efficient and effective technologies increases provider satisfaction and lowers turnover, improving the healthcare experience for providers as well as patients. Investing in next-generation technology will enable rural facilities to streamline workflows, improve interoperability, strengthen data security, purchase hardware, and improve patient care.
Purpose
These funds are intended to invest in technology that:
- Removes barriers to care for rural residents.
- Maximizes provider productivity.
- Ensures improved patient or community health outcomes.
Program requirements
- Successful organizations must use grant funds to:
- Benefit rural residents. A healthcare organization may operate several facilities across the state. In general, funds should be used to benefit rural residents through investments in facilities located outside of metropolitan core areas.
- Purchase eligible technologies. All proposed technologies must be clearly linked to the goals of removing barriers to care, maximizing provider productivity, and improving health outcomes for rural Wisconsinites.
- Examples of eligible program activities include upgrading IT systems, upgrading Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems, subscribing to data analytics or other digital tools, and purchasing patient and provider devices.
- Patient devices could include tools such as Bluetooth-enabled blood-pressure monitors, continuous glucose monitors, and digital weight scales to support patients with chronic disease management.
- Provider devices could include tools such as ambient AI for notetaking to reduce administrative burdens, improve provider well-being, and enhance patient interactions; telehealth-capable computers and tablets to facilitate digital access; and robotic surgical systems to transform in-person care.
Organizations representing more than one health facility should carefully consider the needs and capacities of the different facilities under the organizational umbrella. Applications should clearly outline how the organization will use and distribute the technology to ensure benefit to rural residents and healthcare providers, and which facilities under the organizational umbrella will be included in or benefit from the project.
Group purchasing is encouraged for healthcare organizations interested in achieving economies of scale through shared purchases. For example, local public health departments could partner with their association to purchase shared data analytics tools. Alternatively, if multiple rural hospitals want to purchase new software functions or upgrades, this grant could facilitate a shared purchase between the hospitals and vendors. This could include software solutions or infrastructure that enable participation in data exchanges and interoperability, or larger purchases such as robotic surgical systems.
Reporting requirements: Evaluation
A combination of quantitative and qualitative data will be required quarterly and annually for state and federal evaluation purposes such as improved patient outcomes, number of new or enhanced connections, expanded access or reach, increased interactions, improved productivity and efficiencies as a result of the technology.
Funding availability
Submission does not guarantee funding with this opportunity. This allows DHS to assess the capacity of interested parties to conduct the work outlined in the scope of work. DHS reserves the right not to award funding to any applicant, and to award fewer or more grants than initially indicated. DHS also reserves the right to award grants for less than an applicant’s proposed amount. DHS may award additional funding if more funding becomes available. Should additional funding become available at any point during the grant period, DHS reserves the right to use the results of this grant funding opportunity to increase funding to the selected agencies or to fund additional agencies that submitted an application but were not selected.
DHS uses a cost-based reimbursement model that limits reimbursement to actual allowable incurred costs. If funding is awarded, expenses can be submitted for reimbursement only after they have been incurred.
Allowable costs
Grant recipients will be required to comply with the DHS Allowable Cost Policy Manual and all applicable state and federal reporting, fiscal, and audit requirements, including those incorporated through Addendum Exhibit 2: Federal Compliance Requirements Rural Health Transformation Program. Applicants must clearly describe how grant funds will be used, what technologies will be purchased, and how this will meet community needs. The following allowable and unallowable costs and activities are provided as examples only and are not intended to be exhaustive.
- Grant funds may be used to purchase and integrate technologies that remove barriers to care, maximize provider productivity, and improve health outcomes for rural Wisconsinites.
- Personnel costs are allowable to directly support purchasing, maintenance, or training on the set up and use of technology that supports the goals of these funds. For example: IT consultants, technology evaluation committees, implementation specialists, trainers or adoption coaches, technical support staff, clinical informaticists, and solution or reporting analysts are eligible personnel expenditures when they are directly tied to transformative investments made through this grant.
- Meeting expenses related to the project: meeting room, audiovisual (AV) equipment, travel, speakers, etc.
- Infrastructure to support a program, such as billing and/or fiscal infrastructure, technology for billing and tracking services, and administrative support
- Program implementation and evaluation
- Office supplies, postage, copying, etc. related to the project
- Consultant and contract services needed to implement the project
- Funding for current operations, including funds to maintain current technology
- Personnel costs that are not directly related to IT investments made through this grant
- Pre-award costs
- Direct or indirect lobbying activities
- Duplicate payments: Funds may not be used to replace payment for clinical services that could be reimbursed by insurance or used for payments to clinical services if they duplicate billable services and/or attempt to change the payment amounts of existing fee schedules.
- Clinician salaries or wage supports for facilities that subject clinicians to non-compete contractual limitations
- Replacing or duplicating existing funding sources. For example, if funds are used for expanding an existing pilot program or initiative, funds may only be applied to the costs associated with the new population, new activities, new program milestones, etc. The original program's programmatic costs, administrative expenses, and activities must continue to be funded by those original sources.
- Costs or activities not directly related to the overall project description and scope of work.
- Independent research and development, including associated indirect costs in accordance with 2 CFR 300.477
- Construction or building expansion, purchasing or significant retrofitting of buildings, cosmetic upgrades, or any other direct cost that materially increases the value or useful life of the capital
- Meals, unless in limited circumstances such as subjects and patients under study, if specifically approved as part of the project or program activity, or as part of a per diem in conjunction with allowable travel
- Projects outside of Wisconsin
- In addition, the federal government has placed funding restrictions on the amount of money the program may spend to replace existing EHR systems to 5% of the state’s total award in a given budget period. DHS will review proposals related to EHR systems to ensure compliance with federal requirements.
No more than 8% of the award amount may be used for administrative expenses. This is based on CMS requirements: a 10% cap is applied to the cumulative administrative costs for the entire program, including those incurred by both the state and any subrecipients.
Personnel costs associated with administering RHTP grant activities may be considered administrative costs. In contrast, if staff are directly carrying out program initiatives, the cost may be considered programmatic.
Administrative costs support the day-to-day operations and general grant oversight. These costs generally include indirect costs, audit expenses, and salary and fringe benefits for personnel whose primary responsibilities involve managing, tracking, and overseeing the grant.
More information is available in Addendum Exhibit 5: Budget Instructions.
Under federal grant regulations, alteration and renovation must be necessary and reasonable for performance of the award and directly related to program objectives. Any renovation or alteration costs will require prior approval from CMS. RHTP staff will submit required renovations requests to CMS for approval on behalf of grantees prior to purchase or start of work. Renovations may not proceed until written approval is received. Additionally, no more than 20% of the total award can be spent on minor alterations and renovations.
See Addendum Exhibit 2: Federal Compliance Requirements for more information.
Survey submission
The grant application can be accessed via the Rural Technology Transformation Fund Application form and must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2026. Only applications submitted through this link will be considered.
Applications must include:
- Responses to the statements in the Survey Questions section. Any information beyond the word count limit will not be read, reviewed, or scored.
- Proposed budget and justification. The budget justification does not count toward the narrative response word limit.
Organizations may request technical assistance for preparing their applications from the University of Wisconsin-Population Health Institute, Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, and Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality. Technical assistance can be requested for describing local health needs using community data, accessing information to quantify the local health context, project evaluation planning, and/or developing performance measures. These partners have no input on funding decisions. To learn more, send a request to RHTP-evaluation@wisc.edu.
Applicants should reach out directly to DHS at DHSRuralHealth@dhs.wisconsin.gov for questions regarding technical difficulties with the application submission process. Note: questions about the funding opportunity, including eligibility requirements, budgets, allowable and unallowable expenses, and related topics, must be submitted by July 7, 2026, and will be answered through published FAQs.
Survey questions
- Name and address of lead organization applying
- Contact information for the primary point of contact regarding this application.
- First Name
- Last Name
- Counties or Tribal Nations where health facilities benefiting from this project are located.
- Provide a brief executive summary of your project (maximum 100 words). This section is not scored.
- A list of partners or facilities that will participate in a shared purchase, including points of contact for each (if applicable).
Community needs and impact (maximum 1,500 words)
Describe how your project will meet the purpose of this funding opportunity. Include the following in your response:
- The facilities, sites, and locations (site name, city, and zip code) that will use the proposed technologies. Proposed projects that serve rural areas will be prioritized.
- The average number of patients served per month in each facility where the proposed technology will be used.
- The population size of the catchment area for each facility where the proposed technology will be used or for the jurisdiction served.
- What are the specific needs in your clinic, system, or the community served? How will the proposed technology address those needs?
- What are the anticipated outcomes from this technology project? How will you measure results? Please specify outcomes related to provider or organizational capacity, patient experience, and patient or community health.
- Will the technology be used to reach everyone the organization serves, or will there be a target population (e.g. farm workers) or discrete project (e.g. post-partum in-home care support) that will benefit from this technology? If applicable, what is the target population or specific project expected to benefit from this technology?
Program design and implementation (maximum 1,500 words)
- Provide an implementation plan that includes the following:
- A list of the technology or technologies to be purchased
- The sites and locations (site name, city, and zip code) that will use the proposed technologies. Proposed projects that serve rural areas will be prioritized.
- A timeline and strategy for purchasing the technology, training staff on use (as appropriate), and integrating into routine operations. Grantees must spend funds allocated in the current grant round between Oct. 1, 2026, and Sept. 30, 2029.
- How your organization will maintain and sustain the technology. If the technology purchased requires continued maintenance or upgrades to remain functional, describe what resources will be used to support this technological investment after the funding period.
- How your organization will measure and report on outcomes, with a focus on outcomes for rural residents.
- Your anticipated reach (e.g. number of people served), segmented by rurality if feasible to demonstrate reach in rural areas.
- Briefly describe how each technology will further the Rural Technology Transformation Fund’s three goals:
- Removing barriers to care for rural residents
- Maximizing provider productivity
- Ensuring improved patient or community health outcomes
- Describe the organization’s technical assistance needs and/or resources relevant to the proposed project. Include the following information:
- What technical assistance or external resources does your organization need to implement technology projects?
- What technical assistance or resources could your organization offer other healthcare organizations to help implement technology projects?
Sustainability plan (maximum 1,000 words)
- Include a sustainability plan describing how the proposed technology will be maintained beyond the grant period.
Please fill out the budget form with detailed proposed expenditures for Year 1: Oct. 1, 2026–July 31, 2027.
For the following two years, please provide an overall estimate and proposed technology expenditures:
- Year 2: Aug. 1, 2027–July 31, 2028
- Year 3: Aug. 1, 2028–July 31, 2029
Complete the Rural Technology Transformation Fund Budget Template (Excel) with proposed expenditures for Year 1. For each item include a brief justification for the amount. This should include how you arrived at the dollar amount requested for the expense. Applicants will not need to budget for training registration costs but may need to budget for travel and per diem costs for in-person training as applicable.
Example: Personnel: $10,000; Personnel Justification: Personnel is calculated based on a 0.20 FTE Coordinator at $24.04/hour = $10,000.
- Salary: Describe your personnel expenses for this project. If none, mark N/A.
- Fringe: Describe your fringe expenses. If none, mark N/A.
- Travel: Describe travel expenses (transportation, lodging, per diem, etc.) for this project. If none, mark N/A.
- Contractual services: Describe any contractual partners you will fund for this project. If none, mark N/A.
- Equipment: Describe any equipment purchases that will be made for this project. Equipment is defined as having a per-unit cost that equals or exceeds $10,000 and requires approval from CMS. If none, mark N/A.
- Supplies: Describe your supply costs for this project. If none, mark N/A.
- Other: Describe any other costs associated with this project. If none, mark N/A.
- Indirect: Describe costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefiting more than one cost objective and readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted. Limited to 8% of the total award amount. If none, mark N/A.
The budget template and Addendum Exhibits 2 and 5 (Federal Compliance Requirements and Budget Instructions) can be used as a guide when developing your budget and justification.
Application scoring rubric and review process
Applications will be reviewed and scored by an evaluation team using the 100-point scale below. Those organizations located and providing services for this project in rural counties (rather than semi-rural alone) will receive an additional weight of 0.15 on the total scale score. All programs must benefit people living in rural and semi-rural areas of Wisconsin, outside of metropolitan hubs. See the map in Addendum Exhibit 1 for a definition of rural counties. For sections with high point values, more detail may be required.
Community needs and impact
25 points
Program design and implementation
45 points
Sustainability plan
10 points
Budget
20 points
Total
100 points
All on-time proposals that include all required documentation will be eligible for review. A committee of subject matter experts and knowledgeable partners will review proposals and make recommendations for funding applications. In addition to rubric scoring, contextual factors such as past performance and spending history, geographic coverage and program reach, and project feasibility will be considered when making final award decisions, if applicable.
Submission deadline
Questions are due by 11:59 p.m. on July 7, 2026. DHS will post responses within one week.
Responses must be submitted via the online application form by 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2026. Following the deadline, DHS will review responses and announce awards to selected recipients.
Federal funding statement
This program is supported by CMS of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $203,670,005.21 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.