Small U.S. shipyards should apply for grants

Written by Marine Log Staff
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APRIL 16, 2018 — The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced today that $19.6 million is currently available for capital and related improvements under the Small Shipyards Grant Program.

The grants are made available to U.S. shipbuilders and repairers with no more than 1,200 production workers and are usually in amounts of $1 million or less to cover everything from the purchase of welding equipment to CNC plasma cutting tables to drydocks. The grants cannot cover more than 75% of the costs of the purchases of the equipment and must be geared towards improving efficiency, enhancing productivity, and enhancing competitiveness. Shipyards can also use grants to support training programs to improve employee skills.

MARAD expects to award grants to about 20 or so shipyards around the country to maximize the impact of the grant program’s ability to support employment. The shipyard facility must construct, repair, or reconfigure vessels 40 feet in length or greater for commercial or government use, or construct, repair, or reconfigure vessels 100 feet in length or greater for noncommercial vessels.

The Small Shipyard Grant Program has been extremely popular among American shipyards. MARAD usually receives applications for funds well in excess of those available.

The deadline for applying for a grant is May 22, 2018 at 5 PM EDT. Grant Applications should be sent to the Associate Administrator for Business and Finance Development, Room W21-318, Maritime Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590.  Only applicants who comply with all submission requirements described in this Notice will be eligible for award.

For further information concerning this notice, interested parties can contact David M. Heller, Director, Office of Shipyards and Marine Engineering, Maritime Administration, Room W21–318, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590; phone: (202) 366–5737; or fax: (202) 366–6988.

More details are also available on MARAD’s website: https://www.marad.dot.gov/ships-and-shipping/small-shipyard-grants/

 

 

 

 

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