In an effort to support capital improvements and train employees to create greater efficiency, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced $19.6 million in grants is being made available to small U.S. shipyards.
The grants will be available to those shipyards with less than 1,200 production employees. They can support anything from capital improvements to equipment upgrades and employee training programs.
“These grants will help small shipyards continue to build top-of-the-line vessels in addition to creating jobs and supporting economic growth in their local communities,” Maritime Administrator Mark H. Buzby said.
The funds are provided by MARAD’s Small Shipyard Grant Program, which provides materials and training to the nation’s maritime communities. As of 2013, the department notes that 110,000 citizens were employed by U.S. shipbuilders, while these shipyards also produced $37.3 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Applications are due by the end of May 22, 2018, and the grants will, in turn, be handed out no later than July 23, 2018.