Pvilion, a Brooklyn-based manufacturer of solar-powered fabric and rapidly deployable robotic structures, has secured a $1 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) after receiving a DOD Cybersecurity Assistance Grant from FuzeHub and the Advanced Institute for Manufacturing (AIM).
The grant, awarded in late 2019, provided Pvilion with risk assessment, policy development, employee training and other tools to fulfill federal cybersecurity requirements. Achieving compliance has become increasingly critical for companies in the supply chain to obtain or renew contracts with the DOD, which began implementing its new cybersecurity provisions in late 2020.
FuzeHub and AIM have since launched the newest iteration of this effort, the NY MEP Cybersecurity Assistance Program, to help manufacturers strengthen their cybersecurity protocols and meet standards in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS).
Small- and medium-sized manufacturers in New York State can join the NY MEP Cybersecurity Assistance Program’s cohort of participating companies — free of charge — to gain access to funding and support. Trainings and workshops are ongoing; nearly 70 companies will be eligible for a risk-assessment grant.
“The stakes for safeguarding information have never been higher. Suppliers not in compliance with the Department of Defense — or unmindful of their status — could lose out on lucrative federal projects,” said FuzeHub Executive Director Elena Garuc. “This program helps companies like Pvilion assess their operations, address any issues, and keep DOD contracts in the capable hands of New York’s manufacturing community.”
Empire State Development Acting Commissioner and President & CEO-designate Eric Gertler said, “We’re strengthening New York State’s cybersecurity sector through NYSTAR, our Division of Science, Technology and Innovation, which assists defense-related manufacturers with grant funding, training and assistance through our network of New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers. With help from NYSTAR-supported innovation assets, manufacturers like Brooklyn-based Pvilion have access to more opportunities to secure defense contracts and develop innovative tech-driven solutions for use by the U.S. armed forces.”
Pvilion’s recent contracts with the U.S. Air Force are for furnishing autonomous self-erecting shelter systems and expanding the use of solar energy generation to various squadrons and Wing Commands. The latest contract provides funding to deploy and field-test Pvilion’s new robotic shelter that opens and closes at the push of a button, saving time and resources usually required to set up temporary shelters.
“The cybersecurity grant has proven integral to our ability to serve the U.S. armed forces,” said Pvilion CEO and co-founder Colin Touhey. “Pvilion has benefited greatly from this and other programs offered by FuzeHub, which have kept our company at the forefront of solar fabric technology and military-market innovation.”
The NY MEP Cybersecurity Assistance Program is supported by funding from NYSTAR, Empire State Development’s NYS Division of Science, Technology and Innovation, with funding from the Department of Defense’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation.
The program is one element in a robust innovation infrastructure that NYSTAR supports in communities across the state. AIM and FuzeHub are NYSTAR-supported New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY MEP) centers, serving small- and mid-sized manufacturers in the Mohawk Valley region and statewide.
Learn more about the NY MEP Cybersecurity Assistance Program at newyorkmep.org/cyber-security-assessment-program.