Empire State Development (ESD) offers grants to offset the costs of diversification; to support New York State’s defense supply chain regardless of fluctuations in federal defense spending. ESD’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) currently has two open funding opportunities for New York State defense manufacturers:
ESD 2018 Defense Diversification Assistance Request for Proposals
ESD has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for small or mid-sized defense industry suppliers, or early-stage defense-focused companies, working with a non-profit organization on a two-stage diversification project. Grants will be awarded in two stages; Stage I – Defense Diversification Planning and Strategy, and; Stage II – Defense Diversification Plan Implementation. This is a competitive grant process. Selected recipients can receive up to $70,000 towards their two-stage project; up to $20,000 in Stage I and up to $50,000 in Stage II. The deadline for Stage I submissions is September 10, 2018.
Eligible projects include those focused on diversification research, planning and strategy. Projects may consist of those that support defense supply chain companies or defense-focused early-stage companies looking to diversify their customer base to include commercial markets or non-U.S. defense markets. Applicants must clearly demonstrate how they’ll leverage the assets and/or services of the non-profit they collaborate with to support the company’s diversification efforts.
Defense Industry Assistance Grants
ESD offers grants for collaborations between non-profit organizations and small or mid-sized defense industry suppliers or early-stage defense focused companies, working together on eligible diversification projects. These grants are available for projects aimed at helping these companies diversify their markets. This is a competitive grant process, for which selected recipients can receive up to $50,000 towards qualifying projects.
Eligible projects include those that assist a manufacturer or early-stage company in diversifying its existing or prospective customer base. Such projects may include, but are not limited to: new market identification and strategies; export training and services; product development or redesign; and training of workers as necessary to support entry into a new market. The deadline for submissions is October 24, 2018.
Find current ESD funding opportunities by clicking here.
