Impact Washington Announces Availability of $1.2M in CARES Act Funds to Aid Washington Based Manufacturers Impacted by Coronavirus Pandemic

BOTHELL, Wash., July 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Impact Washington, the Washington State MEP Center, is inviting Washington based US Small-and medium-sized manufacturers (SME's) to apply for CARES Act Recovery Assistance funds. These funds provide services that directly support the manufacturer's ability to recover from the coronavirus. 

Since March, Impact Washington has mobilized its Manufacturing Network to respond to the needs of Washington manufacturers through the COVID-19 pandemic. "As Washington's trusted resource for a thriving manufacturing industry, we are committed to assisting small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) across the State, said Deloit R. Wolfe Jr., President and Center Director for Impact Washington. "Impact Washington is here to help with technical assistance, training, and consulting services to help manufacturers survive, restart, and prosper beyond today's challenges."

The available funds were awarded through the Emergency Appropriations for Coronavirus Health Response and Agency Operations as authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Through a formal Request for Applications, Impact Washington applied to the NIST MEP Emergency Assistance Program for a portion of the nearly $50 million allocated. 

"For more than 30 years, NIST MEP has supported U.S. manufacturing and built a national network that can immediately reach over a third of U.S. manufacturers," said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Walter G. Copan. "The MEP centers have the expertise to help client companies make the products needed to fight this pandemic, and to help manufacturers across the supply chain weather this storm."

The investment through the NIST MEP Emergency Assistance Program will support investments in a wide range of manufacturing activities.

Examples of project funding through CARES Act Recovery Assistance include:

• Production ramp-up/automation assessment and solutions
• Supply optimization/disruption planning
• Adjustments in plant design or workforce methods and approaches
• Onboarding and upskilling new and returning employees
• Risk mitigation in the face of added stress: cybersecurity vulnerability, business continuity planning, change management

Eligible applicants include manufacturers, producers, and value-add processors in agriculture, food and beverage, seafood processing, aerospace products and parts, wood and paper products, chemical manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and medicine manufacturing, maritime, clean technology, and more. 

The opportunity to attain support will remain open until funding is no longer available. The amount of funding available to each manufacturer depends on its size and project scope.

There is no formal application process? a facility's inquirer into getting the funds starts with a no-cost Recovery Assessment. Visit Impact Washington Recovery Assistance Funds or contact your regional Account Executive for additional information.

About Impact Washington
Impact Washington is a statewide non-profit organization that provides competitive, value-driven services. With access to public and private resources, our goal is to enhance growth, improve productivity, reduce costs, and expand manufacturing capacity in Washington. Our solutions, consulting, and educational opportunities focus on the small and medium-sized manufacturers located throughout State. We are an affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing Extension Program (NIST MEP). Our nationwide network consists of manufacturing extension partnership centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Since 1997 Impact Washington has delivered improvement solutions to more than 1,500 Washington State manufacturers.

About MEP
The MEP National Networktm is a unique public-private partnership that delivers comprehensive, proven solutions to U.S. manufacturers, fueling growth and advancing U.S. manufacturing. Focused on helping small and medium-sized manufacturers generate business results and thrive in today's technology-driven economy, the MEP National Network comprises the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), the 51 MEP Centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and over 1,300 trusted advisors and experts at more than 400 MEP service locations, providing any U.S. manufacturer with access to resources they need to succeed. In 2017, the MEP National Network connected with 26,313 manufacturers, leading to $12.6 billion in sales, $1.7 billion in cost savings, $3.5 billion in new client investments, and helping to create and retain more than 100,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs.

About NIST
NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. NIST is a nonregulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. To learn more about NIST, visit?www.nist.gov

SOURCE Impact Washington