Stevens Announces $2.1 Million Grant to Help Michigan Manufacturers Respond to COVID-19
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) announced that the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center) will receive a $2,118,000 federal grant to help small and medium-sized manufacturers in Michigan respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, based in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, is part of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP), a public-private partnership with Centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the MEP is dedicated to serving small and medium-sized manufacturers by offering services like leadership trainings, technology integration, skill development, and cybersecurity assessments.
“I am thrilled to announce that the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center will receive more than $2 million through the CARES Act to help small and medium-sized manufacturers respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Congresswoman Stevens. “This funding will help Michigan manufacturers adapt to the challenges they are facing, while avoiding layoffs and improving their competitiveness. I have been meeting with and visiting manufacturers across the 11th District as they adjust to the coronavirus, and I know how helpful these services from the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center will be in the months to come.”
“As Michigan’s manufacturers reopen or ramp up production, it is more important than ever that these businesses have access to proven resources to guide and support them along the way. This grant will enable us to provide necessary and beneficial services which will strengthen their operations and efforts that are critical to growing our economy,” said Mike Coast, President of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, the MEP representative in Michigan.
As the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act was being negotiated, Congresswoman Stevens led a bipartisan group of 34 Members of Congress in a letter to House leadership calling for increased funding for the MEP program to assist small and medium-sized manufacturers. The CARES Act ultimately included $50 million in new funding for grants to MEP Centers across the country.
“MEP is the only federal program in position to immediately assist manufacturers mitigate damage and accelerate recovery,” the lawmakers wrote in March. “These additional funds will allow MEP Centers help their clients improve supply chain resilience and workforce readiness and provide the technological expertise desperately needed during this time.”
The grant will be used to provide services that directly support manufacturers’ ability to respond to the coronavirus and improve their competitiveness as the marketplace adapts to COVID-19, including:
- Developing ‘distance learning’ active webinars that will be used as a continuance venue to engage manufacturers.
- A planned focus, utilizing expert service providers, will be in place to assist manufactures recover from workforce and supply chain interruptions.
- Maintaining expert resources to assess the operating needs of manufactures; scout for manufactures that can produce critically needed medical equipment and supplies; and organize peer-to-peer manufacturing consultative services.
- Provide remote no-cost assessments to determine the solutions to meet manufacturers challenges statewide.
- Serve as a conduit to connect manufacturers to state and local resources necessary to sustain operations.
- Reach out to manufactures throughout the state, including rural and urban areas, to share resources, assist with Critical Manufacturing Sector or Critical Sector Supplier qualification, and discuss current challenges and potential solutions.
- Contact cities and counties and connect procurement personnel needing materials to capable manufacturers.
- Offer low to no-cost cybersecurity evaluations to manufacturers with a focus on the defense, food and health care supply chains.
- Partner with Workforce Development Boards to deliver layoff aversion services.
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