Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday announced that Connecticut manufacturers may now apply for grants of up to $75,000 to assist in the production of critical equipment and supplies needed to respond to the COVID-19 emergency.
The grants, offered through the state’s Manufacturing Innovation Fund Voucher Program, can be used for working capital, new equipment and other purposes that help companies build capacity or repurpose their operations.
Applications for the funding will be reviewed and approved by the state’s Department of Economic & Community Development in partnership with the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, based on the state’s current needs for medical equipment and supplies related to the pandemic.
Funding for this short-term program is for now limited to $1.3 million and requires a one-to-one match from participating businesses. Learn more about the program and the application process by visiting https://ctmvp.ccat.us.
Many area manufacturing companies have performed emergency retools to respond to the COVID crisis. One is Modern Plastics of Shelton, which in late March launched an entirely new business unit to manufacture face shields and other personal protective equipment for health-care workers.
Within the first hour the 75-year-old company, which makes medical- and engineering-grade plastic, had received orders for 500,000 units, and soon was shipping nearly 1 million a week.
