To encourage communities to strengthen their industrial ecosystems, the U.S. Department of Commerce has announced it will make awards to up to 25 communities to launch implementation strategies. The solicitation for the awards will be released in May, and awards of up to $200,000 each will be issued by the end of September. The awards are one part of a four–phase plan announced by Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank last week that also includes listening sessions and a proposal to award five to six communities $25 million each.
Details for the cross-agency initiative, the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) that will provide coordinated assistance to manufacturing communities, were outlined by the deputy secretary. The first of four phases will be listening sessions coordinated by federal agencies throughout 2013 to seek input on a 2014 competition. In the partnership's second phase, the grants of up to $200,000 will be awarded to 25 communities to create strategic plans that strengthen their industrial economies.
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