Evergreen Manufacturing Growth Grants 2023-2025

Notice: This program is currently accepting applications until January 10th, 2024.

The Evergreen Manufacturing Growth Grants program is designed to increase the number of manufacturing and research and development jobs in Washington State. The grants support the Building Economic Strength Through Manufacturing (BEST) Act (HB 1170) passed by the state legislature in 2021 to provide a framework for adding 300,000 new manufacturing jobs over the next 10 years.

The $2 million in grants will be awarded to eligible manufacturing and research and development businesses as well as organizations defined as innovation clusters in the funding application. Each grantee will be eligible for a grant between $200,000 and $400,000.

Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the availability of capital investment or matching funds to support a significant business expansion or proposed cutting-edge development work. Submissions will be evaluated according to their ability to generate manufacturing and R&D jobs as well as their strategic alignment with the state’s key sectors: aerospace, agriculture, advanced manufacturing, clean technology and renewable energy, creative economy, forest products, information and communications technology, life science, maritime, and defense. Grant applicants will be evaluated based on their ability to generate significant direct employment, their potential to spur technological advances and/or support workforce development as well as recent state support.

For more information – including more detailed accounts of eligibility and the application process – please review the program document.

There are two application types available for this program: one for individual businesses and a second for innovation cluster organizations.

Business Applicants are encouraged to contact their local economic development partner, also known as Associate Development Organizations (ADO), to seek support for their application. Designated ADOs will evaluate the local application pool at county (or regional, if applicable) level and will elevate the top local business application to Commerce for review. Commerce does not participate in the county level evaluation process. ADOs will submit applications directly to Commerce on behalf of businesses.

Commerce will accept business applications via Associate Development Organizations only.  Please contact the ADO overseeing the region where the planned manufacturing expansion or research and development activity will take place. Review our list of ADOs.

Innovation Clusters are defined as an existing innovation cluster under Commerce’s Innovation Cluster Accelerator or an entity that is proposing a new cluster-related program or project. Clusters are industry-led groups that work together to drive innovation, pursue market opportunities, and identify and solve challenges that limit growth. Clusters typically include stakeholders from the following groups: industry leaders, entrepreneurs, government, academia, and investors.  In addition to academia groups, eligible entities for the cluster track may include non-profit organizations, community colleges, and technical colleges that actively collaborate with industry to enhance workforce development in support of manufacturing job growth.

Please read and review all materials pertaining to this program if you are considering applying.

For additional questions regarding this program, please contact the program manager Nicole Witenstein Nowicki, at EvergreenGrants@Commerce.wa.gov.

You may review a list of 2023 grant awardees.

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