Federal Funds Help Manufacturers Compete

The federal government has funds available for manufacturers and service firms negatively impacted by foreign competition. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), this cost-sharing federal assistance program pays half the expense of consultants or industry-specific experts for projects that improve a manufacturer's competitiveness. The Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms program (TAA), aims to increase sales and employment of local manufacturers and service firms.

The program can cost-share, on a 50% basis, up to $150,000 of costs including employee training, new product development, updating marketing materials and website, ISO 9000, and other productivity improvements. The DOC has contracted with Applied Strategies International, Ltd. (ASI) to administer this grant in the Midwest. ASI works with companies to determine eligibility, identify key improvement projects, and develop a plan for growing sales and employment. To qualify, a firm must have lost some domestic business to imports, and experienced sales and employment declines over the past two years.

ASI pays its share of the project directly to the vendor, providing the manufacturer with a 50% discount on all projects implemented. Smaller companies can apply for a $30,000 version of the plan. Under the smaller program, the government covers 75%, or $22,500, of the costs of projects implemented.

Leigh Anne Kenyon, Project Manager, at ASI will be speaking at an event in Waukesha on November 18. You can find out more from Gear Up for Growth. Or, you can contact ASI at info@appliedstrategiesintl.com or call 800-333-2148.

The BEC provides employee training in Lean, Lean Sigma, Six Sigma, Project Management, Quality, and other disciplines. If you would like MSOE's Business Excellence Consortium to assist you with TAA funding, contact us bec@msoe.edu.