FY 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity for Small Shipyard Grants

Background
The FY 2025 Small Shipyard Grant Program, administered by the Maritime Administration (MARAD) of the U.S. Department of Transportation, aims to provide financial assistance to small shipyards for capital improvements and maritime training programs. The program is designed to enhance efficiency, competitive operations, and quality in ship construction, repair, and reconfiguration. A total of $8.75 million is available for this funding opportunity under the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025.

Grant Details
Eligible projects include:

1. Capital Improvement Projects: These must advance efficiency, competitive operations, and quality in ship construction, repair, or reconfiguration. Funded items must be new and owned by the grant recipient.

2. Maritime Training Programs: These focus on developing employee skills and enhancing productivity in shipbuilding, ship repair, and related industries. Training programs may involve external vendors but cannot include maritime training centers funded under section 51706 of Title 46 in FY 2024.

Additional stipulations include:
- All project costs must be incurred after the grant agreement date unless pre-approved by MARAD.
- Each eligible applicant may submit one application that may contain multiple projects; however, MARAD will make a maximum of one award per eligible applicant.
- Grants cannot be used for constructing buildings or acquiring land.
- No more than 25% of funds may be awarded to any small shipyard with more than 600 production employees.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants are small shipyards as defined in 46 U.S.C. 54101(h), which must be located in a single geographic location with no more than 1,200 production employees. The applicant must be the operating company of the shipyard facility that constructs, repairs, or reconfigures vessels at least 40 feet long for commercial or government use or at least 100 feet long for non-commercial use.

Period of Performance
The period of performance will depend on the specific project and must be agreed upon by MARAD in the grant agreement.

Grant Value
$8.75 million is available for grants under this program; individual awards will vary based on project scope and eligibility.

Place of Performance
The grant activities will take place at qualified small shipyard facilities located within the United States.