By Ben Rand
For manufacturers, each new year signals the start of new initiatives and programs designed to increase competitiveness and profitability. It’s no different for Western New York manufacturers. But what is different in our region is powerful, private-sector support in the form of some of the most effective and flexible grant programs anywhere. Both National Grid (NG) and New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) offer programs aimed at stimulating economic development by investing in their manufacturing customers.
NG’s Manufacturing Productivity Program (MPP) is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2019. By any measure, MPP has been a tremendous success. In that time, it has exceeded $1 billion in economic impact statewide, including well over 5,000 jobs created or saved. In Western New York alone, MPP has invested more than $2.2 million in over 130 local manufacturing projects worth more than $4.75 million and resulting in more than $889 million in benefits, based on independent, third-party surveys of Insyte’s clients conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
A key to MPP’s success has been its flexibility and ease of use for manufacturers, which results in NG supporting a wide range of manufacturing improvement initiatives. For operational improvements designed to increase efficiency (lean, six sigma, quality management systems, etc.), an MPP grant will reimburse 40% of project costs up to a cap of $15,000. For growth projects designed to increase revenue (new product development, sales and marketing, export, etc.), an MPP grant will reimburse 50% of project costs up to a cap of $15,000. But if you combine operational improvements AND growth projects, an MPP grant will reimburse 60% of combined project costs up to a cap of $40,000. In addition, MPP has a very simple application that does not require any sensitive company information.
NYSEG has recently introduced a similar program called the Manufacturing Accelerator Program (MAP) for its customers. MAP offers reimbursement grants in 40%, 50% and 60% increments with caps of $15,000 or $40,000, identical to NG.
If you are considering an improvement project, you owe it to yourself to consider one of these powerful and successful programs. To find out more, contact us at Insyte.
