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Person attending a trade show thanks to a STEP trade show grant

What are Trade Show Incentive or Assistance Grants?

By: Micki Vandeloo, President, Lakeview Consulting Is your manufacturing company diversifying markets by promoting your products overseas?  If so, your state may be happy to support you in this endeavor! Trade Show Grants: An Introduction The State Trade Expansion Program, or STEP, is a federal program funded by the Small Business Administration (SBA).  State entities apply …

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Hard hat and USA flag to symbolize reshoring manufacturing.

Setting the Record Straight on Grants for Reshoring Manufacturing

By: Micki Vandeloo, President, Lakeview Consulting Since the pandemic, I have frequently gotten inquiries like this: “I saw on the news (or in the press, or on the internet) that the federal government is putting money toward reshoring manufacturing.  We plan to bring work back to the United States, so how can we get some of …

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Lightbulb to represent idea that is eligible for advanced manufacturing grants.

Advanced Manufacturing Grants Fund Innovation in Industry

By: Micki Vandeloo, President, Lakeview Consulting Does your manufacturing business have the next big idea? Do you wish to utilize Industry 4.0 technologies such as automation and big data to improve the efficiency of your operations?  If you are a forward-thinking company, you may be eligible to receive grants to reward your innovative nature! As more …

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EV charging station funded by EV charging grants for businesses

EV Charging Grants for Businesses- Charging Ahead to a New, Greener Future

By: Micki Vandeloo, President, Lakeview Consulting America is going green! From a greater variety of electric vehicles to choose from to increased solar installations, many Americans are enjoying the benefits of reduced reliance on fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions presented by these technologies. With the increased purchase of electric vehicles (EVs) and the hesitance …

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Manufacturing leaders discussing grant strategy

5 Tips for Creating a Realistic and Effective Grant Strategy

By: Micki Vandeloo, President, Lakeview Consulting We love to partner with our manufacturing and trade association clients to create a grant strategy. We truly believe that, just as organizations should have a strategic plan, they should also have a grant strategy. We find, however, that companies tend to set rather unrealistic expectations for grant success and …

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Factory that has been upgraded using energy grants for businesses

Types of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Grants for Businesses and How to Apply for Them

By: Micki Vandeloo, President, Lakeview Consulting With a national focus on clean energy and zero emission initiatives, it is not surprising that the number of sources of grants for renewable energy and energy efficiency grants has dramatically increased at the state and federal level.  However, there are also some long-standing programs to help fund manufacturing renewable …

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Company using training grants to upskill the workforce

Trends in Training Grants

By: Micki Vandeloo, President, Lakeview Consulting Training grants have long been offered by state economic development organizations and by Workforce Opportunity Innovation Act (WIOA) Centers (or Job Centers as they are called in some states.  They are also the most well-known source of funding in the manufacturing community. But today’s training grants have evolved and changed …

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Business man holding a lightbulb to represent ideas that receive SBIR grants

What Do SBIR Grants Fund?

By: Micki Vandeloo, President, Lakeview Consulting One of the longest standing funding programs for for-profit companies has been the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program.  This program provides grant funding for ground-breaking research that meets two criteria: Intellectual Merit – The innovation must be ground in science. Broad Societal Benefit – The innovation must not result …

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Electric vehicle charging station funded by California business grants

Types of Grants Available for California Businesses

By: Micki Vandeloo, President, Lakeview Consulting Ahhh, sunny California! The state with renowned wineries, sun, sand, surf and palm trees has another positive attribute – an expansive choice of grant programs for the manufacturing community! The primary activities funded in the state are recycling and clean energy manufacturing, largely due to California’s aggressive push for 90% …

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Ship leaving a port with exported products from company who receive an export grant

How to Qualify and Apply For Export Grants

By: Micki Vandeloo, President, Lakeview Consulting If you are interested in exporting to diversify your markets and your revenues, there is an unknown source of state funding that you should look into – State Trade Expansion Grants (STEP) or export grants. What are STEP/Export Grants?  The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers a funding opportunity to …

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