Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (R) announced Monday that $3.2 million in federal funding has been awarded to the state to support its defense and community initiatives.
The Maritime Industrial Base Ecosystem (MIBE) initiative received $1.5 million for its work to transform Virginia’s shipbuilding and repair workforce and maritime training pipelines across the Hampton Roads region, according to the announcement.
An additional $1.4 million was awarded to GENEDGE Alliance which works with small defense companies to ensure they are compliant with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards for cyber security. The federal grant was awarded by DOD’s Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) through their industry resilience program.
“Virginia has tremendous defense assets, and as one of the top recipients of Department of Defense spending, we are working hard to make our Commonwealth the most military friendly state in the country,” Northam said.
“This funding will support transformational changes and shape the way we protect critical infrastructure and train workers in key industries,” he added.
Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Kellyann Elish
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