Maritime Administration awards $8.75 million in 2025 Small Shipyard Grants

Image via James Marine

Today, the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced awards for the 2025 round of Small Shipyard Grants. This round included $8.75 million in awards, the lowest total since 2016. As anticipated, average award amounts dropped to $514,705 for the 17 awards made.

You can access MARAD'S announcement here.

The grants, announced on July 21, were awarded to 17 projects from 12 states. Projects awarded ranged from Marine Travelifts to cranes, computer-numerical control (CNC) machines, and worker training equipment and programs. Congrats to all awardees.

Small Shipyard Grants by the numbers

Of the awards issued this year, there are some notable characteristics. They include:

• MARAD awarded 17 awards, with an average award amount of $515k

• The largest grants were four for approximately $817k each (Breaux's Bay Craft, for a 200-ton Travelift; Fraser Shipyards, for a 130-ton rough terrain crane, Snow & Company, for a CNC press brake; Chesapeake Shipbuilding, for a 160-ton RT crane), indicating a clear ceiling, and potentially high levels of matching funds, given the costs of these items.

• The lowest was Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc., ($94k) to support the purchase of a 10-foot plate shear.

• Notably, 9 awards involved fabrication equipment and 5 awards were for cranes, including some of the largest awards. One was for haulout equipment (Travelift) and one involved worker training.

• The State of Washington received 3 awards; Louisiana, California and Florida received 2 awards; no other state received more than one.

• Shipyards all over the country received awards, including the Gulf region (4), Mid-Atlantic (1), Pacific Northwest (4), Inland waterways (3), Northeast (1), the Southeast (1), the West Coast (2), and the Great Lakes (1).

How can you prepare for the next round of Small Shipyard Grants now?

As Congress continues to support funding for the Small Shipyard Grant Program, it is anticipated that small shipyards will once again have the opportunity to apply for grants next year. Below are three ways that you can prepare for the next round of grants.

1. Join the Coalition: work with us to help promote funding for the next round of grants.

2. Start planning early: these grant applications can take time to develop, so start thinking through your desired projects and collecting the necessary information for your application.

3. Consult a grant writing consultant early: if you seek support from experienced consultants, reach out early-- as many of us reached peak capacity early this round.

Working together, small shipyards can continue to support the future of our maritime communities.