The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration is soliciting applications for its Small Shipyard Grants.
Donor Name: Maritime Administration
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/11/2026
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Assistance for Small Shipyards statute, codified at established the Small Shipyard Grant Program to provide assistance in the form of grants to small shipyards to make capital improvements and for maritime training programs to encourage technical skills and operational productivity relating to shipbuilding, ship repair, and associated industries.
The purpose of the Small Shipyard Grant Program is to foster efficiency, competitive operations, and quality ship construction, repair, and reconfiguration in small shipyards across the United States in addition to developing employee skills and enhanced productivity related to shipbuilding, ship repair, and associated industries. The Department seeks to fund projects that advance the priorities of this Administration as described in DOT’s mission statement and across executive orders. Award recipients will be expected to comply with the performance goals and reporting requirements as outlined in the executed grant agreement.
This 2026 Small Shipyard Grant Program NOFO makes the following changes from the 2025 Small Shipyard Grant NOFO:
- Adds a new selection consideration for projects that use innovative technology
- Adds information under Performance and Program Evaluation
- Updates section H, Post-Award Requirements and Administration for compliance with Federal law and policies and Federal anti-discrimination policies
Funding Information
Under the 2026 Small Shipyard Grant Program, $3434.3 million is available.
Eligibility Criteria
Section 54101 of Title 46, United States Code, provides that small shipyards can apply for grants. The shipyard facility for which a grant is sought must be in a single geographic location and may not have more than 1,200 production employees. The applicant must be the operating company of the shipyard facility. The shipyard facility must construct, repair, or reconfigure vessels 40 feet in length or greater for commercial or government use, or construct, repair, or reconfigure vessels 100 feet in length or greater for non-commercial vessels.
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects under MARAD’s Small Shipyard Grant Program include:
- 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.
- Maritime Training Programs: These focus on developing employee skills and enhancing productivity in shipbuilding, ship repair, and related industries. While only eligible applicants can receive grants, training programs may involve external vendors.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
