The Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Center of Innovation for Aerospace today announced a limited-time cybersecurity grant opportunity available for small and mid-sized defense contractors in the state. The grant will assist companies with meeting new cybersecurity compliance measures now required by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

Defense contracting is a $7.2 billion industry in Georgia, and DoD’s Interim DFARS rule 2019-d041 requires that certain measures must be met in order to secure new contracts. GDEcD’s Center of Innovation for Aerospace will administer the cybersecurity grants, which are being funded by the DoD Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC).

“Small businesses make up 99.8% of all businesses in Georgia, and defense contractors play a significant role in our state’s economy. The ability to meet increasing requirements can be an added challenge for many businesses, so we’re particularly pleased to announce this opportunity as part of our ongoing efforts to support the defense sector,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson.  

Gaining the competitive advantage of cybersecurity compliance is important to continued success in defense contracting. To be considered eligible for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) grant, companies must have active defense contracts, or have had a contract within the last six months, must be willing to comply with all eligibility requirements as outlined in the application, and must work directly with third-party assessment contractor Cyber Security Solutions, Inc. (CSS). 

The application deadline is July 23, 2021, with award responses on a rolling basis. To apply, visit: CybersecurityEDGE - Apply | Georgia Department of Economic Development (www.georgia.org/cybersecurityedge-apply).

As one of the many services also offered by GDEcD’s Center of Innovation for Aerospace, the Georgia Defense Exchange (GDX) tool helps businesses find new opportunities and potential suppliers in the defense sector, available at: https://gdx.georgia.org/.

For additional information on these limited-time grants, please contact Project Manager Cassia Baker at: [email protected].