Cybersecurity Resiliency Assessment Grant (New England Regional Defense Industry Collaboration)

Cybersecurity Resiliency Assessment Grant

Funder: U.S. Department of Defense's Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA)

Geographic Scope: New England region (Maine, Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island)

Total Funding: $1.5 million joint grant to six states for the New England Regional Defense Industry Collaboration

Focus Areas:

• Cybersecurity requirements for defense industry supply chain
• Assessment to NIST 800-171 (CMMC level 3 partial)
• Trusted supplier network development

Eligibility:

• Small and medium-sized businesses in defense-related industries
• Defense contractors and suppliers
• Companies participating in or seeking to participate in defense industry supply chain

What the Grant Covers:

• Gap Analysis
• Plan of Action & Milestones (POAM)
• Assistance with System Security Plan (SSP)
• Policies and Procedures
• Incident Response Plan
• Partial offset of assessment costs (first come, first served basis)

Primary Goals:

• Aid small and medium-sized businesses in meeting new cybersecurity requirements
• Create a trusted supplier network for large defense contractors to locate qualified smaller suppliers
• Coordinate growth of defense-related businesses across six-state region
• Phone: (207) 623-0680 or 1-800-MEP-4MFG
• Website: mainemep.org

How to Apply

1. Attend a free cybersecurity awareness event (optional but recommended)
   • One-hour educational webinar
   • Learn about cybersecurity resiliency
   • Understand risk management
   • Learn protection steps for business information
2. Determine eligibility
   • Business must be in defense-related industry or supply chain
   • Small to medium-sized business preferred
   • Located in New England region
3. Contact Maine MEP
   • Phone: (207) 623-0680 or 1-800-MEP-4MFG
   • Email or call to express interest
   • Provide information about your business and cybersecurity needs
4. Assessment Process
   • Maine MEP will evaluate your business
   • Determine if you qualify for grant funding
   • First come, first served basis for grant funds
5. Receive Support
   • Gap analysis conducted
   • POAM developed
   • SSP assistance provided
   • Policies and procedures established
   • Incident response plan created