Gov. Ron DeSantis recently announced more than $6.1 million in awards to military communities through the Defense Infrastructure Grant Program, the Defense Reinvestment Grant Program and the Florida Defense Support Task Force Grant Program. Through the collaborative efforts of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and Enterprise Florida Inc., these programs provide grants to military communities to support infrastructure projects, economic diversification efforts and military community relations.
The Defense Reinvestment Grant Program supports community-based activities that protect existing military installations. These grants are awarded to economic development organizations that represent a local government with a military installation that could be adversely affected by federal actions. Awards through the Defense Reinvestment Grant Program include our area’s One Okaloosa Economic Development Council ($125,000) – to create plans, presentations and analyses relating to tri-county military priorities, industry diversification and retention, produce entrepreneur start-up videos, the identification of specific skills and competency needs, as well as Tri-County Community Partnership Initiatives.
The Florida Defense Support Task Force (Task Force) was created in 2011 with the mission to make recommendations to preserve and protect military installations, support the state’s position in research and development related to military missions and contracting, and improve the state’s military-friendly environment for service members, military families, veterans, and businesses that bring military and defense-related jobs to the state. The Task Force may fund projects that can be leveraged to promote, preserve or enhance military missions and installations in Florida. Awards through the Task Force Grant Program include:
Emerald Coast Regional Council ($182,600) – to build upon partnership agreements among the military installations in the Emerald Coast region and their surrounding communities to allow military installations to partner with local and state governments and provide a wide variety of services.
University of West Florida ($460,000) – to develop, field, and verify the prototype system and control network on the Avon Park Air Force Range to show proof of concept for the Beta Test of the Florida Advanced Training Range.
For more information on military community programs, visit www.FloridaJobs.org/Military-Community-Programs. For more information on Florida military and defense programs, visit www.eflorida.com/floridadefense.
