Washington Evergreen Manufacturing Growth Grants
Washington State Department of Commerce
$100,000–$200,000
Washington pays to grow your manufacturing jobs
Washington's Evergreen Manufacturing Growth Grants fund individual manufacturers and regional innovation clusters to accelerate manufacturing job growth across the state, with a focus on rural communities. Awards range from $100,000 to $200,000 per project. Businesses apply through their county's Associate Development Organization (ADO) — Commerce only reviews business applications that come through ADOs. The program is authorized by the Building Economic Strength Through Manufacturing (BEST) Act.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $100,000 – $200,000
- Realistic amount
- Most individual business awards are $100,000–$200,000 per project. Ten awards of $200,000 each were made in the prior ro…
- Deadline
- Annual competitive round. 2026 round proposals due May 14, 2026 with pre-proposal conference April 14, 2026.
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- WA
- Payment model
- reimbursement
Who qualifies
- Business must be a Washington State manufacturer or manufacturing innovation cluster organization
- Project must generate significant direct manufacturing or R&D jobs
- Must align with Washington's key industries (aerospace, clean energy, food processing, advanced manufacturing, technology)
- Applications must be submitted through and approved by the local ADO for the county of project impact
- Focus on rural community economic opportunity is prioritized
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
- Restricted to industry: manufacturing
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Equipment and capital investments for manufacturing expansion
- Workforce development and training programs
- Technology upgrades that increase manufacturing capacity
- R&D facilities and activities tied to manufacturing innovation
- Cluster development activities for innovation cluster organizations
Ineligible expenses
- Operating expenses unrelated to the manufacturing expansion project
- Marketing and advertising
- Retail or non-manufacturing activities
- Projects that do not create direct manufacturing or R&D jobs
How to apply
-
1
Identify and contact your local ADO
Find the Associate Development Organization (ADO) in the county where your manufacturing expansion will occur. Contact them early — they conduct their own eligibility screening and must approve and submit your application to Commerce. Find ADOs at commerce.wa.gov.
~3 hrs
-
2
Develop project proposal with ADO support
Work with the ADO to develop your project proposal describing the manufacturing expansion, projected job creation (direct manufacturing and R&D jobs), and strategic alignment with Washington key industries. The ADO will advise on the competitive application.
~20 hrs
-
3
ADO submits application to Commerce
The ADO reviews and endorses the business application, then submits it to Commerce before the program deadline. Commerce evaluates applications submitted by ADOs only.
~5 hrs
-
4
Commerce review and award
Commerce reviews eligible submissions, conducts any required follow-up, and announces awards. Execute grant agreement and begin project.
~2 hrs
The ADO is the gatekeeper — Commerce won't consider applications submitted directly by businesses. Build the ADO relationship first; they often help shape the strongest applications.
Deadline & timing
Applications are submitted through local Associate Development Organizations (ADOs) in the county where the business will grow. Commerce only accepts business applications that have been approved and submitted by an ADO. Contact your local ADO well in advance — they have their own internal review process. Next round dates not yet announced.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.