WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced $500,000 in federal funding for the Dakota Manufacturing Extension Partnership Inc., also known as Impact Dakota to support innovation in manufacturing to promote long-term growth.

The government funding bill Congress just passed, which Heitkamp supported, included $134 million in federal funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the program which provided the grant for Impact Dakota.

“Hard work, determination, and grit make North Dakota’s manufacturers some of the best in the nation,” said Heitkamp. “Whether it is a new start up manufacturing business or an established company within a community, having access to the right resources that provide them with needed information and support to implement, design, and promote their products is key to long term success. These federal funds will enable Impact Dakota to continue its work with North Dakota manufacturers to solve challenges and help grow their businesses that will help to support our manufacturing base, create good-paying jobs, and lead to economic growth.”

These federal funds are made available by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Program which invests federal funds into small and medium sized manufacturers that promote trade.