Groundfish Disaster Assistance for Shoreside Businesses

This state and local contracting opportunity is for Groundfish Disaster Assistance for Shoreside Businesses in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) is soliciting applications from eligible shoreside businesses that serviced the commercial limited access groundfishery impacted by the 2012 Groundfish Fishery Disaster declaration. Qualified businesses must demonstrate that at least 30% and $32,500 of their total receipts/sales in any one year from 2009-2013 were generated from commercial vessels with limited access multispecies permits and/or state waters Groundfish Endorsements. Applicants must provide information on their commercial groundfish-related business receipts/sales and explain how their business is directly related to the commercial limited access groundfish industry impacted by the 2012 disaster. The application deadline is May 31, 2015, with DMF to notify applicants of their approval or denial by mid-June 2015. Qualified businesses will receive a flat rate payment, with a maximum of $750,000 budgeted for the program and individual payments not to exceed $32,500.

This assistance program is intended to support the continued viability and sustainability of the groundfish industry and communities in Massachusetts, with the distribution of funds generally reflecting the relative distribution of commercial groundfish landings by port. Payments will be made using federal grant funds, and qualified applicants must become a state vendor to receive the financial assistance, which will be processed weekly starting in early July 2015. The contract term will not extend beyond the grant end date of June 30, 2016.