Washington Maritime Blue

Washington Maritime Blue is a Seattle-based nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the blue economy in the Pacific Northwest region through innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable maritime solutions. The organization operates as a tax-exempt corporate entity registered with the federal government since November 2018 and maintains an active SAM.gov registration through May 2026. Washington Maritime Blue delivers services to the federal government primarily through grant awards rather than federal contracts, focusing on ocean-based climate solutions, maritime entrepreneurship, workforce development, and environmental conservation initiatives that support both economic growth and marine ecosystem protection.

Washington Maritime Blue has limited federal contract experience, having received a single purchase order contract from the U.S. Coast Guard. On July 24, 2024, the organization was awarded a $40,000 firm fixed-price contract titled "CETACEAN DESK MONITORING" with an ultimate completion date of November 25, 2024. This contract, which carried no set-aside designation, represented the organization's only prime federal contract award on record. The nature of this work indicates Washington Maritime Blue's involvement in monitoring activities related to marine mammal protection, consistent with its broader mission of environmental conservation in maritime contexts.

Washington Maritime Blue has demonstrated substantial engagement with federal grant programs across multiple agencies, establishing itself as a significant recipient of prime and sub-award funding. The organization has received grant awards from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Economic Development Administration (EDA), and the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. Notable prime grants include a $496,806 Cooperative Agreement from NOAA's Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) program to scale maritime entrepreneurship programming including innovation accelerators and startup incubators focused on ocean health, maritime decarbonization, sustainable fishing, and marine renewable energy; a $299,930 Project Grant from NOAA to establish and evaluate a voluntary vessel slowdown program in Puget Sound aimed at reducing noise pollution affecting endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales; a four-year Project Grant from NOAA supporting the Quiet Sound program to engage maritime sector operators in whale protection measures; a $530,000 Project Grant from NOAA's Unallied Management Projects program to strengthen the Whale Report Alert System; a $100,000 Cooperative Agreement from the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy supporting the Pacific Northwest Water Power Program to accelerate commercialization of marine and hydropower technologies through startup incubation; and a Project Grant from the Economic Development Administration in December 2021 supporting blue economy cluster development in the Pacific Northwest. Washington Maritime Blue has also received federal sub-awards, including funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for research on voluntary vessel slowdown locations in killer whale critical habitat and Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding passed through the Washington State Department of Employment Security for workforce development programs serving adults, dislocated workers, and youth in employment training and occupational skills development.