Connecticut Community Makerspace Initiative

The State of Connecticut’s Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) Office of Manufacturing is seeking a qualified consulting firm to perform a comprehensive environmental scan of the state’s manufacturing ecosystem. The firm will gather data on existing capabilities, identify gaps, and uncover opportunities that could be supported by a future state‑funded grant program. Findings will be synthesized into a final recommendations memo that outlines best practices and strategic guidance for launching an Office of Manufacturing grant initiative. • Conduct an in‑depth analysis of Connecticut’s current manufacturing capabilities and resources. • Identify gaps in infrastructure, workforce, technology, and funding mechanisms. • Benchmark against comparable state and regional makerspace and manufacturing grant programs. • Produce a detailed recommendations memo with actionable best‑practice guidelines for the new grant program. • Deliver all findings and recommendations by the contract’s agreed‑upon timeline.