PPE

WESTBOROUGH - On Friday, July 24, 2020, a panel of expert judges declared Speakeasy Travel Supply of Cape Cod the winner of the first COVID-19 Intrapreneur Challenge, a competition focused on companies pivoting operations to produce general-use face masks. The Challenge featured pitches from 11 established Massachusetts companies, who pitched their designs and business plans aimed at addressing the ongoing public health challenge.

WESTBOROUGH, MA – Today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts launched a new project to boost the number of homegrown companies able to manufacture personal protective equipment or PPE, a critical need in the response to the COVID-19 crisis. The COVID-19 Intrapreneur Challenge will be managed by Lever, a North Adams-based business accelerator and innovation support organization that will activate, connect, and focus companies as they pivot production capabilities to produce the materials necessary to combat the pandemic. The new effort will be supported by a $250,000 grant from the Innovation Institute at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, the organization managing the Massachusetts Manufacturing Emergency Response Team (MERT).

BOSTON - May 21, 2020 —Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced more than $9.5 million in grants to boost production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical materials needed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Reopening Massachusetts plan. The new awards were made through the Manufacturing Emergency Response Team (M-ERT) to 15 grantees, including Massachusetts manufacturers, that are producing needed items such as masks, gowns, ventilators, swabs, and testing materials, and the capacity to test them.