TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Scott announced nearly $3.5 million will be awarded to support community projects at military installations across the state. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) administers the Defense Infrastructure Grant Program and the Defense Reinvestment Grant Program, which protects Florida’s military bases by providing funding for local infrastructure and land acquisition needs, as well as assisting communities surrounding military installations in diversifying their economies. Florida’s military installations contribute more than $84.9 billion in economic impact and the defense industry supports nearly 800,000 jobs in the state.
Governor Scott said, “Florida is the most military-friendly state in the nation, and as a Navy Veteran myself, I am proud to announce our state will be providing nearly $3.5 million in additional defense grants dedicated to supporting Florida’s military communities. Our military installations are the backbone of many great Florida communities.”
Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said, “Defense communities play a large role in Florida’s robust economy. We are proud to invest in our military installations and the local communities they support.”
Defense Infrastructure Grants are awarded to communities for improving areas surrounding military installations. This will positively impact an area’s military value and its community. The 2018-2019 Defense Infrastructure Grants were awarded to defense partners in Bay, Brevard, Clay, Duval, Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Defense Reinvestment Grants are provided to communities to help support the needs of a military installation or to help expand the community’s non-defense economy. The 2018-2019 Defense Reinvestment Grants were awarded to defense partners in Bay, Brevard, Clay, Duval, Escambia, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Okaloosa, Orange, Santa Rosa and Walton counties.
