Vineyard Wind and the Business Network for Offshore Wind have launched a partnership to educate Massachusetts businesses about opportunities in the offshore wind sector.
The one-year Offshore Wind Supply Chain Initiative will launch across Massachusetts in November in and is open to small businesses and those owned by minorities, women, veterans, service-disabled veterans, those with a disability, and LGBT individuals.
Vineyard Wind is funding the Network’s efforts, with $500,000, to deliver its Foundation 2 Blade, Offshore Wind Ready, and Offshore Wind 101 educational training programmes to help local companies and entrepreneurs learn about the offshore wind industry and how they can expand their business into the local supply chain.
Graduates of these programmes will understand the phases of offshore wind project development and the component parts and operations of offshore wind projects and be able to determine where their company best fits into the supply chain.
Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller said: “Our partnership with the Network will ensure that our approach to engaging new companies focused on creating a diverse and inclusive offshore wind supply chain from the start, so that the benefits of this industry will be felt in every community in the Commonwealth.”
The Network’s Foundation 2 Blade (F2B) initiative comprises multiple sessions, where participants gain the tools, resources, and industry connections that prepare their businesses to successfully enter the offshore wind supply chain.
Since launching in 2020, the network has graduated nearly 350 professionals from federal regulatory agencies, state governments, offshore wind developers, Tier 1 suppliers, and other businesses critical to the offshore wind supply chain.
Vineyard Wind 1 will begin delivering clean energy to Massachusetts in 2023.