Fresh Coast Maritime Challenge Grant Program

The Fresh Coast Maritime Challenge is a first-of-its-kind grant program launched by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and its Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) in partnership with Traverse Connect, EGLE, MDOT, DNR, and the Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry. The program offers commercial enterprises of all sizes a sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient means of transitioning watercraft from diesel to electric power and electrifying marinas along Michigan's Great Lakes coastlines, advancing goals outlined in the MI Healthy Climate Plan and MI Future Mobility Plan.

Eligible applicants include private commercial enterprises, clean technology startups, electric boat manufacturers, charging network operators, and academic research institutions. While open broadly to innovative maritime mobility entities, the initial phase placed special focus on deployments in the northwest Michigan corridor between Frankfort and Mackinac Island.

Project eligibility encompasses real-world testing, demonstrations, and permanent installations of marinized electric fast chargers, high-performance electric watercraft, solar-powered public vessels, consumer acceptance studies, and utility planning playbooks designed to scale shore-side charging infrastructure.

Applications were submitted online through the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform. Traverse Connect and MEDC hosted informational sessions and webinars prior to the application deadline to assist interested applicants.