Firms Seek Port Grants

Many companies are competing for more than $168 million in U.S. government grants for port security. The firms are seeking to get into the marketplace the funding will create for infrastructure enhancements, Logistics Online reported. Many of the competing firms will make presentations at the 5th North American Cargo Security Forum in Washington, DC, to be held next month, which will discuss federal funding, Logistics Online said. The forum,, entitled "Supply Chain Security" is intended to provide security specialists with regulatory updates. Both public and private sector experts will be making presentations, the report said. At the end of September the Department of Homeland Security will announce the designation of over $168 million in grants to its Port Security Grant Program. The program is intended to protect critical port infrastructure from terrorist attack. In all the DHS will award approximately $373 million in grants for fiscal year 2006 for its infrastructure protection program. (Source: UPI)