Government Contracting

The Aerospace and Defense Alliance of Mississippi (ADAM) is Mississippi’s industry alliance for aerospace and defense companies, giving the sector a stronger collective platform for advocacy, visibility, and business development. ADAM represents Mississippi’s industry on policy, hosts the annual Mississippi Aerospace and Defense Symposium, and joins GCBC and Hancock County Port & Harbor in carrying Mississippi’s story to the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. ADAM’s growth from 12 members in 2021 to more than 60 today reflects the strength of Mississippi’s industry voice—built in partnership with MSET, which used a DoW-funded ecosystem study to transform its former membership structure into ADAM and create durable industry infrastructure for the state.

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ERDCWERX is a public-private innovation platform that extends the reach of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) by connecting its scientists and engineers with industry, academia, and startups to accelerate dual-use technology. As the link for direct access to ERDC’s world-class labs, ERDCWERX brings Mississippi companies and researchers a direct line to federal R&D capability that would otherwise be hard to access—translating government science into commercial and defense-ready solutions in the state.

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The Mississippi APEX Accelerator (formerly the state’s PTAC program, housed at MDA) helps Mississippi businesses navigate government contracting — from registration and certifications to bid preparation and compliance across federal, state, and local agencies. APEX is the front-line resource that gets Mississippi aerospace, defense, and technology firms ready to win and deliver on federal contracts tied to Stennis-resident agencies, DoD buyers, and state programs.

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The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) is the state’s lead economic development agency, driving the recruitment, retention, and expansion of businesses across Mississippi and serving as a founding partner in MSET’s public-private model. MDA aligns state strategy, federal assets at Stennis, and industry recruitment so Mississippi can compete for aerospace, defense, and technology projects with one coordinated voice. A leading example is the collaboration among MDA, MSET, and NASA to locate Evolution Space at Stennis Space Center—a concrete demonstration of MDA’s role in turning federal capability into state investment. MDA’s coordinated efforts have helped Mississippi capture more than $28 billion in DoD awards, $725 million in corporate investment, and over 2,700 jobs created across 200+ defense companies in the last four years.

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The Mississippi Manufacturers Association Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MMA MEP) is the state’s NIST MEP affiliate, delivering hands-on technical assistance, continuous improvement, cybersecurity, and supply chain support to manufacturers across Mississippi. MMA MEP strengthens the competitiveness of Mississippi’s aerospace and defense suppliers—helping them meet DoW requirements like CMMC, improve operations, and win more federal contracts.

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