Pennsylvania Defense Industry Assistance Partnership

Historically, defense contract awards have provided Pennsylvania companies with stable business and solid prospects for future growth. However, recent federal budget cutbacks have resulted in severe cuts across the defense industry. During FY2008-2015, defense contract losses in Pennsylvania totaled $2.4 billion. On a local level, these cuts prompted business closures and workforce layoffs, threatening communities across the state. In order to combat this downward trend, the Pennsylvania Defense Industry Assistance Partnership (PDIAP) was formed.

Who We Are

The PA Department of Community and Economic Development first launched the Pennsylvania Defense Industry Assistance Partnership (PDIAP) in 2014 with support from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)’s Office of Economic Adjustment. The Partnership’s goal was to counter defense contract losses by helping suppliers to diversify and expand their markets. Its mission is twofold:

• To strengthen and diversify regional industrial sectors and increase the global competitiveness of defense impacted businesses in Pennsylvania by educating and assisting impacted defense suppliers and workers
• To reinforce DoD’s core mission of bolstering national security and supporting the warfighter by building intellectual capacity within the defense supply chain, maximizing competitive strengths, maintaining capabilities, spurring innovation, and promoting resiliency of the defense supply chain.

The program, which was further expanded in 2015 and 2017, now delivers assistance to defense suppliers statewide through a robust network of state, regional, and local partners.

Meet the Team

State Point of Contact

Export Assistance

To learn more about defense-related export opportunities, visit the Office of International Business Development webpage.

Defense Industry Assistance Regions

Click on a region to display coordinator contact information below the map.