October 30, 2026 · Vigo
Indiana ADAPT Grant for Auto Suppliers, a New Drone Test Site in Terre Haute, and a Construction Workforce Hire
Indiana's $10.79M ADAPT grant for auto suppliers opens now, Terre Haute activates a drone test site, and ICRF names a new workforce lead.
Governor Mike Braun opened applications for the Indiana ADAPT grant for auto suppliers on October 27, putting $10.79 million on the table for small and mid-sized parts makers retooling for hybrid, battery-electric, and hydrogen production. Two days later, Terre Haute activated one of only nine FAA-designated drone test sites in the country. And the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation named a new executive director with a direct line into the state's school superintendents. Three different stories, three different decision windows, and all three affect how Indiana manufacturers plan the next twelve months.
01Statewide
Indiana Launches $10.79 Million ADAPT Grant for Auto Suppliers
ADAPT, short for Automotive Diversification and Production Transition, offers Indiana auto suppliers with fewer than 1,500 employees matching grants of $100,000 to $1 million, reimbursement-based, with a required 1:1 match. Applications close January 8, 2027, reviewed jointly by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Conexus Indiana, and the U.S. Department of Energy, which funded the program as part of a $50 million award split across five states.
- For the huddle
- Given Michigan's six-month head start and bigger funding pool, should we fast-track our ADAPT application now, and which propulsion path (hybrid, battery-electric, or hydrogen) best matches where our Tier 1 customers are actually placing orders?
SourcesGov. Braun powers automotive industry, jobs with $10M+ grant program (wbiw.com)
02Vigo
Midwest UAS Test Site Goes Live at Terre Haute
The Midwest UAS Test Site of Indiana opened October 29 at Terre Haute Regional Airport, operated jointly by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the Applied Research Institute. It is one of nine FAA-designated drone test sites nationwide, and its stated edge is kinetic and counter-UAS testing rights in National Guard airspace over Camp Atterbury, a capability the site's director says exists nowhere else in the country.
- For the huddle
- Should we explore test-site membership now (before the FAA's pending Part 108 BVLOS rule locks in standards based on data generated here) for applications in ag logistics, defense supply, or counter-UAS on our own production lines?
SourcesMidwest UAS Test Site launches at Terre Haute Regional Airport, putting Indiana on front lines of drone technology - WTHI-TV (wthitv.com)
03Statewide
ICRF Names Former Superintendent to Lead Construction Workforce Pipeline
The Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation named Dr. Todd Hitchcock, outgoing superintendent of Shelby Eastern Schools and a former carpenter, as its new executive director starting October 1.
- For the huddle
- With Civil Construction CTE funding downgraded and bigger INCAP connectors like Ascend Indiana and EmployIndy competing for the same school district relationships, should we route our apprenticeship and internship sponsorships through ICRF, or go directly to the larger connectors to make sure our trades pipeline doesn't get crowded out?
SourcesFormer School Superintendent to Lead Efforts to Build Talent Pipeline for Indiana’s Construction Industry (acppubs.com)
Questions for your morning huddle
- Given Michigan's six-month head start and bigger funding pool, should we fast-track our ADAPT application now, and which propulsion path (hybrid, battery-electric, or hydrogen) best matches where our Tier 1 customers are actually placing orders?
- Should we explore test-site membership now (before the FAA's pending Part 108 BVLOS rule locks in standards based on data generated here) for applications in ag logistics, defense supply, or counter-UAS on our own production lines?
- With Civil Construction CTE funding downgraded and bigger INCAP connectors like Ascend Indiana and EmployIndy competing for the same school district relationships, should we route our apprenticeship and internship sponsorships through ICRF, or go directly to the larger connectors to make sure our trades pipeline doesn't get crowded out?
This brief
More from Vigo County
Manufacturers Energy Grant Program
Free for Vigo County manufacturers
Vigo County manufacturers receive free, ongoing energy auditing and cost control that reduces their energy bills and keeps them low, month after month. Every line item checked and validated, every opportunity found comes with a step-by-step guide to capture it.
EDCs: sponsor this program and it carries your organization's name For economic developers →