The economic impact of the new federal prison in Berlin is the subject of a new research report recently released by the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development’s Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP).

PTAP, which helps local businesses with government contracting, focused its initial research on construction-related opportunities for jobs and materials. Now that construction is in its final stages, attention has shifted to jobs with the Bureau of Prisons and opportunities for local businesses to sell their goods and services to the prison. The Bureau of Prison’s Purchases of Goods and Services report summarizes the buying history for five federal correctional institutions similar to the new Berlin facility. 

“Not surprisingly, food and medical services are at the top of the list as far as items most in demand at federal correctional institutions,” said PTAP Program Manager David Pease. “While those two categories are most dominant, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other opportunities for New Hampshire companies to conduct business with the new Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin. The report actually contains a comprehensive list of other products in need as well as an itemization of how much is needed and when.”

The report was authored by PTAP Program Specialist and Berlin resident Kathleen Frenette and will be made available to area economic development groups and libraries. It is also available on the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Web site at www.nheconomy.com/sell-to-the-government and on the City of Berlin’s site at www.berlinnh.gov under “News.”

NH-PTAP is a cooperative program of the Defense Logistics Agency (U.S. Department of Defense) and the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development.