The state of Indiana said that it has received nearly 20,000 orders for personal protective equipment (PPE) and it has fulfilled 10,000 orders, since it launched the Indiana Small Business PPE Marketplace on May 6.
The orders have included shipments of hand sanitizer, face masks and face shields to Hoosier small businesses and nonprofits across the state.
The new marketplace, powered by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) and the Indiana Small Business Development Center, serves as an added resource to help companies safely reopen in the coming weeks. PPE order capacity is expected to increase by 20 percent next week, with the marketplace able to fulfill and ship 12,000 orders in partnership with Indianapolis-based Langham Logistics.
Indiana small businesses and nonprofits with less than 150 employees may place orders for PPE through the marketplace online at backontrack.in.gov/ppemarketplace.html. The contents of available PPE bundles will be posted online as orders are expected to fluctuate based on current supply of items.
The state says that all businesses and nonprofits are encouraged to first source and procure PPE on their own with the marketplace serving as an alternate backstop for employers. While the state will make every effort to provide needed supplies, it cannot guarantee the integrity of the PPE supply chain due to increasing demands worldwide. All requests will be evaluated and fulfilled based on work environment risk profile, stock availability and the number of outstanding requests. At times, partial or delayed fulfillment of requests may occur.
