Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers for Arizona, Maryland, and Rhode Island

Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO)

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UPDATE: THIS FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY HAS CLOSED

NIST invites proposals from eligible proposers for funding three (3) separate MEP centers to provide manufacturing extension services to primarily small and medium-sized manufacturers in three separate locations, Arizona, Maryland, and Rhode Island. These MEP centers will become part of the MEP national system of extension service providers, currently comprised of more than 400 centers and field offices located throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

The objective of an MEP center is to provide manufacturing extension services that enhance productivity, innovative capacity, and technological performance, and strengthen the global competitiveness of primarily small- and medium-sized U.S.-based manufacturing firms in its service region. Manufacturing extension services are provided by utilizing the most cost effective, local, leveraged resources for those services through the coordinated efforts of a regionally-based MEP center and local technology resources. The management and operational structure of an MEP center is not prescribed, but should be based upon the characteristics of the manufacturers in the region and locally available resources with demonstrated experience working with manufacturers.

It is not the intent of this program that the centers perform research and development.

Information regarding MEP and these centers is available at www.nist.gov/mep. The statutory authority for the MEP Program is 15 U.S.C. 278k, as implemented in 15 C.F.R. part 290.

Eligible Applicants: The eligibility requirements given in this section will be used in lieu of those published in the MEP regulations found at 15 C.F.R. part 290, specifically 15 C.F.R. § 290.5(a)(1). Each award recipient must be a U.S. based nonprofit institution or organization. For the purpose of this FFO, nonprofit organizations include, but are not limited to, universities and state and local governments. An eligible organization may work individually or include proposed subawards or contracts with others in a project proposal, effectively forming a team or consortium. Existing MEP centers are eligible.

To view full Federal Funding Opportunity, click here.

Please submit your proposals via www.grants.gov under Funding Opportunity number 2012-NIST-MEP-AZ-MD-RI-01

Arizona, Maryland, and Rhode Island Competition Time-line

NIST MEP is planning to run a competition for the creation of a center in Arizona, Maryland, and Rhode Island. Below is an outline of the key steps along with the target timing of each. These actions will take place over the next several months. Updates and changes will be posted to this site as needed.

• June 2012 – Post Federal Register Notice (FRN)/Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO)
• July 18, 2012 @ 2 p.m. – Information Webinar Conducted
• August 20, 2012 – All Proposals due by 5:00pm EST.
• September 2012 – Review Process Continues and Selection of Proposed Awardees
• October 2012 – Award

Webinar Information Session

Please submit questions regarding this funding Opportunity to Diane Henderson @ diane.henderson [at] nist.gov (diane[dot]henderson[at]nist[dot]gov).

A FAQ document will be posted as questions are received.