Update on Request for Information on Identification of New Capabilities Needed by the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program

Update: On December 14, 2016 NIST solicited public comments relating to a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for awards anticipated in fiscal year 2017 (FY17), through the publication in the Federal Register of a Request for Information on Identification of New Capabilities Needed by the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (81 FR90326 (December 2016)).   15 U.S.C. § 287k-1, the statute under which NIST expects to conduct the future award program, requires the NIST Director to consult with small and mid-sized manufacturers regarding their needs and, in turn, for NIST to use the information provided to develop one or more themes for future NOFOs.

This Request for Information (RFI) sought comments relating to existing Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers to add capabilities to the MEP program, including the development and conduct of projects to solve new or emerging manufacturing problems.   The comment open period closed on 13 January 2017.

To view the full Request for Information (RFI), please click here https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/12/14/2016-30009/request-for-information-on-identification-of-new-capabilities-needed-by-the-hollings-manufacturing

In total, NIST received Fifty-four (54) responses to the RFI from industry, nonprofit organizations, MEP affiliate centers, academia and university centers, and economic development organizations, representing the responses from Forty-nine (49) entities. To view the RFI responses that were submitted to NIST, please click the name of the submitting organizations below:

1. 89 North and Chroma Technology
2. AIM Photonics Institute
3. Alabama Technology Network
4. APTAR
5. Arizona State University+Michigan State University+Pennsylvania State University
6. Boeing Company
7. C. Turk
8. Cadence
9. Cities Rising Technologies
10. Connstep
11. DeWys Manufacturing
12. DOW AgroSciences LLC
13. Eaton
14. Enterprise Minnesota
15. Fitch
16. Gentex Corporation
17. GIW Industries
18. Global HeavyLift Holdings Inc
19. Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance
20. Hegwood Electric
21. Helena Industries
22. IBM Systems Group
23. InnovateMEP Mississippi
24. Iowa MEP-CIRAS
25. JCS Computers
26. Klann Incorporated
27. Knape & Vogt
28. Lockheed Martin Corporation
29. Maine MEP
30. Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center
31. Merrill Technologies Group
32. Michigan Economic Development Corp
33. Mikro Systems
34. Missouri Enterprise
35. National Council for Advance Manufacturing
36. New Jersey MEP
37. Nish Mith
38. North Carolina State University
39. NPI Technologies Management
40. Performance Review Institute
41. RevAZ
42. Revision Military Limited
43. Snow Machines Inc
44. South Carolina MEP
45. The Snap Source
46. TSI Solutions
47. Virginia Philpott
48. West Paw Designs
49. York Exponential