Twelve Awards Made for Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs)

The U.S Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) has made 12 awards as part of two recent Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs). 

The following five MEP Centers will each receive approximately $1.2 million to continue MEP’s pilot of projects by embedding MEP Center staff at the remaining five Institutes within the Manufacturing USA (previously known as the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation or NNMI) network.  The period of performance is September 1, 2017 – August 30, 2019.    

Delaware Technical Community College (Newark)
The MEP in Delaware is partnering with the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), and collaborating with two (2) additional MEP Centers

Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Worcester)
The MEP in Massachusetts is partnering with the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI), and collaborating with 11 additional MEP Centers

New York State Department of Economic Development (Albany)
The MEP in New York is partnering with the Reducing Embodied-energy and Decreasing Emissions (REMADE) Institute

Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Inc. (Portland)
The MEP in Oregon is partnering with the Rapid Advancement in Process Intensification Deployment (RAPID) Institute, and collaborating with four (4) additional MEP Centers

Pennsylvania IRC Network Foundation (Williamsport)
The MEP in Pennsylvania is partnering with the Advanced Robotics Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, and collaborating with four (4) additional MEP Centers

These awards represent a third round of funding. The pilot projects continue to demonstrate best approaches to fully leverage the assets and resources of the MEP National Network to aid small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) in technology areas that are the focus of the Institutes.

The following seven MEP Centers will receive awards totaling approximately $5.1 Million to add capabilities to the MEP Program including the development of projects to solve new or emerging manufacturing problem that are not already provided for under a Center’s base MEP award.   

Georgia Tech Research Corporation (Atlanta)
The MEP in Georgia is conducting a project to understand and develop support services for the Georgia machine shop industry geographically in the state to create new markets and implement new technology.  From 9/1/2017 to 8/30/2020 totaling $345,788 for the MEP Center in the state of Georgia, and collaborating with 7 MEP Centers.

The MEP in Georgia is also conducting a project to support the DOT-NIST Inter Agency Agreement in promoting and supporting the execution of the Supplier Connectivity Forum in Atlanta, to increase business connections, and to expand U.S. suppliers in the supply chain.  From 9/1/2017 to 3/31/2018 totaling $35,000, and collaborating with 7 MEP Centers.

New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program, Inc. (Cedar Knolls)
The MEP in New Jersey is conducting a project to establish a program that will lead Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) capacity building in MEP Centers; offer FSMA readiness assessments, implementation road maps, access to expert FSMA practitioners and product launch supports.  From 9/1/2017 to 8/30/2019 totaling $973,515 for the MEP Center in the state of New Jersey, and collaborating with 10 MEP Centers.

A. L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Martinsville)
The MEP in Virginia is conducting a project to use the MEP National Network to address a set of critical supply chain needs; to improve the global competitiveness of small and medium-sized medical device and medical instrument & supply manufacturers nationwide.  From 9/1/2017 to 8/30/2019 totaling $1,000,000 for the MEP Center in the State of Virginia, and collaborating with 6 MEP Centers.

Board of Regents, NSHE, University of Nevada Reno (Reno)
The MEP in Nevada is conducting a project to promote transforming the MEP Center staff as Trusted Advisors able to support SMMs to become globally competitive, with growth services, supply chain development, energy savings, strategic planning and many other strategic initiatives. From 9/1/2017 to 8/30/2019 totaling $1,000,000 for the MEP Center in the state of Nevada, and plans to collaborate with up to 8 MEP Centers.

North Carolina State University (Raleigh)
The MEP in North Carolina is conducting a project to address the identified needs of small, rural manufacturers with a desire to innovate and expand but struggle to address the demands of today’s digital supply chains. From 9/1/2017 to 8/30/2020 totaling $999,933 for the MEP Center in the state of North Carolina, and collaborating with 2 MEP Centers.

Industrial Technology Institute dba MMTC (Plymouth)
The MEP in Michigan is conducting a project to develop a Network Cybersecurity Program to save companies and jobs while upgrading the value of suppliers to their customers and the skills of their workforce. From 9/1/2017 to 8/30/2018 totaling $785,476 for the MEP Center in the state of Michigan, and collaborating with 5 MEP Centers.

Project themes included new manufacturing technologies of relevance to small and mid-size manufacturers, particularly those related to Industry/Manufacturing 4.0; supply chain management technologies and practices; and workforce intermediary and business services.  In determining focus areas, the NIST MEP Director consulted with SMMs through the publication in the Federal Register of a Request for Information (RFI) on identification of New Capabilities Needed by the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Program (see 81 FR 90326 (December 2016)).