NIST MEP Competitive Awards Program
NIST MEP offers grants to existing MEP Centers for projects expanding their capabilities in areas like Industry 4.0, workforce, supply chain, and AI.
Funder: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Due Dates: Rolling (applications accepted and reviewed continuously, subject to availability of funds and future NOFOs)
Funding Amounts: Up to $1M for single MEP Center awards | Up to $5M for multi-center collaborations | Up to 3 years per award
Summary: Supports current MEP Centers to expand capabilities in Industry 4.0, workforce, supply chain, and AI, with projects going beyond base cooperative agreements.
Key Information: Only active MEP Centers with current NIST MEP cooperative agreements are eligible; no cost share required.
Description
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Competitive Awards Program provides funding to current MEP Centers to develop and implement projects that enhance the capabilities of the MEP National Network. Projects must address one or more statutory criteria (e.g., regional industry competitiveness, workforce development, technology transfer, diversity recruitment) and are encouraged to align with program themes such as Industry/Manufacturing 4.0, workforce services, supply chain management and resiliency, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications. All funded activities must be above and beyond those supported by the Center’s base cooperative agreement.
