MEP Disaster Assessment Program

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Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

NIST invites applications from current recipients of Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center cooperative agreements (MEP Centers) to perform assessments of small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) in areas subject to a FEMA Disaster Declaration. These assessments should be designed to identify the impact, if any, to the operations of the SMMs as result of the subject disaster. MEP Centers receiving funding pursuant to this program must also assist impacted SMMs in identifying and accessing Federal, State and local resources to aid in business recovery efforts and, as appropriate, in the development of a risk mitigation plan for future disasters. Award recipients will further be required to share the results of their project, including disaster preparedness lessons learned and SMMs best practices, with other SMMs, NIST and the MEP National Network™ in order to help the SMM community with future disaster resilience planning efforts.

Pursuant to the MEP Disaster Assessment Program (MDAP) and the requirements contained in this NOFO, NIST MEP invites applications from current recipients of MEP Center cooperative agreements to perform assessments of SMMs in areas where a Major or an Emergency Disaster Declaration is declared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA Disaster Declaration). Projects funded by NIST MEP pursuant to this NOFO are intended to add capabilities and knowledge to the MEP National Network™ in order to help the SMM community with future disaster preparedness and resilience efforts.

MEP Centers must not provide technical assistance or other services pertaining to business recovery efforts of the SMM with funding under this program; rather, to the extent that business recovery services are provided by a MEP Center to an SMM, such services should be performed pursuant to the MEP Center’s base MEP Center cooperative agreement.

To view the full Notice of Funding Opportunity, click here.

Funding Opportunity Number: 2020-NIST-MEP-MDAP-01

Dates

Applications for funding pursuant to this NOFO must be received by NIST no later than 60 calendar days following the date that a Major or an Emergency Disaster Declaration is declared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA Disaster Declaration) for all or a portion of an impacted State or of Puerto Rico.

This program is open, and applications will be accepted by NIST on a rolling basis based on the date of the subject FEMA Disaster Declaration and subject to the publication of a superseding NOFO.

Anticipated Amounts

NIST anticipates funding individual projects at a level of approximately $50,000 to no more than $1,000,000 in total funding for each award. The amount of each award will depend on the nature and severity of each individual FEMA Disaster Declaration. Projects awarded under this NOFO will have a budget and a performance period of no more than 18 months. See Section II.2. in the Full Announcement Text of this NOFO.

Funding Instrument

Cooperative Agreement. See Section II. in the Full Announcement Text of this NOFO.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants for this funding opportunity are recipients of current MEP Center cooperative agreements. A MEP Center recipient may work individually or may include proposed subawards to other recipients of MEP Center cooperative agreements and/or proposed contracts with other organizations as part of the applicant’s proposal, effectively forming a team or consortium. 

A MEP Center may only submit one funding application for each FEMA Disaster Declaration and, where an application is submitted with respect to a particular FEMA Disaster Declaration, such MEP Center may not be included as a subawardee or as a project participant in any other applications pertaining to the same FEMA Disaster Declaration. Moreover, a MEP Center that does not submit a funding application for a particular FEMA Disaster Declaration may only be included as a subawardee or as a project participant in one funding application for each FEMA Disaster Declaration. 

Priority in selecting applications for funding will be given to applications that include the meaningful participation, as either the recipient or as a subrecipient, of the MEP Center for the State in which the FEMA Disaster Declaration pertains.  Where the same FEMA Disaster Declaration covers multiple States, priority in selecting applications for funding will be given to applications where MEP Centers propose working as a consortium to cover all of the impacted States pursuant to a single project.

Cost Sharing Requirements

Non-federal cost share is not required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO.

Resources

1. Budget template single year workbook
2. Budget template multi year workbook
3. NIST MEP reporting guidelines
4. Current and pending support form

Other Information

Any amendments to this NOFO will be announced through Grants.gov. Applicants must submit all questions pertaining to this funding opportunity in writing to mepnofo [at] nist.gov (mepnofo[at]nist[dot]gov).

An Information Webinar took place on February 6, 2020.