Advanced Manufacturing Technology Services

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UPDATE: This opportunity has closed.

FY2020 Advanced Manufacturing Technology Services Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

NIST invites proposals from current recipients of Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center cooperative agreements (MEP Centers) to deploy advanced manufacturing technology services to U.S. manufacturers in the broad area of Industry / Manufacturing 4.0, with an emphasis on serving the technology-based needs of small U.S. manufacturers (hereinafter referred to as small U.S. manufacturers). 

For the purpose of this program, Industry / Manufacturing 4.0 includes any combination of technologies that, when implemented individually or collectively, enables the operation of digitally-connected, smart manufacturing systems within factories and across manufacturing supply chains.  Implementation of these Industry / Manufacturing 4.0 technologies by small U.S. manufacturers should facilitate improved product quality and innovation, improved manufacturing process efficiency, and increased supply chain connectivity.  Ultimately, this should result in small U.S. manufacturers being more competitive in the marketplace and being afforded business growth opportunities. 

The emphasis of project awards under this NOFO is MEP Center delivery of technical assistance services to small U.S. manufacturers in the broad area of Industry / Manufacturing 4.0.  

Projects funded under this NOFO should demonstrate the ability of the network of MEP Centers to provide technical assistance services to small U.S. manufacturers relating to Industry / Manufacturing 4.0 on a state, regional, or national scale.  As such, funding awards may be made to teams of MEP Centers.  While funding awards may be made to individual MEP Centers, teaming among MEP Centers is encouraged to demonstrate the scaling of services on a regional or national basis.  Project awards under this NOFO should demonstrate the MEP National Network’s ability to serve the advanced manufacturing technology needs of small U.S. manufacturers at both individual company and manufacturing supply chain levels.  Where teams of MEP Centers are involved in applications, regional and national resources across multiple MEP Centers and other project partners should be utilized.

Through this NOFO, NIST MEP intends to make not more than three (3) funding awards to MEP Centers to deploy advanced manufacturing technology assistance services for small U.S. manufacturers relating Industry / Manufacturing 4.0.  The technical areas below are examples of cross-cutting, infrastructural technologies that are ready for implementation within manufacturing environments and supply chains, and that represent advanced manufacturing technologies associated with Industry / Manufacturing 4.0:

• additive manufacturing;
• advanced and lightweight materials, including composites and lightweight metals associated with product or process innovations;
• cybersecurity;
• digital manufacturing, including the use of modeling and simulation;
• robotics, especially relating to flexible automation; and
• smart manufacturing, including the use of sensors, data analytics, and different forms of artificial intelligence to optimize processes and products.

To view the full notice of funding opportunity, click here.

Funding Opportunity Title: Advanced Manufacturing Technology Services

Applications Must Be Submitted Electronically: The application package is available at Grants.gov

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

Application Due Date
Applications must be received at Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on February 6, 2020. Applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed or considered.

Anticipated Amounts
NIST anticipates funding no more than 3 awards pursuant to this NOFO, with each award being funded at a total amount of up to $1,000,000.  The project(s) awarded under this NOFO will have a budget and performance period of up to three (3) years.  The awards are expected to be fully funded at the time of award.

Funding Instrument
The funding instrument that will be used for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO is a cooperative agreement. The nature of NIST’s “substantial involvement” will generally include collaboration with the recipient organization in developing and in implementing the approved scope of work.

Eligibility
Applicants for this program must be active MEP Centers that are operating pursuant to a current NIST MEP cooperative agreement.  A MEP Center may work individually or may include proposed subawards to eligible organizations or proposed contracts with any other organization as part of the applicant’s proposal, effectively forming a team. An MEP Center may serve as the MEP Center applicant on only one (1) proposal. There are no restrictions on the number of applications in which MEP Centers may be proposed as subrecipients or as non-funded collaborators. 

MEP Centers are strongly encouraged to propose projects that demonstrate program delivery approaches to be applied on a regional or on a national basis, and that would be implemented through teaming arrangements involving the meaningful participation of multiple MEP Centers and other partners, thereby serving small U.S. manufacturers in multiple states.  Applicants proposing regional or national projects involving the meaningful participation of multiple MEP Centers may receive priority from NIST during the award selection process.

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. Department of Commerce Standard Terms and Conditions 30 April 2019

Questions concerning the NOFO should be directed to the following:

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).

Applicants should be aware, and factor in their application submission planning, that the Grants.gov system is expected to be closed for routine maintenance at the following times. Applications cannot be submitted when Grants.gov is closed:

From 12:01 A.M. Eastern Time Saturday: December 21, 2019

To 6:00 A.M. Eastern Time Monday: December 23, 2019