Supplier Scouting

Manufacturers as well as federal, state and local agencies face supply chain challenges that impact our nation’s health and safety as well as our national and economic security. Small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) are especially challenged with sustaining operations in light of current supply chain conditions. There is a widespread need to find domestic manufacturing suppliers to meet current needs.

The MEP National Network™ connects U.S. manufacturers that have relevant production capabilities and capacities with additional manufacturers – enabling them to fulfill current market and societal needs. We can then assist those manufacturers in actually delivering needed products.

Locating Difficult-to-Source Needs

The MEP National Network’s Supplier Scouting service can be applied on a national, regional or local scale. By leveraging our extensive relationships and knowledge of U.S. manufacturing capabilities, we identify manufacturers with these production and technical capabilities and connect them with supply chains of larger companies and government agencies. Additionally, we identify and connect suppliers with purchasers, responding to the specific needs of individual companies or agencies.

The MEP National Network works with public and private organizations to identify U.S. suppliers of difficult-to-source needs. Supplier Scouting facilitates the interaction between top-of-supply chain companies and government agencies with U.S. SMMs to help identify new suppliers who can produce hard-to-source items.

MEP Centers can support vendors, materials, or technical searches by identifying:

• Technical and process capabilities.
• Production capacities.
• Proficiency to make products
• Ability to pivot production to critical supplies

Domestic manufacturing capabilities and capacities can produce any item needed by our nation’s supply chains. The MEP National Network’s Supplier Scouting service provides a viable means by which U.S. manufacturing can be catalyzed to produce needed items domestically.

The MEP National Network scouts for hundreds of items from all industries, providing opportunities for SMMs to expand and grow. View current open opportunities.