Advanced Tissue Biofabrication Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ATB-MII) | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Advanced Tissue Biofabrication Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ATB-MII) funding opportunity is a U.S. Department of Defense, Army contracting activity (DOD-AMC) competition to create a new Manufacturing Innovation Institute focused on advanced tissue biofabrication manufacturing. In practical terms, the government is looking to stand up a national-level institute that can move the field beyond isolated research projects and toward an integrated, scalable, and sustainable manufacturing ecosystem for biofabricated tissues. The opportunity is framed as building a "state-of-the-art, end-to-end" institute, meaning it is intended to cover the full pipeline from early-stage technology development and prototyping through manufacturing process development, scale-up, validation, and other steps needed to make biofabrication reliable and repeatable.

The award is solicited under Funding Opportunity Number W911NF 16 R 0021 and is categorized as discretionary funding. The instrument type is listed as "Other" because it is not a standard grant or cooperative agreement. Instead, the award is expected to be made via a Technology Investment Agreement (TIA) under 10 USC 2371. TIAs are commonly used by DoD for research and prototype-focused efforts that benefit from flexible business terms and collaborative structures, especially when multiple partners are involved and when the goal is to accelerate a technology area into practical use.

Eligibility is targeted to U.S. non-profit organizations, with the listing indicating "Others" and pointing applicants to additional eligibility language in the full announcement. The key eligibility signal in the summary is that the lead proposer must be a U.S. non-profit entity that can organize and manage an institute structure. Because the institute concept typically involves broad participation, the lead organization would generally be expected to coordinate a consortium that can include universities, industry partners, and other stakeholders, even if the lead itself must meet the non-profit requirement.

Cost sharing is a central feature of the solicitation. The announcement specifies a minimum 1:1 cost share, meaning applicants must bring at least an equal amount of non-federal contributions to match the federal investment. This requirement is consistent with manufacturing institute models, where the government expects meaningful private, state, philanthropic, or institutional investment to ensure the institute can persist beyond the initial federal funding period and remain "sustainable" rather than dependent on a single funding stream.

Financially, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of up to $80,000,000, indicating a large, flagship-scale initiative rather than a typical research grant. The listing does not specify the exact number of expected awards in the provided text, but the structure and large ceiling strongly suggest that the government anticipated selecting a small number of recipients, potentially a single institute award, to concentrate resources and create a national hub for the targeted manufacturing area.

From a mission standpoint, ATB-MII is oriented toward advanced tissue biofabrication manufacturing, which generally refers to technologies and processes for producing biological tissues using engineered methods, often involving bio-inks, scaffolds, cells, bioreactors, and specialized fabrication platforms. The emphasis on manufacturing, rather than purely on discovery science, signals that the institute is intended to solve problems such as reproducibility, quality control, process standardization, scalability, and integration of materials, devices, and biological components into consistent production workflows. The phrase "end-to-end" further implies attention to the full production chain, including upstream inputs, fabrication processes, and downstream handling steps needed to yield tissues that meet defined specifications.

Key administrative details in the notice show that the opportunity was created and posted on June 13, 2016, with an original and current closing date of October 18, 2016. The funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and the CFDA number associated with the opportunity is 12.630, which is commonly used for certain Army research and development assistance listings.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as a major DoD-backed initiative to establish a national manufacturing institute dedicated to making advanced tissue biofabrication more industrially mature. It aims to build a coordinated, sustainable organization led by a U.S. non-profit that can bring together partners, leverage at least dollar-for-dollar cost share, and deliver manufacturing-focused advancements that help transition tissue biofabrication from promising laboratory demonstrations into dependable, scalable manufacturing capabilities.

Browse more business programs for Manufacturing Companies, Manufacturing Innovation Programs

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: DOD-AMC

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development

Next opportunity: A partnership to increase capacity for tribal climate adaptation planning

Previous opportunity: Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Plains CESU

USGrants.org Applicant Portal:

Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.

Apply for W911NF 16 R 0021

 

[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (W911NF 16 R 0021) also looked into and applied for these:

 

Grant application guides and resources

It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!

Apply for Grants

 

 

Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers

Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.

If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.

Subscribe to Leads

 

Request more information:

Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "W911NF 16 R 0021", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:

Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.