Opportunity Information: Apply for 2016 NIST MEP 01
Apply for 2016 NIST MEP 01
- The DOC-NIST in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Award Competitions for Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers in the States of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Utah and Vermont" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.611.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 27, 2016 and posted on Jan 27, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 25, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
This funding opportunity comes from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (DOC-NIST), and it is a discretionary grant competition to select operators for Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers in thirteen locations: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Utah, and Vermont. The program is offered under Funding Opportunity Number 2016 NIST MEP 01 and CFDA 11.611, using a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. A cooperative agreement is similar to a grant, but it typically involves more substantial federal involvement during the project, reflecting the hands-on partnership model that is common in the MEP system.
NIST planned to fund up to thirteen separate cooperative agreements, with the expectation of making one award for each of the listed states or service areas. In other words, applicants were competing to become the designated MEP Center operator in their state or territory, rather than competing for multiple awards within the same geography. The notice points applicants to Section II.2 of the full funding opportunity announcement for the specific funding amounts tied to each state, indicating that award sizes could differ by location based on NIST program parameters and state needs.
The purpose of the competition is to ensure that each designated state or territory has a high-performing MEP Center focused on delivering manufacturing extension services, primarily to small and medium-sized manufacturers. These services generally include hands-on assistance and business/technical support that help manufacturers improve productivity, adopt new technologies, strengthen quality systems, train their workforce, improve supply chain performance, and compete more effectively. The emphasis on small and mid-sized firms reflects the MEP program's role in filling capability gaps for companies that may not have the internal resources to access specialized expertise on their own.
An important feature of this opportunity is that the selected organization does not operate in isolation. Awardees become part of the national MEP system, a nationwide network of extension service providers operating across the United States and Puerto Rico. Being part of that system typically implies alignment with national performance expectations, data collection and reporting requirements, and coordination with NIST and other MEP Centers to share best practices and deliver consistent, measurable impact for manufacturers.
Eligibility is described broadly in the source data as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement, which signals that NIST was likely open to a range of qualified organizational types as long as they met program requirements. In many MEP competitions, eligible applicants often include nonprofit organizations, state and local entities, universities, and other qualified institutions capable of running a statewide manufacturing assistance program, building partnerships, and maintaining the staffing and infrastructure needed for service delivery. The key is the capacity to serve manufacturers across the defined service area and to operate in a way that meets MEP program standards.
The competition timeline shows the opportunity was posted on January 27, 2016, with an application closing date of April 25, 2016. The listing does not provide an award ceiling or the number of expected awards in the extracted fields, but the narrative clearly indicates the intent to make up to thirteen awards, one per identified state or territory, subject to available funding and the quality of applications received.
In practical terms, the grant is about selecting organizations to run the official, NIST-supported MEP Center in each of the listed locations, delivering measurable improvements for manufacturers and integrating those efforts into the broader national MEP network under a cooperative agreement structure.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a discretionary federal grant competition from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (DOC-NIST) to select operators for Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers in specific locations.
What is the program name associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is for Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers, which provide manufacturing extension services and support to manufacturers, especially small and medium-sized firms.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this competition?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 2016 NIST MEP 01.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 11.611.
What type of funding instrument is used?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement.
How is a cooperative agreement different from a standard grant?
It is similar to a grant, but it typically includes more substantial federal involvement during the project. This reflects the hands-on partnership model used within the MEP system.
How many awards did NIST plan to make under this opportunity?
NIST planned to fund up to thirteen separate cooperative agreements.
Is the competition intended to make multiple awards within the same state?
No. The expectation was to make one award for each listed state or service area, meaning applicants were competing to become the designated MEP Center operator for that geography.
Which states and territories are included in this competition?
The competition covers thirteen locations: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Utah, and Vermont.
What is the main purpose of selecting MEP Center operators through this competition?
The purpose is to ensure each designated state or territory has a high-performing MEP Center focused on delivering manufacturing extension services, primarily to small and medium-sized manufacturers.
Who is the primary target audience for MEP Center services?
MEP Centers primarily focus on serving small and medium-sized manufacturers.
What kinds of services do MEP Centers typically provide?
Services generally include hands-on assistance and business/technical support to help manufacturers improve productivity, adopt new technologies, strengthen quality systems, train their workforce, improve supply chain performance, and compete more effectively.
Why is there an emphasis on small and mid-sized manufacturers?
The MEP program is designed to fill capability gaps for companies that may not have the internal resources to access specialized expertise on their own.
What does it mean to become an MEP Center operator under this opportunity?
It means becoming the official, NIST-supported MEP Center operator for the specified state or territory and delivering measurable improvements for manufacturers as part of the national MEP network.
Do awardees operate independently, or as part of a broader network?
Awardees become part of the national MEP system, a nationwide network of extension service providers operating across the United States and Puerto Rico.
What obligations typically come with being part of the national MEP system?
Being part of the system typically implies alignment with national performance expectations, data collection and reporting requirements, and coordination with NIST and other MEP Centers to share best practices and deliver consistent, measurable impact.
Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?
Eligibility is described broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full funding opportunity announcement.
What kinds of organizations are often eligible in MEP competitions (as suggested by the provided information)?
The information indicates NIST was likely open to a range of qualified organizational types that meet program requirements. Examples commonly associated with MEP competitions include nonprofit organizations, state and local entities, universities, and other qualified institutions capable of running a statewide manufacturing assistance program.
What capabilities are implied for an organization to be competitive as an MEP Center operator?
The organization must have the capacity to serve manufacturers across the defined service area and operate in a way that meets MEP program standards, including staffing, infrastructure, and partnership-building to support service delivery.
Where can applicants find the specific funding amount for each state or territory?
The notice points applicants to Section II.2 of the full funding opportunity announcement for the specific funding amounts tied to each state, indicating award sizes could differ by location.
Did the listing provide an award ceiling?
No. The extracted listing fields did not provide an award ceiling.
What was the posting date for this opportunity?
The opportunity was posted on January 27, 2016.
What was the application closing date?
The application closing date was April 25, 2016.
How many awards were expected according to the narrative description?
The narrative indicates the intent to make up to thirteen awards, one per identified state or territory, subject to available funding and the quality of applications received.
Is this grant competition focused on project funding, or on selecting official statewide operators?
It is focused on selecting organizations to run the official, NIST-supported MEP Center in each of the listed locations, rather than funding multiple separate projects within the same geography.
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