Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute (RFT MII) | Apply Online

FAQs: Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute (RFT MII)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a discretionary federal funding solicitation to establish the Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute (RFT MII). It is issued by the Department of the Army, Materiel Command, and is focused on science and technology research and development (R&D).

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is W15QKN 15 R 0074.

Who is the issuing federal agency?

The opportunity is issued by the Department of the Army, Materiel Command.

What is the main purpose of the award?

The core purpose is to select an independent U.S. nonprofit organization to enter into a Cooperative Agreement (or another assistance agreement if the government determines a different instrument is more appropriate) to stand up a state-of-the-art Manufacturing Innovation Institute focused on revolutionary fibers and textiles manufacturing technologies.

Is this funding for a single research project or something broader?

It is intended to support an end-to-end, sustainable institute rather than a narrow research project or a one-off technology demonstration. The institute concept is described as a coordinated ecosystem that can span the pipeline from R&D through prototyping, scale-up, and manufacturing implementation, with an emphasis on sustainability and long-term operational viability.

What kinds of technology areas are included?

The institute is intended to drive innovation in advanced fibers and textile manufacturing. Examples of included areas (as described in the summary) may include new materials, novel processing methods, scalable production approaches, and enabling manufacturing technologies that improve performance, efficiency, and supply chain resilience.

What type of funding instrument will be used?

The primary instrument identified is a Cooperative Agreement. The solicitation also states the government reserves the right to use another type of assistance agreement if it determines a different instrument better serves its interests.

What does a Cooperative Agreement imply for how the government will be involved?

Based on the summary description, a Cooperative Agreement typically signals substantial federal involvement during execution compared with a standard grant. This often includes active collaboration, shared technical direction, and ongoing engagement to ensure the institute meets national needs and program objectives.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is centered on U.S. nonprofit organizations holding IRS 501(c)(3) status. Institutions of higher education are excluded unless the institution itself has 501(c)(3) status. The summary also notes that additional eligibility clarifications may exist in the full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).

Can a university participate?

The summary indicates institutions of higher education are excluded unless the institution itself has 501(c)(3) status. The institute model commonly involves partnerships, so universities may potentially be involved as part of a broader consortium if allowed by the FOA, but the target applicant is a nonprofit entity.

Is a consortium or partnership expected?

While the eligible applicant is described as a nonprofit organization, the opportunity describes an institute model that commonly involves partnerships. The applicant is generally expected to organize a broader consortium that may include universities, industry, workforce organizations, and other stakeholders, as allowed by the FOA.

Is there a cost share or matching requirement?

Yes. A cost sharing or matching requirement applies, meaning applicants should expect to contribute non-federal resources as part of the overall institute budget.

Why does this opportunity include cost sharing?

The summary explains that cost share requirements are commonly used for manufacturing institute-style programs to ensure industry and regional stakeholders have meaningful buy-in and to support sustainability beyond the initial federal investment.

What is the CFDA reference for this opportunity?

The CFDA reference is 12.630: Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering.

Does the summary include the application deadline?

No. The closing date is not specified in the summary. It is described as available in the full FOA, so applicants need to consult the complete announcement for deadlines.

Where can applicants find submission instructions and required proposal content?

The summary indicates that the full FOA contains submission instructions, required content, evaluation criteria, and other key requirements and constraints.

What types of requirements might be detailed in the full FOA?

The summary notes that the FOA may include constraints and requirements related to consortium composition, governance, intellectual property, facilities, and technology transition expectations, along with evaluation criteria and required proposal content.

When was this opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on May 12, 2015.

What is the creation date listed for the opportunity?

The creation date listed is June 4, 2015.

Who is the point of contact for access issues with the full announcement?

The listed contact is Lauren McDermott, Contract Specialist. The summary suggests this contact can help with obtaining the complete solicitation materials and potentially answer process-related questions.

If the government can choose a different assistance instrument, what does that mean for applicants?

It means the final award structure could vary depending on the proposed approach and what the government views as the best fit, since the solicitation reserves the right to use another type of assistance agreement.