The Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation (DMDI) Institute | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation (DMDI) Institute opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BAA 13 01DMDI) is a U.S. Army Materiel Command solicitation, issued on behalf of AMRDEC through ACC Redstone Arsenal, to establish and operate a national institute focused on digital manufacturing and design innovation. The government is seeking applied research only, meaning proposals are expected to be oriented toward practical development, demonstration, integration, and measurable outcomes rather than basic research. The core idea is to stand up an institute that can materially strengthen U.S. manufacturing capabilities by advancing digital approaches to design, manufacturing processes, and the infrastructure that supports those activities, with clear pathways for moving results into real-world use.

This is a restricted solicitation with a single anticipated award, using a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. A cooperative agreement typically implies substantial government involvement during performance, so applicants should expect ongoing coordination, shared planning, and active engagement with the sponsoring agency rather than a hands-off grant relationship. The total estimated funding is up to $70,000,000, with an award ceiling of $70,000,000 and a floor of $0, and it includes a cost sharing or matching requirement. In other words, proposers should be prepared to bring non-federal resources to the table and describe how they will meet the cost share expectations as part of the overall business and sustainability case.

The solicitation requires concept papers and full proposals that go beyond general vision statements. Submissions must provide detailed examples of the applied research project focus areas the Institute will pursue, along with concrete technology transition plans that explain how research outputs will be adopted in actual applications. This transition component is central: the government is explicitly asking for credible plans to move technology from development into operational use, which usually means describing target users, adoption partners, integration steps, validation and qualification approaches, timelines, and how the institute will reduce barriers to implementation. Proposals must also describe proposed infrastructure, which can include facilities, equipment, digital platforms, testbeds, secure data environments, workforce and training assets, and other capabilities needed to execute the institute mission at scale. Finally, applicants must submit a sustainable business plan showing how the institute will remain viable over time, including governance, membership or partnership models, revenue or co-investment strategies, and operational plans that extend beyond initial federal funding.

Eligibility is limited to U.S. nonprofit organizations, including public and private institutions of higher education and other quasi-public or private nonprofit entities such as research institutes and educational associations. For teams, the solicitation allows consortia comprised of universities, nonprofits, government organizations, for-profit organizations, and other entities, but the consortium must be legally incorporated as a nonprofit organization. A key constraint is that a nonprofit must be the awardee and leader of the DMDI Institute, and a nonprofit must also be the lead member of any proposed incorporated consortium. While only a nonprofit can receive and lead the award, the government specifically encourages small business participation through teaming arrangements, signaling that strong proposals will likely show meaningful roles for industry partners, including small firms, in applied research execution and transition to manufacturing practice. Minority Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities are explicitly encouraged to participate and propose.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, with CFDA number 12.630 (Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering), but the solicitation reiterates that the work sought here is applied research. Applicants are cautioned to monitor BAA amendments because submission dates and requirements can change. The posting history shows the opportunity was posted July 5, 2013, with an original closing date of October 11, 2013, and a later current closing date of March 14, 2014, and it was archived April 1, 2014, reflecting that the solicitation went through at least one schedule revision. The notice also emphasizes that there will be no other solicitation issued for this requirement, so organizations interested in leading the institute were expected to respond within this single BAA window and follow its requirements closely to avoid ineligibility.

For questions or difficulties accessing the full announcement, the listed contact is Sarah Chatman, Contract Specialist, at 256-313-2966, with a referenced funding opportunity mailbox.

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