Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

The New York Department of Economic Development, operating as Empire State Development, received a $13.76 million Cooperative Agreement from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program (CFDA 11.611) to strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of New York's small- and mid-sized manufacturers (SMMs). Awarded on March 1, 2026, with a completion date of February 28, 2031, the New York MEP will deliver comprehensive manufacturing extension services through a statewide network of regional subrecipients, providing consulting and technical assistance in areas including advanced technology adoption, operational excellence, workforce development, and supply chain resilience. The program will conduct outreach to SMMs across all ten economic development regions, including very small, rural, start-up, and growth-oriented firms, while coordinating strategically with state, regional, and national manufacturing initiatives.

Over the five-year performance period, NY MEP will expand the number of SMMs served and deepen engagement with transformational and hard-to-reach manufacturers. Measurable outcomes include increased and retained sales, job creation and retention, cost savings, and accelerated adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies through transformational projects. The program will leverage centralized program management and system-wide marketing to support manufacturers in mitigating supply chain vulnerabilities while continuously improving services through performance measurement and evaluation in alignment with NIST MEP national performance standards.