2017-NIST-MEP-EMUSA-02.pdf

Embedding MEP in Manufacturing USA Institutes Pilot Projects –

Round Three Notice of funding Opportunity (NOFO) April 03, 2017

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

Round Three

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Federal Agency Name: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), United States Department of Commerce (DoC)

• Funding Opportunity Title: Embedding MEP in Manufacturing USA Institutes Pilot Projects – Round 3

• Announcement Type: Initial

• Funding Opportunity Number: 2017-NIST-MEP-EMUSA-02

• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.611, Manufacturing Extension Partnership

• Dates: Electronic applications in response to this NOFO must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, June 2, 2017. Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed or considered. The approximate start date for awards under this NOFO is expected to be in August 2017.

Applicants should be aware, and factor into their application submission planning, that the Grants.gov system is expected to be closed for routine maintenance from 12:01 Eastern Time, Saturday, April 15, 2017 until Monday, April 17, 2017 at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and again from 12:01 Eastern Time, Saturday, May 20, 2017 until Monday, May 22, 2017 at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Applications cannot be submitted when Grants.gov is closed.

Applicants are strongly urged to read Section IV.2.b., Attachment of Required Application Documents, found on page 17 of this NOFO. Applicants should carefully follow the instructions and recommendations regarding adding attachments to an application and using Grants.gov’s Download Submitted Applications feature to check that all required attachments were contained in their submission. Applications submitted without the required documents will not pass the Initial Administrative Review, described in Section V.2.a. of this NOFO, which may result in the application not being considered for funding.

• Application Submission: Electronic applications must be submitted to www.grants.gov. See Section IV.7.a. in the Full Announcement Text of this NOFO.

• Funding Opportunity Description: NIST invites proposals from current MEP

Centers to pilot test approaches to providing needed technology acceleration assistance to small and mid-sized U.S. manufacturers (hereinafter referred to as small U.S. manufacturers) through the establishment of meaningful and results oriented collaborations between the nationwide system of Centers operating as part of the NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program (hereinafter referred to as NIST MEP), and the public-private manufacturing innovation Institutes operating as part of Manufacturing USA (previously known as the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), and hereinafter referred to as Manufacturing USA Institutes).

The emphasis of these pilot projects will be to demonstrate ways to more fully leverage the assets and resources of the national MEP Program to provide assistance to small U.S. manufacturers in technology areas that are the focus of the Manufacturing USA Institutes.

NIST MEP previously made funding awards to MEP Centers in FY 2016 and FY 2017 to embed personnel in nine (9) of the fourteen (14) Manufacturing USA Institutes pursuant to Round One1 and Round Two2 of this pilot program. This NOFO is targeting the issuance of up to five (5) cooperative agreements to existing MEP Centers to embed personnel in the five (5) Manufacturing USA Institutes identified below:

o Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI) o Advanced Robotics Manufacturing (ARM) Institute o National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals

(NIIMBL)

o Rapid Advancement in Process Intensification Deployment (RAPID) Institute o Reducing Embodied-energy and Decreasing Emissions (REMADE) Institute

Pilot projects awarded via this NOFO will focus on the cultivation of enduring collaborations among small U.S. manufacturers, Manufacturing USA Institutes, and MEP Centers for the benefit of all of these entities. The projects will accelerate the processes by which small U.S. manufacturers transition the latest and most compelling technological innovations into the manufactured goods needed by our

1https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/mep/MEP-Embedding-MEP-into-NNMI-Institutes- NOFO-4-19-16.pdf 2https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2016/10/17/mep_embedding_mep_into_nnmi_institute s_NOFO_final_10-17-16.pdf http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/mep/MEP-Embedding-MEP-into-NNMI-Institutes-FFO-4-19-16.pdf https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/mep/MEP-Embedding-MEP-into-NNMI-Institutes-FFO-4-19-16.pdf https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2016/10/17/mep_embedding_mep_into_nnmi_institutes_ffo_final_10-17-16.pdf https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2016/10/17/mep_embedding_mep_into_nnmi_institutes_ffo_final_10-17-16.pdf

Nation.

Applications submitted in response to this NOFO should clearly articulate approaches to MEP Center – Manufacturing USA Institute collaborations that are based upon the embedding of personnel from MEP Centers within Manufacturing USA Institutes in accordance with the requirements of this NOFO. Such personnel embedding must involve the placement of MEP Center representatives from one or more MEP Centers within residence on at least a one (1) FTE cumulative basis and at least a 0.5 FTE basis for any single embedded Center employee at the primary Manufacturing USA Institute for the entirety of the federal award period, which may not exceed two (2) years. All proposed pilot projects must involve the embedding of MEP Center personnel operating in residence (as defined in this NOFO in Section I.

and Section IV.2.a.(6).(d). at one or more of the Manufacturing USA Institutes identified in Section I. and III.1. of this NOFO. In this connection, if an applicant proposes the embedding of MEP Center personnel in more than one Manufacturing USA Institute identified in Section I. and III.1. of this NOFO, the application must clearly designate the primary participating Manufacturing USA Institute and the applicant must meet the one (1) FTE minimum annual embedding requirement by embedding at least one (1) MEP Center personnel FTE at the designated primary participating Manufacturing USA Institute.

Specifically, the pilot projects proposed by applicants should:

o Develop innovative approaches for transferring technology from the

Manufacturing USA Institutes to small U.S. manufacturers based on the technological needs of manufacturers;

o Create approaches for engaging small U.S. manufacturers in the work of the Manufacturing USA Institutes through hands-on assistance mechanisms and services, such as those that are currently, or that could be, offered by MEP Centers;

o Develop and test business models by which MEP Centers and Manufacturing USA Institutes may viably and effectively serve the needs of small U.S.

manufacturers in the technology areas of the Manufacturing USA Institutes, as well as facilitating knowledge and best practice sharing between the Manufacturing USA Institutes and MEP Centers; and o Cultivate an enhanced nationwide network of partnerships among Manufacturing USA Institutes and MEP Centers for the benefit of small U.S.

manufacturers.

Activities conducted as part of these MEP Center – Manufacturing USA pilot projects will be expected to take place in collaboration with local and regional stakeholders and other partners, including local, state, and/or regional advanced manufacturing and/or technology-based economic development organizations; industry and/or professional associations; technical and community colleges; universities; industry-university partnerships, small U.S. manufacturers, and other manufacturing organizations. See Section I. of this NOFO for a detailed description of this funding opportunity.

• Anticipated Amounts: NIST anticipates funding up to five (5) pilot project awards at a level of approximately $300,000 - $600,000 per year for each award. The pilot projects awarded under this NOFO will have a budget and performance period of up to two (2) years. See Section II.2. of this NOFO for more information regarding the availability of NIST funding for this funding opportunity.

• Funding Instrument: Cooperative Agreement. See Section II.1. of this NOFO for additional information concerning the funding instrument for these awards.

• Who Is Eligible: Eligible applicants for this funding opportunity are MEP Centers receiving current cooperative agreement funding from NIST. To receive funding under this NOFO, an applicant MEP Center must form a collaboration, teaming arrangement, or other appropriate relationship with one (1) or more of the five (5) Manufacturing USA Institutes identified below. For purposes of this NOFO, the primary Manufacturing USA Institute is the one in which the MEP Center plans to embed at least one (1.0) MEP Center personnel FTE. The relationship must have been established at the time of application submission and must be documented with a letter(s) of commitment (see Section IV.2.a.(12). of this NOFO) from the Manufacturing USA Institute(s) with which the relationship has been established.

These five (5) Manufacturing USA Institutes identified below are not currently hosting embedded MEP Center representatives in residence at their Institute locations as the result of either the 2016-NIST-MEP-ENNMI-01 funding opportunity3, or the 2017-NIST-MEP-EMUSA-01 funding opportunity4. These five (5) Manufacturing USA Institutes are5:

o National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals

(NIIMBL)

3https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/mep/MEP-Embedding-MEP-into-NNMI-Institutes-FFO- 4-19-16.pdf 4https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2016/10/17/mep_embedding_mep_into_nnmi_institute s_ffo_final_10-17-16.pdf 5 https://www.manufacturingusa.com/institutes https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/mep/MEP-Embedding-MEP-into-NNMI-Institutes-FFO-4-19-16.pdf https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/mep/MEP-Embedding-MEP-into-NNMI-Institutes-FFO-4-19-16.pdf https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2016/10/17/mep_embedding_mep_into_nnmi_institutes_ffo_final_10-17-16.pdf https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2016/10/17/mep_embedding_mep_into_nnmi_institutes_ffo_final_10-17-16.pdf https://www.manufacturingusa.com/institutes

NIST encourages project proposals involving participation from multiple MEP Centers and multiple Manufacturing USA Institutes, as well as other collaborating entities such as local economic development organizations, universities, community colleges, technology incubator programs, and other organizations.

An MEP Center may serve as the MEP Center applicant on only one (1) proposal.

There are no restrictions on the number of applications in which MEP Centers or Manufacturing USA Institutes can be proposed as collaborators, nor are there restrictions on MEP Centers receiving Round One or Round Two awards serving as applicants or collaborators on projects funded pursuant to this Round Three competition. See Section III.1. of this NOFO for more information regarding funding opportunity eligibility.

• Cost Sharing Requirements: Non-federal cost share is not required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals with budgets that maximize the application of award funding to the performance of project tasking and other direct project costs. See Section III.2. of this NOFO for more information regarding cost sharing requirements.

• Webinar Information Session: NIST MEP will hold one or more webinar information sessions for organizations that are considering applying for or participating as a team member in this funding opportunity. The webinar(s) will provide general information regarding MEP and this funding opportunity and offer general guidance on preparing proposals. NIST MEP staff will be available at the webinar to answer general questions. During the webinar(s), detailed proprietary or technical discussions about specific project ideas will not be permitted. Also, NIST MEP staff will not critique or provide feedback on any specific project ideas during the webinar(s) or at any time before submission of a proposal to MEP. However, NIST MEP staff will provide information about potential participants, eligibility, evaluation criteria and selection factors, the selection process, program priorities and objectives, and the general characteristics of a competitive proposal during this webinar. It is expected that the webinar(s) will be held approximately within thirty

(30) business days after posting of this NOFO. The exact date and time of the webinar(s) will be posted on the NIST MEP website at www.nist.gov/mep/embedding-mep-manufacturing-usa-institutes-pilot-projects-round-three. The webinar(s) will be recorded, and a link to the recording(s) will be posted on the NIST MEP website. In addition, the webinar presentation(s) will be available after the webinar(s) on the NIST MEP website. Organizations wishing to participate in the webinar(s) must register in advance by contacting NIST MEP by e-mail at mepnofo@nist.gov. Participation in the webinar(s) is not required in order for an organization to submit an application pursuant to this NOFO.

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Questions from applicants pertaining to http://www.nist.gov/mep/embedding-mep-manufacturing-usa-institutes-pilot-projects-round-three mailto:mepnofo@nist.gov

NOFO eligibility, cost-sharing requirements, evaluation criteria and selection factors, selection process, and the general characteristics of a competitive proposal will not be considered on an informal basis. Applicants must submit all such questions in writing to mepnofo@nist.gov. Answers to such written questions submitted to NIST MEP may be made available to the public as part of an FAQ document, which will be periodically updated on the MEP website at www.nist.gov/mep/embedding-mep-manufacturing-usa-institutes-pilot-projects-round-three.

Table of Contents

I. Program Description

II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

IV. Application and Submission Information

V. Application/Proposal Review Information

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Program Description

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites applications from current MEP Centers to support efforts of the MEP Program to achieve its mission of improving productivity and technological performance in United States manufacturing.

Proposals accepted for funding will conduct pilot projects that add capabilities to the MEP program by solving new or emerging manufacturing problems. Funded pilot projects will develop and enhance effective collaborative relationships involving MEP Centers and Institutes participating in the Manufacturing USA, which was known until September 2016 as the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI).

To receive funding under this NOFO, an applicant MEP Center must form a collaboration, teaming arrangement, or other appropriate relationship with one (1) or more of the five (5) Manufacturing USA Institutes identified below. For purposes of this mailto:mepnofo@nist.gov

NOFO, the primary Manufacturing USA Institute is the one in which the MEP Center plans to embed at least one (1.0) MEP Center personnel FTE. The relationship must have been established at the time of application submission and must be documented with a letter(s) of commitment (see Section IV.2.a.(12). of this NOFO) from the Manufacturing USA Institute(s) with which the relationship has been established. These five (5) Manufacturing USA Institutes are not currently hosting embedded MEP Center representatives in residence at their Institute locations as the result of either the 2016 NIST-MEP-ENNMI-01 funding opportunity6, or the 2017-NIST-MEP-EMUSA-01 funding opportunity7. These five (5) Manufacturing USA Institutes are8:

• Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI)

• Advanced Robotics Manufacturing (ARM) Institute

• National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals

(NIIMBL)

• Rapid Advancement in Process Intensification Deployment (RAPID) Institute

• Reducing Embodied-energy and Decreasing Emissions (REMADE) Institute

In addition to assisting MEP efforts related to the transfer of technology based on the technological needs of manufacturers and available technologies from the Manufacturing USA Institutes, the proposed Pilot Projects will also enhance the Manufacturing USA Institutes’ ability to benefit the technological needs of small and mid-sized U.S. manufacturers (hereinafter referred to as small U.S. manufacturers).

It is the intent of NIST MEP for this funding opportunity that project activities be true and significant collaborations between the participating MEP Centers, Manufacturing USA Institutes, and small U.S. manufacturers be established to benefit technology advances in manufacturing, as described below.

Technology advances in manufacturing enable product and process innovations that lead to the more efficient production of sophisticated products and systems. Such manufacturing technology, in turn, enables the efficient operation of manufacturing supply chains. All of this results in higher value, without which U.S. manufacturers could not be globally competitive. NIST MEP, through this funding opportunity, seeks project activities to achieve such results by leveraging the assets and resources of the national MEP Program to assist the Manufacturing USA Institutes with enhancing their impact on small U.S. manufacturers.

6https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/mep/MEP-Embedding-MEP-into-NNMI-Institutes-FFO-

7https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2016/10/17/mep_embedding_mep_into_nnmi_institute s_ffo_final_10-17-16.pdf 8 https://www.manufacturingusa.com/institutes https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/mep/MEP-Embedding-MEP-into-NNMI-Institutes-FFO-4-19-16.pdf https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/mep/MEP-Embedding-MEP-into-NNMI-Institutes-FFO-4-19-16.pdf https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2016/10/17/mep_embedding_mep_into_nnmi_institutes_ffo_final_10-17-16.pdf https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2016/10/17/mep_embedding_mep_into_nnmi_institutes_ffo_final_10-17-16.pdf

The Manufacturing USA Institutes are working to create a competitive, effective, and sustainable advanced manufacturing research-to-manufacturing infrastructure. Their goal is to enable U.S. industry and academia to solve the "scale-up" challenges that are relevant to industry. The Manufacturing USA consists of multiple linked Manufacturing Innovation Institutes. Each has a unique technological concentration, but all are designed to accelerate U.S. advanced manufacturing as a whole. As nodes in Manufacturing USA, the Institutes complement each other’s capabilities and benefit from shared approaches to matters such as intellectual property, contract research, and performance metrics. Each provides shared facilities to local start-ups and small U.S.

manufacturers to help them scale up new technologies, accelerate technology transfer to the marketplace, and facilitate the adoption of innovation workforce skills. Each Manufacturing USA Institute is designed to foster innovation and deliver new capabilities that can stimulate the manufacturing sector on a large scale.

Through its nationwide network of MEP Centers operating in every U.S. state and Puerto Rico, MEP facilitates and accelerates the transfer of manufacturing technology in partnership with industry, industry and professional associations, educational institutions including universities and community colleges, state government, and NIST and other federal and non-federal research laboratories and agencies. MEP Centers provide direct, hands-on assistance to thousands of small U.S. manufacturers each year. The acceleration of new and emerging technology into the hands of these small U.S.

manufacturers is critical to the MEP mission of enhancing the productivity and technological performance of U.S. manufacturers.

There are potentially powerful synergies that can be achieved for the benefit of small U.S. manufacturers through the broadening and deepening of Manufacturing USA Institute – MEP Center collaborations. As the basis for proposed collaborations involving MEP Centers and any of the Manufacturing USA Institutes, applications submitted in response to this NOFO should articulate approaches to build and establish collaborations between Manufacturing USA Institutes and MEP Centers that are based upon the embedding of MEP Center representatives within Manufacturing USA Institutes, and that build upon the collaboration framework as defined in the May 2015 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NIST and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).9 The goals of that MOU are to enhance collaboration between MEP Centers and DOD-led Manufacturing USA Institutes and to engage small U.S.

manufacturers more fully to optimize benefits and results from the public and private investments in these Institutes. While this framework was specifically intended for

9 Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Secretary of Defense Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy and the U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership, May 2015: http://www.nist.gov/mep/about/upload/MOU-NIST-OSD-Signed- Executed2015.pdf http://www.nist.gov/mep/about/upload/MOU-NIST-OSD-Signed-Executed-2015.pdf http://www.nist.gov/mep/about/upload/MOU-NIST-OSD-Signed-Executed-2015.pdf http://www.nist.gov/mep/about/upload/MOU-NIST-OSD-Signed-Executed-2015.pdf application to DOD-funded Manufacturing USA Institutes, it also broadly applies to MEP involvement with all Manufacturing USA Institutes, regardless of the funding federal agency for a particular Manufacturing USA Institute. Heretofore, Manufacturing USA Institutes have been established with federal funding from the DOD, the U.S.

Department of Energy (DOE)and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). This framework provides the foundation upon which MEP Centers and Manufacturing USA Institutes should approach their collaborations in response to this NOFO. Specifically, the framework provides the basis to define how Institutes and MEP Centers can work together to facilitate engagement of small U.S. manufacturers to:

• Increase small U.S. manufacturer awareness of Manufacturing USA Institute focus areas and resources;

• Ensure the involvement of small U.S. manufacturers in the processes and activities associated with informing and developing the research agendas of the Manufacturing USA Institutes;

• Increase small U.S. manufacturers’ participation in Manufacturing USA Institute research; and

• Ensure the transition of Manufacturing USA Institute research results to small U.S. manufacturers for implementation.

As part of these MEP Center – Manufacturing USA Institute pilot projects, Manufacturing USA – MEP Center collaborations will be created that leverage relationships with other entities and include the embedding of MEP Center representatives within Manufacturing USA Institutes. The pilot projects funded through this NOFO will leverage the assets and resources of the national MEP Program to assist the Manufacturing USA Institutes as they strive to broadly and deeply enhance their impact on small U.S. manufacturers. The pilot projects also will expand MEP’s ability to positively impact the competitiveness and growth of small U.S. manufacturers by developing expertise in the focus areas of the Manufacturing USA Institutes.

Specifically, the pilot projects proposed by applicants should:

• Transfer technology from the Manufacturing USA Institutes to small U.S.

manufacturers based on the technological needs of manufacturers;

• Create approaches to engaging small U.S. manufacturers in the work of the

Manufacturing USA Institutes through hands-on assistance mechanisms and services such as those that are currently, or that could be, offered by MEP Centers;

• Develop and test business models by which MEP Centers and Manufacturing USA Institutes can viably and effectively serve the needs of small U.S.

manufacturers in the technology areas of the Manufacturing USA Institutes;

• Facilitate knowledge and best practice sharing between the Manufacturing USA Institutes and MEP Centers; and

• Cultivate an enhanced nationwide network of partnerships among Manufacturing USA Institutes and MEP Centers for the benefit of small U.S.

manufacturers.

Applicants are expected to propose pilot projects that involve different, creative, and new approaches to achieve the intended purpose and objectives of this NOFO – but all proposed pilot projects must involve the embedding of MEP Center personnel operating in residence (as defined in this NOFO in Section I. and Section IV.2.a.(6).(d). at one or more of the Manufacturing USA Institutes identified in Section I. and III.1. of this NOFO. Such personnel embedding must involve the placement of MEP Center representatives from one (1) or more MEP Centers within residence on at least a one

(1) FTE cumulative basis and at least a 0.5 FTE basis for any single embedded Center employee at the primary Manufacturing USA Institute for the entirety of the federal award period, which may not exceed two years. In this connection, if an applicant proposes the embedding of MEP Center personnel in more than one Manufacturing USA Institute identified in Section I. and III.1. of this NOFO, the application must clearly designate the primary Manufacturing USA Institute and the applicant must meet the one

(1) FTE minimum annual embedding requirement by embedding at least one (1) MEP Center personnel FTE at the designated primary Manufacturing USA Institute.

It is anticipated that embedded MEP Center personnel will become fully engaged experts in the technology focus areas for a particular Manufacturing USA Institute. This will enable the embedded MEP personnel to serve as a national MEP resource to facilitate meaningful and impactful MEP engagements with small U.S. manufacturers in these focus areas on a national scale. The pilot projects should create and test business models and service delivery mechanisms that allow small U.S. manufacturers to work with and benefit from the Manufacturing USA Institutes via connections and assistance provided to them through the nationwide network of MEP Centers. The awardees will document their approaches, successes, challenges, and other learnings.

Examples of different approaches that may be proposed include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Training and other workforce development efforts in Manufacturing USA Institute technology focus areas to be developed and deployed for small U.S.

manufacturers and/or MEP Center practitioners;

• Train-the-trainer programs in Manufacturing USA Institute technology focus areas to be developed and deployed for MEP Center practitioners; and

• Technical assistance projects to be conducted involving partnerships among small U.S. manufacturers, Manufacturing USA Institutes, and MEP Centers.

The examples provided above only represent a few possible approaches for conducting pilot projects. Applicants may propose other approaches, and applicants are encouraged to identify creative and new ways in which the relationships established between the MEP Centers and Manufacturing USA Institutes through these pilot projects can achieve meaningful impact and significant benefit for small U.S.

manufacturers on a broad, national scale.

Applications submitted in response to this NOFO must be from a current MEP Center as the applicant, and must include the clear identification of the Manufacturing USA Institute partnership(s), including which Manufacturing USA Institute is designated as the primary Manufacturing USA Institute. The relationship must be established at the time of application as described in Section I. and Section III.1. of this NOFO.

Partnership(s) must be documented with letter(s) of commitment from the identified Manufacturing USA Institute(s), as described in Section IV.2.a.(12). of this NOFO.

Applicants are encouraged to forge working relationships with the Manufacturing USA Institutes operating in the region where they are located, as well as with other Institutes in addition to one (1) or more of the five (5) listed in Section I. and Section III.1. of this NOFO and MEP Centers operating around the country and with other entities with which the Centers and Institutes regularly collaborate. These partnerships should be based upon and commensurate with the pilot project approach being proposed by the applicant.

Proposed approaches must fund the embedding of MEP Center representatives in residence at the primary Manufacturing USA Institutes at a total level of effort and time commitment equal to or greater than one (1) full-time equivalent (FTE) each year. The one (1) FTE requirement may be met via the embedding of multiple MEP staff members in the primary Manufacturing USA Institute, but any single MEP Center personnel must be embedded at a level of effort of 0.5 FTE staff year or greater to be counted toward the overall annual one (1) FTE requirement. The 1.0 FTE requirement for embedded MEP Center personnel represents the minimum level of effort, and embedding MEP Center personnel at levels of effort and time commitment totaling more than one (1) FTE each year are encouraged through the embedding of MEP Center personnel at the primary Manufacturing USA Institute and/or at other identified partnered Manufacturing USA Institutes, which may include those listed in this NOFO and any other Manufacturing USA Institute. A statement of embedded FTE(s) is required in the Technical Proposal as described in Section IV.2.a.(6).(d). of this NOFO. Appropriate relationships with the identified Manufacturing USA Institute(s) must be in place at the time of application and demonstrated with letters of commitment as described in Section IV.2.a.(12). of this NOFO. Again, importantly, if MEP representatives are embedded at multiple Manufacturing USA Institutes, MEP representatives must be embedded at the primary Manufacturing USA Institute at an annual level of at least one (1) FTE each year.

It is required that the embedded MEP Center personnel must operate in residence at the participating Institutes. For purposes of this NOFO, MEP Center personnel being embedded in residence at a Manufacturing USA Institute means the MEP embedded personnel are physically based at the Institute commensurate with the commitment identified in the project narrative and budget, utilizing Institute office space and interacting with Institute staff and members. This must be clearly stated and evidenced in the proposal, and the applicant must include a statement that there will be at least one or the equivalent of one (1) FTE in residence at a specified Manufacturing USA institute(s) and provide salary information in their proposal that is consistent with this statement as full-time in the proposed budget. Being embedded in residence also means that the embedded personnel are wholly focused on the pilot project tasking included in the proposed approach during the time while they’re embedded at the Institute – versus being focused on customary MEP Center duties.

Subject to the requirements set forth in this NOFO, applicants may also propose approaches that involve the participation of multiple Manufacturing USA Institutes as well as multiple MEP Centers. Any application, however, must include participation from at least one (1) of the five (5) Manufacturing USA Institutes identified in Sections I.

and III.1. of this NOFO.

The statutory authority for this program is 15 U.S.C. § 278k-1. This program is not a Federal research and development program.

Further information regarding the MEP Program is provided in the information packet that may be obtained at www.grants.gov, with additional background information provided at www.nist.gov/mep. Refer to Section VII. of this NOFO, “Federal Awarding Agency Contacts,” “Grant Rules and Regulations”, if you seek the information at this link or for any link in this NOFO, and it is either no longer working or you need more information.

II. Federal Award Information

1. Funding Instrument. The funding instrument that will be used for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO is a cooperative agreement. The nature of NIST’s “substantial involvement” will generally be considered to be constituted as collaboration between NIST MEP and the recipient organization. This includes NIST MEP collaborating with the Recipient on evaluating its progress and making changes to the statement of work. Additional forms of substantial involvement that may arise are described in Final Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidance Implementing the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act, 43 Fed. Reg.

36860-65 (Aug. 18, 1978). Examples of NIST MEP involvement in cooperative agreements awarded pursuant to this NOFO may include activities such as, but not limited to:

• Guidelines and assistance in developing scope of work;

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.nist.gov/mep

• Approval of key personnel;

• Assistance, where possible, in accessing solutions to technical and managerial issues; and

• Assistance to the Recipient organization to define, understand, and resolve issues pertaining to the successful implementation of the pilot project.

2. Funding Availability. NIST anticipates funding up to five (5) cooperative agreement awards, with up to two-year periods of performance, in accordance with the multi-year funding policy described in Section II.3. of this NOFO. It is expected that funding for these awards will be between $300,000 and $600,000 per year, with total federal funding for the two-year award period being between $600,000 and at no more than $1,200,000. NIST anticipates up to $6,000,000 in total federal funding being available for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO.

3. Multi-Year Funding Policy. When an application for a multi-year award is approved, funding in some cases will be provided initially for the first year of the project. The Recipient will be required to submit detailed budgets and budget narratives prior to the award or release of any continued funding. Continued funding for the remaining year(s) of the project will be awarded or released by NIST on a non-competitive basis, and may be adjusted higher or lower from year-to-year of the award, contingent upon satisfactory performance, continued relevance to the mission and priorities of the program, and the availability of funds. Continuation of an award to extend the period of performance and/or to increase or decrease funding is at the sole discretion of NIST.

4. Award Kick-Off Meeting. Each Recipient will be required to attend a kick-off meeting, which will be held within the first 30 days of the start of the project period, to ensure that the Recipient has a clear understanding of the program and project components. The kick-off meeting will take place at a location determined by NIST

MEP.

The kick-off meeting will last no longer than one (1) day and must be attended by the project manager and appropriate key personnel who will play a significant role in managing and/or executing the award. The kick-off meeting for each award should involve appropriate personnel from the lead MEP Center recipient, the primary Manufacturing USA Institute, other participating Manufacturing USA Institute(s), other MEP Center(s) participating in the project, and may as necessary include personnel from other third party collaborating entities.

Applicants must include travel and related costs for the kick-off meeting as part of the budget for year one (1), and these costs should be reflected in the SF-424A.

(See Section IV.2.a.(2). of this NOFO.) These costs must also be reflected in the budget table and budget narrative for year 1, which is submitted as part of the budget tables and budget narratives section of the Technical Proposal. (See Section IV.2.a.(6).(e). of this NOFO.)

5. MEP National Network Meetings. NIST MEP typically organizes MEP National

Network meetings up to four times per year to share best practices, and to discuss new and emerging trends, and additional topics of interest. These meetings are planned throughout the United States and typically involve 2-3 days of resource time and associated travel costs for each meeting. One (1) key representative from the lead MEP Center and one (1) representative from the primary Manufacturing USA Institute should attend these meetings.

Applicants must include travel and related costs for at least one representative from the lead MEP Center and one from the primary Manufacturing USA Institute to participate in the scheduled MEP National Network meetings in each of one (1) or two (2) project years (up to 4 meetings per year; up to 8 total meetings over up to a two-year award period). These costs must be reflected in the SF-424A (see Section IV.2.a.(2). of this NOFO). These costs must also be reflected in the budget tables and budget narratives for each of the project’s years, which are submitted as part of the Technical Proposal. (See Section IV.2.a.(6).(e). of this NOFO). In the event that travel and related costs for the MEP Center representative are already accounted for under another MEP award, the applicant should note this in the budget narrative and should not include travel and related costs in the budget.

Representatives of pilot projects will be expected to actively participate during MEP National Network meetings and freely share lessons learned regarding the mechanisms of the pilot approach, and attributes conducive to transferring knowledge from the Manufacturing USA Institutes to MEP Centers for the benefit of small U.S. manufacturers, as well as information about the Manufacturing USA Institutes’ technology focus areas.

Recipients will be required to provide detailed analysis of the lessons learned through this pilot project at the MEP National Network meetings. These analyses will include, but are not limited to: attributes, participant roles, planning of the intended approach, root cause for successes/failures, bases for selecting individual MEP Center staff for embedding in Manufacturing USA Institutes, recommendations for how the outcomes of the Pilot Project might inform expansion of the intended goals, and any plans for sustainment of the effort beyond the period of performance.

6. Indirect (F&A) Costs. NIST will reimburse applicants for proposed indirect (F&A) costs in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.414. Applicants proposing indirect (F&A) costs must follow the application requirements set forth in Section IV.2.a.(7). of this

NOFO.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants. Eligible applicants for this program are MEP Centers receiving current cooperative agreement funding from NIST. An applicant MEP Center must form a collaboration, teaming arrangement, or other appropriate relationship with one (1) or more of the five (5) Manufacturing USA Institutes identified below. The relationship must have been established with the primary Manufacturing USA Institute as required in Section IV.2.a.(12). of this NOFO at the time of application submission and must be documented with a letter(s) of commitment from the Manufacturing USA Institute(s) with which the relationship has been established.

These five (5) Manufacturing USA Institutes are not currently hosting embedded MEP Center representatives in residence at their Institute locations as the result of either the 2016-NIST-MEP-ENNMI-01 funding opportunity10, or the 2017-NIST-MEP- EMUSA-01 funding opportunity11. These five (5) Manufacturing USA Institutes are12:

o National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals

(NIIMBL)

NIST encourages project proposals involving participation from multiple MEP Centers and multiple Manufacturing USA Institutes, as well as other collaborating entities such as local economic development organizations, universities, community colleges, technology incubator programs, and other organizations.

Applications submitted in response to this NOFO are required to clearly identify the lead MEP Center applicant, as well as the participating Manufacturing USA Institute (s), other MEP Centers, and other key organizations participating in the proposed project, including the specific teaming arrangements for each participating organization. All proposed pilot projects must involve the embedding of MEP Center personnel operating in residence (as defined in this NOFO in Section I. and Section IV.2.a.(6).(d). at one or more of the Manufacturing USA Institutes identified in Section I. and III.1. of this NOFO. Such personnel embedding must involve the placement of MEP Center representatives from one (1) or more MEP Centers within

10https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/mep/MEP-Embedding-MEP-into-NNMI-Institutes-FFO-

11https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2016/10/17/mep_embedding_mep_into_nnmi_institut es_ffo_final_10-17-16.pdf 12 https://www.manufacturingusa.com/institutes https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/mep/MEP-Embedding-MEP-into-NNMI-Institutes-FFO-4-19-16.pdf https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/mep/MEP-Embedding-MEP-into-NNMI-Institutes-FFO-4-19-16.pdf https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2016/10/17/mep_embedding_mep_into_nnmi_institutes_ffo_final_10-17-16.pdf https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2016/10/17/mep_embedding_mep_into_nnmi_institutes_ffo_final_10-17-16.pdf residence on at least a one (1) FTE cumulative basis and at least a 0.5 FTE basis for any single embedded Center employee at a primary Manufacturing USA Institute for the entirety of the federal award period, which may not exceed two (2) years. In this connection, if an applicant proposes the embedding of MEP Center personnel in more than one Manufacturing USA Institute identified in Section I. and III.1. of this NOFO, the application must clearly designate the primary Manufacturing USA Institute and the applicant must meet the one (1) FTE minimum annual embedding requirement by embedding at least one (1) MEP Center personnel FTE at the designated primary Manufacturing USA Institute.

An MEP Center may serve as the MEP Center applicant on only one (1) proposal.

There are no restrictions on the number of applications in which MEP Centers or Manufacturing USA Institutes can be proposed as collaborators, nor are there restrictions on MEP Centers receiving Round One or Round Two awards serving as applicants or collaborators on projects funded pursuant to this Round Three competition.

Eligibility for this program is contingent upon an applicant being a NIST MEP Center at the time of application, at the time of award, and for the entire period of performance for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO. NIST reserves the right to take appropriate action, which may include not making an award, or terminating an award or a portion thereof, should an MEP Center fail to maintain its eligibility at all required times. NIST further reserves the right to take appropriate action, including terminating an award or a portion thereof, if a Manufacturing USA Institute does not maintain its designation as such at any time during the period of performance for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement. Non-federal cost share is not required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals with budgets that maximize the application of award funding to the performance of project tasking and direct project costs.

3. No Double Charging Against other NIST/MEP or Institute Awards. Costs charged against awards issued pursuant to this NOFO may not also be charged as costs against any other NIST/MEP or Manufacturing USA Institute award (i.e., no double-billing of costs). In addition, NIST/MEP funding provided by an MEP Center to a Manufacturing USA Institute or to another MEP Center may not be used by such Manufacturing USA Institute or MEP Center as a non-federal cost share contribution for a Manufacturing USA Institute or MEP Center award (i.e., federal funds may not be used as cost share for other federal awards).

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package. The standard application package, consisting of the standard forms, i.e., SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, and the CD-511, is available at www.grants.gov. Applicants may also request an application package by contacting the point of contact for administrative, budget, cost-sharing, eligibility questions and other programmatic questions listed in Section VII. of this NOFO.

2. Content and Form of Application/Submission. Set forth below are the required content and form of applications submitted pursuant to this NOFO.

a. Required Forms and Documents

(1) SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. The SF-424 must be certified through www.grants.gov by an authorized representative of the applicant organization.

SF-424, Item 12, should list the NOFO number as 2017-NIST-MEP-EMUSA- 02.

SF-424, Item 18, should list the total budget information for the full duration of the project.

The list of certifications and assurances referenced in Item 21 of the SF-424 is contained in the SF-424B.

(2) SF-424A, Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs. The budget should reflect anticipated expenses for each year of the project, considering all potential cost increases, including cost of living adjustments. The budget should also include staff, travel and other costs associated with the Award Kick-off Meeting and the NIST/MEP National Network meetings for the MEP Center and the primary Manufacturing USA Institute as described in Sections II.4. and II.5., respectively, of this NOFO.

The applicant should reflect each year of the project, up to two (2) years, on the SF-424A form. Please carefully follow the directions found at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/form-instructions/sf-424a-instructions.html when filling out this form.

These sections of the SF-424A should reflect funds for the first year of the award: Section A; Section B; Section C; and Section D. The budget estimate for the second year of the award should be entered in Section E, field 16, column (b).

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/form-instructions/sf-424a-instructions.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/form-instructions/sf-424a-instructions.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/form-instructions/sf-424a-instructions.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/form-instructions/sf-424a-instructions.html

The Grant Program Function or Activity on Line 1 under Column (a) should be entered as Manufacturing Extension Partnership. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number on Line 1 under Column (b) should be entered as 11.611.

(3) SF-424B, Assurances - Non-Construction Programs.

(4) CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying. For the Award Number, enter “2017-NIST-MEP-EMUSA-02”. In the Project Name field, use the Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project from field 15 of the SF-424, or an abbreviation thereof.

(5) SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities. (if applicable)

(6) Technical Proposal. The Technical Proposal, with a period of performance of up to two (2) years, is a word- processed document not exceeding 25 pages that is responsive to the program description (see Section I. of this NOFO) and the evaluation criteria (see Section V.1. of this NOFO). The following is a suggested format that applicants may use for the technical proposal.

(a) Table of Contents. (Does not count toward the page limit).

(b) Executive Summary. The executive summary should briefly (usually no longer than two pages) describe the proposed project, consistent with the evaluation criteria (see Section V.1. of this NOFO).

Please note, if an applicant’s proposal is selected for funding, NIST may use all or a portion of the Executive Summary as part of a press release issued by NIST, or for other public information and outreach purposes.

Applicants are advised not to incorporate information that concerns business trade secrets or other confidential commercial or financial information as part of the Executive Summary. See also 15 C.F.R. § 4.9(c) concerning the designation of business information by the applicant.

(Does not count towards page limit).

(c) Project Narrative. This section should provide a description of the proposed approach, sufficient to permit evaluation of the proposal, in accordance with details included in the proposal Evaluation Criteria (see Section V.1. of this NOFO).

The project narrative must identify the one (1) primary Manufacturing USA Institute identified in Section I. and III.1. of this NOFO with which the applicant has established a collaborative partnership. For purposes of this NOFO, the primary institute is the one in which the MEP Center plans to embed personnel at a level of at least one (1) FTE. While the MEP Center may have personnel embedded at more than one (1) Manufacturing USA Institute, the MEP Center must have at least one (1) FTE at the primary Manufacturing USA Institute. All proposed pilot projects must involve the embedding of MEP Center personnel operating in residence (as defined in this NOFO in Section I. and Section IV.2.a.(6).(d). at one (1) or more of the Manufacturing USA Institutes identified in Section I. and III.1. of this NOFO.