Amendment to 2021-NIST-MEP-CAP-01.pdf

NIST MEP Competitive Awards Program Amended Notice of Funding Opportunity

March 9, 2022

AMENDED NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR

NIST MEP COMPETITIVE AWARDS PROGRAM

AMENDMENT 1

March 9, 2022

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is announcing an amendment to its December 28, 2020 Announcement of Notice of Funding Opportunity

(NOFO) Number 2021-NIST-MEP-CAP-01, posted on Grants.gov, that solicits proposals for the NIST MEP Competitive Awards Program.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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

• Funding Opportunity Title: NIST MEP Competitive Awards Program

• Announcement Type: Amendment (see FY2022 Amendment Revisions document under Related Documents tab for a list of changes from the original announcement)

• Funding Opportunity Number: 2021-NIST-MEP-CAP-01

• Assistance Listing (CFDA Number): 11.611, Manufacturing Extension Partnership

• Dates: Electronic applications will be accepted, processed, and considered for funding, subject to the availability of funds and subject to the publication of an amended or a superseding NOFO under this program.

The approximate start date for successful applications is 90-180 days following the submission of an application.

Applicants should be aware, and factor in their application submission planning, that the Grants.gov system closes periodically for routine maintenance.

Applicants should visit grants.gov for any scheduled closures.

Applicants should closely review Section IV.ii.b., Attachment of Required Application Documents, to ensure the submission of complete applications.

Applicants should carefully follow the instructions and recommendations regarding attachments and use the Download Submitted Forms and Applications feature on www.grants.gov 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 http://www.grants.gov/

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NOFO, which may result in the application not being considered for funding. See Section IX. of this NOFO for an application checklist.

• Application Submission Address: Applications must be submitted using Grants.gov.

• Funding Opportunity Description: NIST MEP invites applications from current MEP Centers for projects that will add capabilities to the MEP Program by achieving one or more of the criteria set forth in 15 U.S.C. 278k-1(e)(3) and may give priority during the selection process to proposals that will also address one or more of the Program Themes described in Section I. of this NOFO:

Industry/Manufacturing 4.0; manufacturing workforce services to include employee recruitment, retention, and employee development; supply chain management and resiliency; and Artificial Intelligence (AI) application. Projects funded pursuant to this NOFO must provide for activities or services beyond those provided for pursuant to an applicant’s and its partnering MEP Centers’ base MEP Center cooperative agreements. See Section I of this NOFO for the full program description.

• Anticipated Amounts: NIST anticipates funding awards up to $1 million in total funding for single MEP Center awards and up to $5 million in total funding for awards involving multiple MEP Centers. Proposals awarded under this NOFO will have a budget and a performance period of up to three (3) years, consistent with the NIST multi-year funding policy. See Section II.3 of this NOFO.

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

• Eligibility: Applicants for this program must be an active MEP Center that is operating pursuant to a current NIST MEP cooperative agreement. A MEP Center may work individually or may include proposed subawards to other organizations, including but not limited to other MEP Centers, to carry out the activities described in the proposal.

• Cost Sharing Requirements: Non-federal cost share is not required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO.

• Public Website, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Webinar:

Questions from applicants pertaining to 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 https://www.nist.gov/mep/nist-mep-mailto:mepnofo@nist.gov

Amended Notice of Funding Opportunity competitive-awards-program-cap

Table of Contents I. Program Description

II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

IV. Application and Submission Information

V. Application Review Information

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information IX. Application Checklist…………………………………………………………………….47

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Program Description

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is publishing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) pursuant to the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Program (MEP) Competitive Awards Program, which is authorized by 15 U.S.C. § 278k-1. This program is not a Federal research and development program, and it is not the intent of this program that MEP Center awardees will perform systematic research. Please contact the Federal Awarding Agency Contacts listed in Section VII. of this NOFO if you require additional information regarding this NOFO or if any of the weblinks in this NOFO are not working.

1) Background Information

The MEP Program is a nationwide network of Centers (referred to hereinafter as the MEP National Network) located in all 50 States and Puerto Rico that serve as trusted business advisors focused on transforming U.S. manufacturers to compete globally, supporting supply chain integration, and providing access to technology for improved productivity. MEP Centers are a diverse network of State, non-profit organizations and public colleges and universities, comprising more than 1,400 manufacturing experts offering hands on technical expertise and assistance services that address the critical needs of their local manufacturers.

MEP Centers work directly with area manufacturers in each State to provide expertise and services tailored to manufacturers’ most critical needs, ranging from process improvement and workforce development to business practices and technology transfer and implementation. Additionally, MEP Centers connect manufacturers with government and trade associations, universities and research laboratories, and a host of other public and private resources to help manufacturers realize individual business goals. To learn more about the MEP Center program, please go to http://www.nist.gov/mep/.

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

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NIST MEP’s Competitive Award Program (CAP) provides MEP Centers with an opportunity to compete for additional resources to help fund the costs of innovative projects that will add capabilities to the MEP Program by achieving one or more of the criteria set forth in 15 U.S.C. 278k-1(e)(3). During FY 2017 through FY 2020, NIST MEP competitively awarded 31 CAP cooperative agreements in the following practice areas: (i) Medical device accreditation; (ii) Industry 4.0; (iii) Food manufacturing; (iv) Digital manufacturing; (v) Workforce planning; (vi) Toyota Kata;

(vii) Apprenticeship; (viii) Cybersecurity; and (ix) Integration of small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) into local and regional innovation ecosystems.

2) Program Criteria

Applications for funding pursuant to this NOFO must propose projects that will add capabilities to the MEP Program by achieving one or more of the criteria contained in 15 U.S.C. 278k-1(e)(3). The following criteria requires direct engagement with clients, with the exception of criterion e.

a. Improve the competitiveness of industries in the region in which the Center or

Centers are located;

b. Create jobs or train newly hired employees;

c. Promote the transfer and commercialization of research and technology from institutions of higher education, national laboratories or other federally funded research programs, and nonprofit research institutes;

d. Recruit a diverse manufacturing workforce, including through outreach to underrepresented populations, including individuals identified in section 33 or section 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C.

1885a, 1885b); and/or

e. Other activities that will achieve one or more of the objectives set forth in 15 U.S.C. 278k(c) or 15 U.S.C. 278l

Applicants are required to provide a detailed explanation as to how the proposed project will achieve one or more of the statutory criteria listed immediately above as part of the applicant’s project narrative (see Section IV. of this NOFO), which will be used by NIST MEP in evaluating applications and in awarding program funding (see Section V. of this NOFO). In addition, projects funded pursuant to this NOFO must provide for activities and services beyond those provided for pursuant to an applicant’s and its partnering MEP Centers’ base MEP Center cooperative agreements.

3) Program Themes

NIST consulted with the MEP Advisory Board, SMMs and other Federal agencies.

These consultations included direct solicitation during a public MEP Advisory Board meeting, a review of data obtained through MEP Center Client Surveys, surveys conducted by individual MEP Centers, NIST MEP Executive Manufacturer

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Roundtables, and outreach to other Federal agencies. Based on the results of these consultations and in accordance with 15 U.S.C. § 278k-1(c)(2), the NIST Director has identified the following Program Themes for this NOFO:

• Technology and Innovation; Industry/Manufacturing 4.0;

• Manufacturing Workforce Services to include Employee Recruitment, Retention, and Employee Development; and

• Supply Chain Management and Resiliency.

For more information on these Program Themes, see the NIST MEP Funding Opportunity Website at https://www.nist.gov/mep/nist-mep-competitive-awards-program-cap.

II. Federal Award Information

1. Funding Instrument The funding instruments that will be used are grants or cooperative agreements, as appropriate. Where cooperative agreements are used, the nature of NIST’s “substantial involvement” will generally include collaboration with the recipient organization in developing and implementing the approved scope of work, in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.24.

2. Multi-Year Funding Policy. When an application for a multi-year award is approved, funding in some cases will be provided only 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, 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; however, the period of performance must not exceed three (3) years in duration, including any no-cost award extension authorized by NIST.

3. Funding Availability. In FY 2021, NIST anticipates funding awards up to $1 million in total funding for single MEP Center awards and up to $5 million in total funding for projects involving multiple MEP Centers.

Proposals awarded under this NOFO will have a budget and a performance period of up to three (3) years, consistent with the multi-year funding policy described in Section II.2. above. Funding for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds and NIST programmatic priorities.

https://www.nist.gov/mep/nist-mep-competitive-awards-program-cap

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4. Award Kick Off. For awards exceeding $250,000 or involving subrecipients unfamiliar with NIST requirements, a recipient should anticipate participating in a virtual kick-off conference, which will be held within 15-30 calendar days post start date of award. The kick-off conference will typically take between 2 and 6 hours and must be attended by the MEP Center Director, along with up to two key project personnel. Representatives from key subrecipients and other key strategic partners may attend the kick-off conference as deemed appropriate by the recipient.

5. MEP National Network Meetings. NIST MEP typically organizes MEP National Network meetings at least one time 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 key representative from the lead MEP Center and other appropriate partners/collaborators should attend these meetings.

Applicants must include travel and related costs for one (1) MEP National Network meetings in each of the funded years (1 meeting per year; up to 3 total meetings over a three-year award period). These costs must be reflected in the SF-424A (see Section IV.ii.a.(2). of this NOFO). These costs must also be reflected in the budget tables and budget narratives for each of the funded years, which are submitted as part of the Technical Proposal. (See Section IV.ii.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.

Personnel will be expected to actively participate during these meetings and freely share lessons learned regarding the details of the project and attributes conducive to transferring knowledge to other MEP Centers for the benefit of small U.S. manufacturers.

Recipients will be required to provide detailed analysis of the lessons learned through these projects under Section VI.iii.a.(2). Performance (Technical) Reports. These analyses will include, but are not limited to:

attributes, participant roles, planning of the intended approach, root cause(s) for success/failures, recommendations for how the outcomes of the 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

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March 9, 2022 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. Applicants for this program must be an active MEP Center that is operating pursuant to a current NIST MEP cooperative agreement. An MEP Center may work individually or may include proposed subawards to other organizations, including but not limited to other MEP Centers, to carry out the activities described in the proposal.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement. Non-Federal cost sharing is not required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO.

a. Prohibition on Profit and Fees.

A profit, fee, or other incremental charge above actual cost is not an allowable cost under this program.

b. No Double Charging Against other NIST MEP Awards.

Costs charged against awards issued pursuant to this NOFO, whether paid by federal or non-federal funds, may not also be charged as costs against any other NIST MEP award (i.e., no double-billing of costs). In addition, NIST MEP funding provided by a MEP Center to another MEP Center or other collaborator may not be used by such MEP Center or collaborator as a non-federal cost share contribution for an MEP Center or collaborator award (i.e., federal funds may not be used as cost share for other federal awards).

c. Program Income.

For purposes of this program, applicants should not budget program income to be used as non-federal cost share. Rather, the recipient and any subrecipients of an award issued pursuant to this NOFO must expend all program income (as defined in 2 C.F.R. § 200.307) generated by the project using the "additive method" under 2 C.F.R. § 200.307(e)(2), with any excess program income to be disposed of pursuant to the “deductive method” under 2 C.F.R. § 200.307(e)(1).

The applicant must clearly identify in its proposal whether the applicant or any of its subrecipients anticipate generating program income pursuant to the proposed activities (e.g., registration fees, client service fees, etc.). If program income is anticipated under the proposal, the applicant must identify the anticipated amount of program income in the Form SF-424A and in the Budget Narrative and Justification and properly report all program income generated pursuant to the project in the Form SF-425.

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IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

The application package is available at Grants.gov under Funding Opportunity Number 2021-NIST-MEP-CAP-01.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission. Set forth below are the required content and form of applications submitted pursuant to this NOFO. Also, see Section IX. of this NOFO for application checklist.

a. Required Forms and Documents. The Application must contain the following:

(1) SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. The SF-424 must be signed by an authorized representative of the applicant organization.

For SF-424, Item 8.d. Zip/Postal Code field, should reflect the Zip code + 4 (#####-####) format.

For SF-424, Item 12, should list the NOFO number 2021-NIST-MEP-

CAP-01.

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

The list of certifications and assurances referenced in Item 21 of the SF-424 is contained in the Federal Financial Assistance Certifications and Representations (Certs and Reps) as part of the SAM.gov entity registration.

(2) SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs.

The budget should reflect anticipated expenses for the entire project, considering all potential cost increases, including cost of living adjustments. The budget should also include staff, travel and other costs associated with the NIST/MEP National Network meetings as described in Section II.5 of this NOFO.

a) The applicant should reflect each year of the project, up to three

(3) years, on the SF-424A form that appears as part of the mandatory forms in the Grants.gov application package.

b) In Section A, the Grant Program Function or Activity on Line 1 under Column (a) should be entered as Manufacturing Extension https://www.grants.gov/

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Partnership, or an abbreviation thereof. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number on Line 1 under Column (b) should be entered as “11.611”. The total budget amount for the term of the award should be listed in Section A, Line 1, Column (e).

c) Section B, Column (1) of the SF-424A should reflect the costs for the first year of the award. Section B, Column (2) of the SF-424A should reflect the costs for the second year of the award. Section B, Column (3) of the SF-424A should reflect the costs for the third year of the award. Section B, line 7 of the SF-424A, should account for any program income that is expected to be generated and expended using the additive method for each year of the project.

d) Section C should be blank. Non-Federal cost sharing is not required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO.

e) Section D requires a breakdown of the first year’s budget by quarter.

f) Section E requires the budget estimate of federal funds needed for each year of the project. The budget estimate for the first year of the award should be entered in Section E, Line 16, Column (b).

The budget estimate for the second year of the award should be entered in Section E, Line 16, Column (c). The budget estimate for the third year of the award should be entered in Section E, Line 16, Column (d).

(3) CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying. Enter “2021-NIST- MEP-CAP-01” in the Award Number field. Enter the title of the application, or an abbreviation of that title, in the Project Name field.

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

(5) Technical Proposal. The Technical Proposal is a word-processed document of no more than twenty (20) pages, which is responsive to the program description (see Section I. of this NOFO) and the evaluation criteria (see Section V.1. of this NOFO).

The proposal narrative should contain the following information:

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

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

NOFO).

The first paragraph of the Executive Summary should be a project description in the following format:

1) Purpose: State the specific purpose of the proposed project in one to two sentences.

2) Activities: Describe the major activities to be performed in one to three sentences.

3) Outcomes: State the specific expected outcomes of the proposed project in one to three sentences.

4) Beneficiaries: Name or describe the intended beneficiaries of the expected outcomes in one to two sentences.

5) Subrecipients: If applicable, describe the major activities to be performed by subrecipients in one to three sentences.

Any acronyms or abbreviations used in the Executive Summary must be defined in the Table of Abbreviations and Acronyms. (See Section IV.8. 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. Explanation of How the Proposal Will Achieve the Program Requirements. Applicants are required to provide a detailed explanation as to how the proposed activities and or product(s) developed, including proposed technologies, trainings, tools, techniques, practices and services, will add capabilities to the MEP program by achieving one or more of the statutory criteria listed in Section I.2 of this NOFO. Additionally, the proposal narrative should also clearly explain how the proposed activities and or product(s) developed will advance one or more of the program themes identified in Section I.3 of this NOFO. The applicant must also discuss how the proposed activities and/or product(s) developed would provide for activities and services beyond those

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March 9, 2022 provided for pursuant to the applicant’s and its partnering MEP Centers’ base MEP Center cooperative agreements. This section of the application will be evaluated by NIST MEP in accordance with the Evaluation Criteria listed in Section V.1. of this NOFO.

d. Proposal Narrative. The narrative must clearly identify specific tasks, measurable milestones, and performance outcomes resulting from the proposed activities and/or product(s) developed.

Additionally, the identified activities must clearly show connection to one or more of the statutory criteria listed in Section I.2 of this NOFO and if applicable one or more of the program themes identified in Section I.3 of this NOFO. The narrative will be evaluated by technical reviewers in accordance with the Evaluation Criteria listed in Section V.1. of this NOFO. The proposal narrative must clearly articulate the following:

6) Technical Needs and Benefits

a. The problem and need.

b. The proposed activities and/or product(s) delivered adequately meet the needs and is appropriate for the targeted population size and area of service.

c. The benefits resulting from the proposed activities and/or product(s) developed.

d. The technologies and tools are appropriate to address the defined need.

7) Overall Benefit to the MEP National Network

a. The extent to which the proposed activities and/or product(s) developed will add capabilities to the MEP National Network by achieving one or more of the statutory criteria listed in Section I.2 of this NOFO.

b. The extent to which the proposed activities and/or product(s) developed can be integrated into and be of service to the NIST MEP National Network.

8) Management and Financial Plans

a. The appropriateness and effectiveness of the planned staffing and management structure to include an assessment of the experience and education of key personnel relevant to the proposed activities and/or product(s) developed.

b. The reasonableness, appropriateness, and rationale of the proposed budget items relative to the scale of effort and proposed performance accomplishments identified in the application.

9) Program Evaluation and Sustainability Plans

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a. A plan for evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed activities and/or product(s) developed.

b. A sustainability plan to carry out the proposed activities and/or product(s) delivered once the award has ended, including:

identification of potential resources (federal and/or non-federal) to support the continuation of proposed activities; partner(s) commitment for supporting the activities at the end of the award;

and specific actions that will ensure the continuation of activities once the award has ended.

(e) Budget Narrative and Justification. (Does not count toward the page limit). In addition to the SF-424 form (see Section IV.ii.a.(1). of this NOFO), applicants must provide a detailed budget table and budget narrative for each year of operation, fully explaining and justifying all proposed funding (both revenue and expenses) in accordance with applicable federal cost principles.

All applicants are required to use the MEP budget templates when submitting a Budget workbook and a budget summary table. The budget should reflect anticipated expenses for the entire project, considering all potential cost increases, including cost of living adjustments. In the budget narrative, the recipient should provide adequate information to support the costs identified in each category of the budget table. For example, providing the annual salary and the percentage of time dedicated to the project by personnel to demonstrate the total cost of that individual;

providing the airfare, lodging, per diem, number of days and number of travelers for each proposed trip; and identifying anticipated subaward/contract amounts, the sub awardees/contractors, to the extent known at the time of application, and a detailed description of the purpose of each subaward/contract. The MEP budget table and budget narrative template are available on the MEP website at:

https://www.nist.gov/mep/nist-mep-competitive-awards-program-cap .

Applicants proposing fixed amount subawards must clearly identify such subawards in the budget narrative and must provide, as part of the budget narrative, detailed information relative to the cost or pricing data being relied on by the applicant in establishing the value of the fixed amount subaward. See 2 C.F.R. 200.201 and 200.332.

The Budget Narrative and Justification must clearly identify whether the applicant or any of its subrecipients anticipate generating program income pursuant to the proposed activities (e.g., client service fees, etc.). If program income is anticipated under the proposal, the applicant must identify the anticipated amount of program income as part of the overall budget (including subrecipient budgets) and must budget for the

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March 9, 2022 expenditure of such program income using the "additive method," with any excess program income to be disposed of pursuant to the “deductive method.”

For purposes of this program, program income will not be considered non-federal cost share; however, anticipated amounts of program income should be entered in the Gross Program Income (Projected) row and budgeted for expenditure in the expenses section of column D.

This section of the application will be evaluated in accordance with the Budget Narrative evaluation criteria in Section V.1. of the NOFO. It will also be reviewed to determine if all costs are reasonable, allocable, and allowable under 2 C.F.R. Part 200 Subpart E, Cost Principles.

Information needed for each category is as follows:

a) Personnel - At a minimum, the budget justification for all personnel should include the following: job title, commitment of effort on the proposed project in terms of average number of hours per week or percentage of time, salary rate, total personnel charges for each identified position on the project, description of the role of the individual on the project and the work to be performed.

b) Fringe Benefits - Fringe benefits for each position should be identified separately from salaries and wages and based on rates determined by organizational policy. The items included in the fringe benefit rate (e.g., health insurance, parking, etc.) should not be charged under another cost category.

c) Travel - For all travel costs, the budget justification for travel should include the following: destination; names or number of people traveling; dates and/or duration; mode of transportation, lodging and subsistence rates; and description of how the travel is directly related to the proposed activities. For travel that is yet to be determined, please provide best estimates based on prior experience. If a destination is not known, an approximate amount may be used with the assumptions given for the location of the meeting. Applicants must also include travel expenses related to anticipated MEP National Network meetings described in Section II.5 of this NOFO in the budget tables and budget narratives.

d) Equipment - Equipment, the cost, and a description of how it will be used and why it is necessary to the successful completion of the proposed project. Please note that any general use equipment

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(computers, etc.) charged directly to the award should be allocated to the award according to expected usage on the project.

Applicants should provide at least two (2) quotes, if available, for equipment costing $25,000 or more. If two (2) quotes are not available, please provide a statement as to why two (2) quotes are not available.

e) Supplies - Supplies are defined as all tangible personal property other than that described as equipment. Provide a list of each supply, and the breakdown of the total costs by quantity or unit of cost. Include the necessity of the cost for the completion of the proposed project.

f) Contractual (i.e. Contracts) - Each contract should be treated as a separate item. Identify the cost and describe the services to be provided and the necessity of the contract to the successful performance of the proposed project. Contracts are for obtaining normal goods and services.

g) Construction – Not an allowable cost under this NOFO.

h) Other Direct Costs – For costs that do not easily fit into the other cost categories, please list the cost, and the breakdown of the total costs by quantity or unit of cost. Include the necessity of the cost for the completion of the proposed project. Only allowable costs can be charged to the award. Applicants should identify any subawards costs in this category and provide the necessity of the subaward to the successful performance of the proposed project.

(6) Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. (Does not count toward the page limit). If indirect costs are included in the proposed budget, provide a copy of the approved negotiated agreement if this rate was negotiated with a cognizant Federal audit agency. If the rate was not established by a cognizant Federal audit agency, provide a statement to this effect. If the successful applicant includes indirect costs in the budget and has not established an indirect cost rate with a cognizant Federal audit agency, the applicant will be required to obtain such a rate in accordance with Section B.06 of the Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions Dated November 12, 2020, Alternatively, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f), applicants that have never received a negotiated indirect cost rate may elect to charge indirect costs to an award pursuant to a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC), in which case a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement is not required. Applicants proposing a 10 percent de minimis rate pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f) should note this election as https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/DOC%20Standard%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20-%2012%20November%202020%20PDF_0.pdf https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/DOC%20Standard%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20-%2012%20November%202020%20PDF_0.pdf

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(7) Table of Abbreviations and Acronyms. (Does not count toward the page limit). An alphabetical list of all abbreviations and acronyms, and their meaning, should be included.

(8) Table of Funded Project Participants and Unfunded Informal Collaborators. (Does not count toward the page limit). Provide a table that identifies all organizations that will participate in and contribute to the proposed activities, if funded, known at the time of the application submission. The table should consist of an alphabetically ordered list, by organization, of all Funded Project Participants and all Unfunded Informal Collaborators. The table should include the organization’s name, address, administrative role, scope of work (funded participants only) and proposed funding amount (funded participants only). Administrative roles are:

applicant, subrecipient, or contractor for funded participants; or collaborator if they will not receive funding.

(9) Bibliographic List of References. (Does not count toward the page limit). A complete bibliographic listing of all references used within the application should be included.

(10) Resumes of Key Personnel. (Does not count toward page limit but are limited to one-page each). One-page resumes of no more than five key personnel from applicant (not subrecipients) may be included. Any information beyond one page for each resume and any additional resumes submitted will not be considered.

(11) Current and Pending Support Form. Any application that includes investigators, researchers, and key personnel must identify all sources of current and potential funding, including this proposal. Any current support (e.g., Federal, state, local, public or private foundations, etc.) must be listed on this form. The proposed project and all other projects or activities requiring a portion of time of the Principal Investigator (PI), co- PI, and key personnel must be included, even if no salary support is received. The total award amount for the entire award period covered, including indirect costs, must be shown as well as the number of person-months per year to be devoted to the project, regardless of the source of support. Similar information must be provided for all proposals already submitted or that are being submitted concurrently to other potential funders.

Applicants must complete the Current and Pending Support Form, using multiple forms as necessary to account for all activity for each individual

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March 9, 2022 identified in the PI, co-PI and key personnel roles. A separate form should be used for each identified individual.

Applicants must download the Current and Pending Support Form from the NIST website at https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/current-and-pending-support and reference the guidance provided as it contains information to assist with accurately completing the form.

(12) Letters of Commitment

a) Each application must include a Letter of Commitment from an authorized representative of: (i) the MEP Center applicant; and from

(ii) other MEP Centers and from other organizations that will serve as subawardees on the project. The letter of commitment shall discuss the scope of work, and its relevance to the project. The reviewers will consider the letters of commitment in evaluating the proposal in accordance with the Evaluation Criteria in Section V.1. of this NOFO.

b. Attachment of Required Documents

Items IV.ii.a.(1) through IV.ii.a.(5) above are part of the standard application package in Grants.gov and can be completed through the download application process.

Items IV.ii.a.(6) through IV.ii.a.(12) should be attached to field 15 of the SF-424 form by clicking on “Add Attachment”.

Following these directions will create zip files which permit transmittal of the documents electronically via Grants.gov.

Applicants should carefully follow specific Grants.gov instructions at www.Grants.gov to ensure the attachments will be accepted by the Grants.gov system. A receipt from Grants.gov indicates only that an application was transferred to a system. It does not provide details concerning whether all attachments (or how many attachments) transferred successfully. Applicants will receive a series of e-mail messages over a period of up to two business days before learning whether a Federal agency’s electronic system has received its application.

Applicants are strongly advised to use Grants.gov’s “Download Submitted Forms and Applications” option, found at https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/CheckApplicationStatus/ DownloadSubmittedFormsAndApplications.htm to check that their application’s required attachments were contained in their submission.

https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/current-and-pending-support https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-division/current-and-pending-support http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/CheckApplicationStatus/DownloadSubmittedFormsAndApplications.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/CheckApplicationStatus/DownloadSubmittedFormsAndApplications.htm

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March 9, 2022

After submitting the application, check the status of your application here:

CHECK APPLICATION STATUS . If any, or all, of the required attachments are absent from the submission, follow the attachment directions found above, resubmit the application, and check again for the presence of the required attachments.

If the directions found at https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=GetStarted%2FGetStar ted.htm are not effective, please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk immediately. If calling from within the United States or from a U.S.

territory, please call 800-518-4726. If calling from a place outside the United States or a U.S. territory, please call 606-545-5035. E-mails should be addressed to support@grants.gov. Assistance from the Grants.gov Help Desk will be available around the clock every day, with the exception of Federal holidays. Help Desk service will resume at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time the day after Federal holidays.

Applicants can track their submission in the Grants.gov system by following the procedures at the Grants.gov site (http://go.usa.gov/cjamz). It can take up to two business days for an application to fully move through the Grants.gov system to NIST.

NIST uses the Tracking Numbers assigned by Grants.gov and does not issue Agency Tracking Numbers.

c. Application Format

(1) Paper, Email, and Facsimile (fax) Submissions. Will not be accepted.

(2) Figures, Graphs, Images, and Pictures. Should be of a size that is easily readable or viewable and may be displayed in landscape orientation. Any figures, graphs, images, or pictures will count toward the page limits for the Proposal Narrative.

(3) Font. Easy to read font (11-point minimum). Smaller type may be used in figures and tables but must be clearly legible.

(4) Page Limit. The Proposal Narrative is limited to twenty (20) pages single spaced, noting the limit of two (2) pages for the Executive Summary. Resumes are not included in the page count of the Proposal Narrative. However, if resumes are included, resumes must be a maximum of one (1) page each.

(5) Page Limit Exclusions:

https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=Applicants%2FCheckApplicationStatus%2FCheckApplicationStatus.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=GetStarted%2FGetStarted.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=GetStarted%2FGetStarted.htm mailto:support@grants.gov http://go.usa.gov/cjamz

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SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance;

SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs;

CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying;

SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities;

Table of Contents;

Executive Summary;

Budget Tables and Narratives;

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement;

Table of Abbreviations and Acronyms;

Table of /Funded Project Participants and Unfunded Informal Collaborators;

Bibliographic List of References;

Resumes of Key Personnel (limited to one page each for no more than five key personnel);

Letters of Commitment; and Current and Pending Support Form

(6) Page Layout. The Proposal must be in portrait orientation.

(7) Page size. 21.6 centimeters by 27.9 centimeters (8 ½ inches by 11 inches).

(8) Page numbering. Number pages sequentially.

(9) Application language. English. All documents must be in English, including but not limited to the initial application, any additional documents submitted in response to a NIST request, all reports, and any correspondence with NIST.

(10) Typed document. All applications, including forms, must be typed;

handwritten forms will not be accepted.

d. Application Replacement Pages. Applicants may not submit replacement pages and/or missing documents once an application has been submitted. Any revisions must be made by submission of a new application that must be received by NIST by the submission deadline.

e. Pre-Applications. NIST is not accepting pre-applications under this

NOFO.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM).

Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. part 25, applicants and recipients are required to: (i) be registered in SAM before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM

Amended Notice of Funding Opportunity

March 9, 2022 registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency, unless otherwise excepted from these requirements pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 25.110. NIST will not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time that NIST is ready to make a Federal award pursuant to this NOFO, NIST may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

4. Submission Dates and Times.

Electronic applications will be accepted and considered for funding by NIST on a rolling basis, subject to the availability of funds and subject to the publication of an amended or a superseding NOFO under this program. The approximate start date for successful applications is 90-180 days following the application submission.

When developing the submission timeline, please keep in mind that: (1) all applicants are required to have current registrations in the electronic System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and Grants.gov; (2) the free annual registration process in the SAM.gov generally takes between three and five business days but can take more than two weeks; and applicants will receive e-mail notifications over a period of up to two business days as the application moves through intermediate systems before the applicant learns via a validation or rejection notification whether NIST has received the application. (See Grants.gov for full information on application and notification through Grants.gov.) Please note that a Federal assistance award cannot be issued if the designated recipient’s registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is not current at the time of the award.

NOTE: Starting Monday, April 4, 2022, the federal government will stop using the DUNS number to uniquely identify entities. All entities doing business with the federal government will use a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) generated in SAM.gov. Applicants must request and be assigned a UEI number prior to completing the grant application forms and submitting their application via Grants.gov. For more information, please see Planned UEI Updates | GRANTS.GOV.

The Standard Forms (i.e., SF424, SF424 R&R) will be updated on April 4, 2022 to allow entities to enter the UEI number. Applicants must ensure to use the most up to date Standard Forms after April 4, 2022 prior to submitting the application in Grants.gov.

http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/planned-uei-updates.html

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March 9, 2022

5. Intergovernmental Review Applications submitted by State and local governments are subject to Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” pursuant to which each State designates an entity to coordinate, and review proposed federal financial assistance and direct federal development. All other applicants should consult the Intergovernmental Review State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to determine whether the application is subject to State review pursuant to E.O. 12372. The current SPOC List may be found here:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf.

6. Funding Restrictions

Construction activities are not an allowable cost under this program. In addition, a recipient or a subrecipient may not charge profits, fees or other increments above cost to an award issued pursuant to this NOFO. Pre-award costs under this NOFO are subject to the prior written approval of the NIST Grants Officer.

7. Other Submission Requirements

a. Applications must be submitted electronically.

(1) Applications must be submitted at Grants.gov.

(a) Applicants should carefully follow specific Grants.gov instructions to ensure that all attachments will be accepted by the Grants.gov system. A receipt from Grants.gov indicating an application is received does not provide information about whether attachments have been received. For further information or questions regarding applying electronically for the 2021-NIST-MEP-CAP-01 announcement, contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at 800-518- 4726.

(b) Applicants are strongly encouraged to start early and not wait until the approaching due date before logging on and reviewing the instructions for submitting an application through Grants.gov. The Grants.gov registration process must be completed before a new registrant can apply electronically. The typical registration process takes three to five business days. If problems are encountered, the registration process can take two weeks or more. Applicants must have a valid unique entity identifier number and must maintain a current registration in the Federal government’s primary registrant database, the System for Award Management (https://www.sam.gov/), as explained on the Grants.gov Web site.

After registering, it may take several days or longer from the initial log-on before a new Grants.gov system user can submit an application. Only individuals authorized as organization https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf https://www.sam.gov/

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March 9, 2022 representatives will be able to submit the application, and the system may need time to process a submitted application.

Applicants should save and print the proof of submission they receive from Grants.gov. If problems occur while using Grants.gov, the applicant is advised to (a) print any error message received and

(b) call Grants.gov directly for immediate assistance. If calling from within the United States or from a U.S. territory, please call 800- 518-4726. If calling from a place other than the United States or a U.S. territory, please call 606-545-5035. Assistance from the Grants.gov Help Desk will be available around the clock every day, except for Federal holidays. Help Desk service will resume at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time the day after Federal holidays. For assistance using Grants.gov, the applicant may also contact support@grants.gov.

(c) To find instructions for submitting an application on Grants.gov, applicants should refer to the “Applicants” tab in the banner just below the top of the Grants.gov home page. Clicking on the “Applicants” tab produces two exceptionally useful sources of information, Applicant Actions and Applicant Resources, which applicants are advised to review.

Applicants will receive a series of e-mail messages over a period of up to two business days before learning whether a Federal agency’s electronic system has received…