NATIONAL
INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
AUTHORIZATION:
Omnibus
Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, 15 U.S.C. 278K, as amended
by Public Law 100-418; American Technology Preeminence Act of 1991;
Technology Administration Act of 1998.
To
establish, maintain, and support manufacturing extension centers
and services, the functions of which are to improve the competitiveness
of firms accelerating the usage of appropriate manufacturing technology
by smaller U.S. based manufacturing firms, and partner with the
States in developing such technical assistance programs and services
for their manufacturing base.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Dissemination of Technical Information. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Federal
funding provided under this program shall be used for the creation
and support of manufacturing extension services, or used by the
States to plan for and pilot test state-wide extension services.
It may also be used to plan for and pilot test services within a
multi-state region which has sufficient regional linkages to justify
such services. Extension service providers shall be affiliated with
a U.S. based nonprofit institution or organization or group thereof.
Funds may be used for the purpose of demonstrations, technology
deployment, active transfer and dissemination of research findings
and extension service expertise to a wide range of companies and
enterprises, especially small manufacturers with fewer than 500
employees. Extension service planning and pilot testing agreements
require a State to provide cost share by an amount at least equal
to the amount of Federal assistance requested. Congressional funding
has been provided annually since fiscal year 1988 (under Manufacturing
Technology Centers and the State Technology Extension Program, which
were combined into the Manufacturing Extension Partnership in fiscal
year 1993).
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: For extension services, eligible
applicants shall be U.S.-based nonprofit institutions or organizations
or groups thereof. Applicants must contribute 50 percent or more
of the proposed service's capital, annual operating and maintenance
costs. At least 50 percent of the applicant's share must be as cash
or full-time personnel. For extension service planning and pilot
services agreements, eligible applicants shall be State governments
and State affiliated nonprofit organizations. For multi-state regional
planning and pilot services agreements, eligible applicants shall
be State and local governments, representing either themselves or
a consortium of States, and appropriate private or public nonprofit
organizations, operating on behalf of a consortium of States or
as a representative of States.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: Beneficiary shall be U.S.-based
manufacturing firms, especially smaller companies.
Credentials/Documentation:
An applicant for manufacturing extension centers must submit a
proposal in accordance with 15 CFR 290, which provides assurances
that they will contribute 50 percent or more of the proposed center's
capital, annual operating and maintenance costs. Proposals also
must contain sufficient information regarding management, technical,
and technology strengths sufficient for a formal merit review
of the proposal. Applicants must have and demonstrate competence
in areas for which financial assistance is requested. Costs will
be determined in accordance with applicable cost principles found
in OMB Circular Nos. A-87 for State and local governments, A-21
for educational institutions, A-122 for nonprofit organizations,
48 CFR 31 for commercial organizations, and 45 CFR 74, Appendix
E for hospitals.
Pre-application
Coordination: The extension service planning
and pilot testing portion of this program is eligible for coverage
under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs".
An applicant should consult the office or official designated as
the single point of contact in his or her State for more information
on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for
assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. For
manufacturing extension centers, no formal preapplication is required,
although applicants are advised to discuss their proposal during
the early stages of development with NIST MEP regional managers.
This portion of the program is excluded from coverage under E.O.
12372.
Application
Procedure: Applicants must submit proposals
in accordance with deadlines and other details as published in
formal program announcements including Standard Form 424 and Commerce
Department Form 511. Applicants for manufacturing extension centers
must follow the format set out in 15 CFR 290.
Award
Procedure: All timely submitted and qualified
proposals are reviewed by a NIST selection panel. For proposals
for manufacturing extension centers, the finalists' proposals
are selected on the basis of NIST evaluations and judgments based
on published evaluation criteria, and may undergo a site visit.
Deadlines:
Notices of availability of funds and deadlines are published in
the Federal Register.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: Applicants should
be notified within 60 to 90 days of the application deadline for
extension service planning/pilot testing agreements, and 120 days
for manufacturing extension centers.
Appeals:
None.
Renewals:
Future or continued funding will be based on availability of funds,
and will be based on satisfactory performance, and may be subject
to competition.
Formula
and Matching Requirements: A State may be required
to provide adequate assurances that it will increase its spending
on technology extension by an amount at least equal to the amount
of Federal assistance requested. For manufacturing extension centers,
the program has no statutory formula. Applicants must provide at
least 50 percent of the capital, annual operating and maintenance
funds required to create and maintain the center. Funds may be provided
by any non- Federal source. A minimum of 50 percent of the applicant's
share must be as cash or full-time personnel.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: For extension
service planning and pilot-testing agreements, one year. For manufacturing
extension centers, duration of support is based upon positive
evaluation every two years, and availability of funds.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Quarterly progress and financial reports are required. Each request
for reimbursement must be accompanied by a report of applicant's
cost-share contribution.
Audits:
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised,
June 24, 1997), recipients that are States, Local Governments,
Nonprofit Organizations (to include hospitals), and Institutions
of Higher Learning shall be subject to the audit requirements
contained in the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 (31 U.S.C.
7501-7507). Commercial organizations shall be subject to the audit
requirements as stipulated in the award document. In accordance
with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, (Revised, June
24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit
Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance
of $300,000 or more in Federal Awards will have a single or a
program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities
that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt
from Federal audit requirements for the year, except as noted
in Circular No. A-133.
Records:
All financial and programmatic records, supporting documents,
statistical reports, and other records of awardees or subawardees
are required to be maintained by the terms of the agreement. The
awardees must retain records for 3 years after completion of the
project or submission of the final financial report, whichever
is later, and be readily available for inspection and audit.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 13-0525-0-1-376.
Obligations:
(Cooperative Agreements) FY 01 $84,217,000; FY 02 est 83,880,000;
and FY 03 est $3,000,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
Individual awards for extension service planning and pilot testing
agreements should range between $25,000 and $100,000.
Awards for manufacturing extension centers fall in the range of
$0.2 to $6.5 million annually.
In fiscal year 2001, MEP focused the majority of its resources on
developing tools and products for centers to support the 360vu brand
of services. These services include Lean Enterprise Implementation
suite of products such as Kanban Systems and Cellular Flow, Plant
Layout, and Process Control; Strategic Management Services including
Strategic and Business Operations Planning, and Quality Systems
Products to support quality, environmental, health and safety services.
Training for these services are supported by MEP University which
is now up and operating. In Fiscal Year 2003, MEP plans to continue
to develop and provide content for the Integrated Knowledge Network
to better serve the U.S. small manufacturing base.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
Program regulations are codified at 15 CFR 290-92. A Federal Register
Notice announcing the request for proposals from qualified organizations
will be published when funds are available. This program is subject
to the provisions of 15 CFR 24 and 15 CFR 14.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: None.
Headquarters
Office: Mr. Kevin Carr, Director, Manufacturing
Extension Partnership, National Institute of Standards and Technology,
100 Bureau Drive Stop 4800, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-4800. Telephone:
(301) 975-5020.
Web
Site Address: http://www.mep.nist.gov
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
(1) The NIST Mid-American Manufacturing Technology Center located
in Overland Park, Kansas and hosted by the Kansas Technology Enterprise
Corporation; (2) the NIST Minnesota Manufacturing Extension Center
located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and hosted by Minnesota Technology,
Inc.; and (3) the NIST California Manufacturing Technology Center
located in Fremont, California.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Proposals are selected on the basis of merit. Selection criteria
are published in the Federal Register Notice, and for manufacturing
extension centers, appear in 15 C.F.R. 290.
