Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program: General Interest UPDATED: MAY 17, 2023

Defense Manufacturing 

Community Support Program

Overview

The Defense Manufacturing Community Support 

Program is designed to support long-term 

community investments that strengthen national 

security innovation and expand the capabilities of the 

defense industrial ecosystem.

Authorized under Section 846 of the Fiscal Year 2019 

National Defense Authorization Act, the Defense 

Manufacturing Community Support Program 

was developed in coordination with the Assistant 

Secretary of Defense, Industrial Base Policy (formerly 

known as Assistant Secretary of Defense for 

Industrial Policy) and the Under Secretary of Defense, 

Research and Engineering.

The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation 

manages this program on behalf of the Department 

of Defense. A total of $80 million has been allocated 

since 2020 to 17 Defense Manufacturing Communities 

to assist over 2,942 defense businesses and 75,000 

workers. This program currently assists:

• more than 1,099 small and medium size companies 

to receive guidance on entering the defense sector; 

• development of 50 new defense technologies/ 

products; 

• improvement of 109 defense technologies/ 

products; and 

• enhancement of cybersecurity capabilities of 

440 companies. 

For Fiscal Year 2023, a total of $30 million has been 

allocated for the program, and the Office of Local 

Defense Community Cooperation issued a Notice 

of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on April 24, 2023. 

To ensure applicants have the maximum amount of 

time to prepare proposals and establish proposed 

consortia, we encourage interested respondents to 

start writing their proposals now.

The funding and technical expertise provided 

through the program will enhance a region’s ability 

to narrow gaps and address needs in defense 

manufacturing in the following areas:

• critical skills

• facilities

• research and development

• small business support

To qualify for funding through the Defense 

Manufacturing Community Support Program, 

communities should demonstrate best practices in 

attracting and expanding defense manufacturing by 

bringing together key local stakeholders and using 

long-term planning that integrates targeted public and 

private investments.

The Defense Manufacturing Community Support 

Program competition is a two-step process. First, 

regional manufacturing consortia compete to receive 

designation as a Defense Manufacturing Community. 

Second, the most competitive Defense Manufacturing 

Communities are invited to submit a grant application 

for funding.

Eligibility and Application Process

For this program, a consortium must be the applicant. 

A consortium can be comprised of the following 

organizations and various combinations of the following:

• state and local government organizations 

• defense industry and association-led organizations 

• non-profit organizations 

• academia 

• any combination of the above 

Additionally, the consortium must demonstrate 

regional collaboration capabilities and technological 

and/or industrial base supply chains that are 

determined to be critical to national security.

The Department of Defense, working with its private 

sector and non-profit partners, is developing and 

expanding technology capabilities that include the 

following areas: critical minerals, space, biotechnology, 

hypersonics, kinetic capabilities, energy storage and 

batteries, castings and forgings, microelectronics, and 

the submarine and shipbuilding workforce. 

Proposals should be submitted by a Lead Organization 

on behalf of the regional manufacturing consortium. Lead 

Organizations can be state, local, or tribal government, 

non-profit or private-non-profit institutions.

Consortia that received a Defense Manufacturing 

Community Designation and grant funding in 

previous years - Fiscal Years 2020 to 2023 - and will 

have completed a funded scope of work by August 

31, 2023, may compete for additional funding under 

this announcement. For more information about this 

program, please visit: www.oldcc.gov.
DMCSP Projects FY 2020 - 2022

Supply Chains of 

Recovered Elements 

Consortium The Connecticut Defense 

Manufacturing Community 

Consortium

Illinois Defense 

Manufacturing 

Consortium

Rhode Island 

Manufacturing 

to Accelerate the 

Defense Ecosystem

Ohio Defense 

Manufacturing 

Community

New Jersey Defense 

Manufacturing Community The Artificial 

Intelligence in Metals 

and Manufacturing 

Consortium Virginia Maritime 

Industrial Base 

Consortium

California Advanced 

Defense Ecosystems & 

National Consortia Effort 

Utah Defense 

Manufacturing 

Community

South Kansas 

Defense Manufacturing 

Community

Southeastern 

Advanced Machine 

Tools Network

North Carolina 

Defense Manufacturing 

Community The Texas Defense 

Aerospace Manufacturing 

Community 

Alabama Defense 

Advanced Manufacturing 

Community

Microelectronics 

Precision Rapid 

Innovation & Scaling 

Manufacturing Network Mississippi-Shipbuilding 

Industry Preparedness for 

National Security

FY 2022

FY 2021

FY 2020

Aerospace & Composites

Aerospace Defense

Artificial Intelligence

Castings and Forgings, 

Energy Storage

Critical Minerals

Machine Tooling

Microelectronics, 

Space, 5G

Missiles and Munitions, 

Castings and Forgings, 

Microelectronics 

Parts/Assemblies

Shipbuilding

Submarines, Vertical Lift

Vehicles, Aviation & Missiles

Weapon Prototyping

Wearable Textiles

For more information on the Defense 

Manufacturing Community Support 

Program, visit https://oldcc.gov/defensemanufacturingcommunity-support-program.

This is a general overview of the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program. For updates about the Defense Manufacturing 

Community Support Program, please sign up for our emails by visiting OLDCC.gov and clicking on Contact Us. 

About the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation

The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, in coordination with the other Federal agencies, 

delivers a program of technical and financial assistance to enable states, territories, and communities to plan 

and carry out civilian responses to workforce, business, and community needs arising from Department of 

Defense actions; cooperate with their military installations and leverage public and private capabilities to 

deliver public infrastructure and services to enhance the military mission; achieve facility and infrastructure 

savings as well as reduced operating costs; and, increase military, civilian, and industrial readiness and 

resiliency, and support military families. For more information, visit: www.oldcc.gov

U.S. Department of Defense

Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation

2231 Crystal Drive, Suite 520

Arlington, VA 22202

(703) 697-2130

Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program: General Interest UPDATED: MAY 17, 2023