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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 
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NIST MEP Competitive Awards Program

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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-
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NIST MEP Competitive Awards Program

Amended Notice of Funding Opportunity

March 9, 2022

competitive-awards-program-cap

Table of Contents

I. Program Description .................................................................................................. 3

II. Federal Award Information......................................................................................... 6

III. Eligibility Information .................................................................................................. 8

IV. Application and Submission Information ................................................................... 9

V. Application Review Information ............................................................................... 25

VI. Federal Award Administration Information .............................................................. 30

VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts ........................................................................ 45

VIII. Other Information ..................................................................................................... 45

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/. 
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NIST MEP Competitive Awards Program

Amended Notice of Funding Opportunity

March 9, 2022

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 mediumsized 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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NIST MEP Competitive Awards Program

Amended Notice of Funding Opportunity

March 9, 2022

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-awardsprogram-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.
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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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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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NIST MEP Competitive Awards Program

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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-MEPCAP-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 
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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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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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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 nonfederal 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 
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part of the budget portion of the application.

(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), coPI, 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 personmonths 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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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-managementdivision/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.
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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:
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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 1⁄2 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 
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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. 
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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 
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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 its application. 

Applicants should pay close attention to the guidance under 

Grants.gov’s “Applicant FAQs”, as it contains information important 

to successful submission, including essential details on the naming 

conventions for attachments to applications.

All applicants should be aware that adequate time must be factored 

into applicants’ schedules for delivery of their application. 

Applicants are advised that volume on Grants.gov may be 

extremely heavy leading up to the deadline.

The application must be both received and validated by Grants.gov. 

The application is “received” when Grants.gov provides the 

applicant a confirmation of receipt and an application tracking 

number. If an applicant does not see this confirmation and tracking 

number, the application has not been received. After the application 

has been received, it must still be validated. During this process, it 

may be “validated” or “rejected with errors”. To ascertain whether 

the application was rejected with errors and the reasons for the 

rejection, the applicant must log in to Grants.gov, select 
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“Applicants” from the top navigation, and select “Track my 

application” from the drop-down list. If the status is “rejected with 

errors,” the applicant may still seek to correct the errors and 

resubmit the application before the deadline. If the applicant does 

not correct the errors, the application will not be forwarded to NIST 

by Grants.gov.

Refer to important information in Section IV.4. Submission Dates 

and Times, to help ensure the application is received on time.

b. Amendments. Any amendments to this NOFO will be announced through 

Grants.gov. Applicants may sign up on Grants.gov to receive amendments 

by e-mail or may request copies by e-mail from mepnofo@nist.gov.

V. Application Review Information

1. Evaluation Criteria. The evaluation criteria, selection factors, and review and 

selection process for this program are set forth below. 

a. Technical Needs and Benefits (40 points; subcriteria will receive equal 

weight): Technical reviewers will assess the extent to which:

i. The application clearly defines the problem and needs;

ii. The proposed activities and/or product(s) to be developed adequately 

meet the needs and is appropriate for the targeted population size and area 

of service;

iii. The application clearly identifies the benefits resulting from the proposed 

activities and/or product(s) developed; and

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

b. Overall Benefit to the MEP National Network (30 points; subcriteria will 

receive equal weight): Technical reviewers will assess the application based 

on the following:

i. 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; and

ii. The extent to which the proposed activities and/or product(s) developed 

can be integrated into the services provided by the NIST MEP National 

Network to small and medium manufacturers;

c. Management and Financial Plans (15 points; subcriteria will receive 

equal weight): Technical reviewers will assess the application based on the 

following:
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i. 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; and

ii. The reasonableness, appropriateness, and rationale of the proposed 

budget items relative to the scale of effort and proposed performance 

accomplishments identified in the application.

d. Program Evaluation and Sustainability Plan (15 points; subcriteria will 

receive equal weight): Technical reviewers will assess the application based 

on the following:

i. The thoroughness of the applicant’s plan for evaluating the effectiveness 

of the proposed activities and/or product(s) developed; and

ii. The extent to which the applicant will continue to carry out the proposed 

activities and/or product(s) developed once the award has ended.

 2. Review and Selection Process. Proposals, reports, documents, and other 

information related to applications submitted to NIST and/or relating to financial 

assistance awards issued by NIST will be reviewed and considered by Federal 

employees, or non-Federal personnel who have entered into conflict of interest 

and confidentiality agreements covering such information, when applicable.

a. Initial Administrative Review of Applications. Applications will be 

reviewed on a rolling basis, as received, to determine eligibility, 

completeness, and responsiveness to this NOFO and to the scope of the 

stated program objectives and alignment with the program objectives as 

described in the Program Description (see Section I. of this NOFO). 

Applications determined to be ineligible, incomplete, and/or nonresponsive 

may be eliminated from further review. However, NIST, in its sole 

discretion, may continue the review process for an application that is 

missing non-substantive information, the absence of which may easily be 

rectified during the review process.

b. Full Review of Eligible, Complete, and Responsive Applications.

Applications that are determined to be eligible, complete, and responsive 

will proceed for full reviews in accordance with the review and selection 

process below: 

(1) Merit Review. Each application will be reviewed by at least three 

technically qualified individuals with appropriate professional and technical 

expertise relating to the topics covered in this NOFO. Merit reviewers will 

evaluate each application based on the evaluation criteria in Section V.1. 

of this NOFO. The reviewers, through the NIST MEP Competition 

Manager, may ask questions of some or all applicants in writing. Each 

reviewer will complete a scoring matrix for each application based on the 
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evaluation criteria and will assign each application a numeric score, with a 

maximum score of 100. Reviewers will determine scores on an individual 

basis and not as a consensus, but may discuss the application with each 

other.

At NIST’s discretion, applicants submitting potentially fundable 

applications may be invited to participate in an applicant conference with 

the same reviewers conducting the technical review described above. An 

applicant conference may be conducted using one of the following 

methods: a conference call, a video conference, and/or an in-person visit 

either at NIST or at the applicant’s location. As a result of an applicant 

conference, a technical reviewer may revise their assigned numeric 

scores based on the evaluation criteria (see Section V.1. of this NOFO) by 

submitting an updated score sheet, including an explanation for any 

change in scores. 

Based on an average of the reviewers’ final scores, applications will be 

assigned adjectival ratings in accordance with the following scale:

Fundable (70-100)

Unfundable (0-69)

The Subject Matter Expert, who will be a NIST MEP federal employee, will 

review all application and evaluation materials for each application and will 

provide a written recommendation to the Selecting Official concerning the 

funding of awards under this NOFO. In conducting his/her evaluation, the 

Subject Matter Expert may ask clarifying questions of an applicant through 

the MEP Competition Manager. For any application designated as 

fundable by the merit reviewers, the Subject Matter Expert, in consultation 

with the NIST Grants Officer, may initiate pre-award negotiations with the 

applicant. 

(2) Pre-Award Negotiations. NIST reserves the right to negotiate the 

proposed scope and/or budget costs associated with an application prior 

to award. In this connection, NIST may request applicants modify 

objectives or work plans and provide supplemental information required by 

the agency prior to award. In some cases, NIST may ask applicants to 

consider combining projects with proposals submitted by other applicants.

(3) Selection. The Selecting Official, who is the MEP Director or 

designee, will make final award recommendations to the NIST Grants 

Officer. The Selecting Official will take into consideration the results of the 

reviewers’ scores and technical assessments, the written recommendation 

from the NIST MEP Subject Matter Expert, the relevance of the application 

to the criteria set forth in 15 U.S.C. 278k-1(e)(3), the program themes 

described in Section I. of this NOFO, and all information obtained from the 
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applicants during the application evaluation, and pre-award negotiation 

processes.

The Selecting Official will generally select and recommend the most 

meritorious applications for awards based on the technical comments, 

recommendation from the NIST MEP Subject Matter Expert, and/or one or 

more of the selection factors described in Section V.4. of this NOFO. The 

Selecting Official’s recommendation to the Grants Officer shall set forth 

the basis for the selection decision.

NIST also reserves the right to reject an application where information is 

uncovered that raises a reasonable doubt as to the responsibility of the 

applicant, which may also include the review of publicly available 

information including but not limited to websites and social media 

channels. NIST may select some, all, or none of the applications, or 

part(s) of any application. The final approval of a selected application and 

issuance of an award will be completed by the NIST Grants Officer. The 

award decisions of the NIST Grants Officer are final.

(4) Selection Factors. The Selection Factors for this NOFO are:

a. Whether the proposed project will address one or more of the 

program themes identified in Section I.3) of this NOFO;

b. Diversity of the proposed project topics relative to the overall 

portfolio of activities funded under this NOFO;

c. Diversity of geography in the awarding of MEP funding, as well as 

diversity in awarding MEP funding to multiple MEP Centers;

d. Diversity of targeted industry sectors and/or supply chains;

e. Whether the project duplicates other projects funded by the 

Department of Commerce or by other Federal agencies;

f. Availability of Federal funds; and

g. Past Performance on all NIST MEP awards.

c. Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed by Applicants. After 

applications are proposed for funding by the Selecting Official, the NIST 

Grants Management Division (GMD) performs pre-award risk 

assessments in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.206, which may include a 

review of the financial stability of an applicant, the quality of the applicant’s 

management systems, the history of performance, and/or the applicant’s 

ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements 

imposed on non-Federal entities. 

In addition, prior to making an award where the total Federal share is 

expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 

$250,000), NIST GMD will review and consider the publicly available 

information about that applicant in the Federal Awardee Performance and 
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Integrity Information System (FAPIIS). An applicant may, at its discretion, 

review and comment on information about itself previously entered into 

FAPIIS by a Federal awarding agency. As part of its review of risk posed 

by applicants, NIST GMD will consider any comments made by the 

applicant in FAPIIS in making its determination about the applicant’s 

integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal 

awards. Upon completion of the pre-award risk assessment, the Grants 

Officer will make a responsibility determination concerning whether the 

applicant is qualified to receive the subject award and, if so, whether 

appropriate specific award conditions that correspond to the degree of risk 

posed by the applicant should be applied to an award.

 3. Additional Information

a. Safety. Safety is a top priority at NIST. Employees and affiliates of award 

recipients who conduct project work at NIST will be expected to be safetyconscious, to attend NIST safety training, and to comply with all NIST 

safety policies and procedures, and with all applicable terms of their guest 

research agreement.

b. Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants. Unsuccessful applicants will 

be notified by e-mail and will have the opportunity to receive a debriefing 

after the opportunity is officially closed. Applicants must request within 10

business days of the email notification to receive a debrief from the 

program office. The program office will then work with the unsuccessful 

applicant in arranging a date and time of the debrief.

c. Retention of Unsuccessful Applications. Unsuccessful applications will 

be retained in accordance with the General Record Schedule 1.2/021.

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices. Successful applicants will receive an award 

package from the NIST Grants Officer.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit 

Requirements. Through 2 C.F.R. § 1327.101, the Department of Commerce 

adopted Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit 

Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, which apply to 

awards in this program. Refer to http://go.usa.gov/SBYh and 

http://go.usa.gov/SBg4.

4. Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and 

Conditions. The Department of Commerce will apply to each award in this 
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program, the Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions in effect 

on the date of award. The current version, dated November 12, 2020, is 

accessible at Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms 

and Conditions. Refer to Section VII. of this NOFO, Federal Awarding Agency 

Contacts, Grant Rules and Regulations, if you need more information. 

5. Pre-Award Notification Requirements. The Department of Commerce will 

apply the Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative 

Agreements dated December 30, 2014 (79 FR 78390), accessible at 

http://go.usa.gov/hKkR. Refer to Section VII. of this NOFO, Federal Awarding 

Agency Contacts, Grant Rules and Regulations, for more information.

6. Funding Availability and Limitation of Liability. Funding for the program 

listed in this NOFO is contingent upon the availability of appropriations. NIST 

or the Department of Commerce will not be responsible for application 

preparation costs, including but not limited to if this program fails to receive 

funding or is cancelled because of agency priorities. Publication of this NOFO 

does not oblige NIST or the Department of Commerce to award any specific 

project or to obligate any available funds. 

NIST issues this notice subject to the appropriations made available under 

the current continuing resolution funding the Department of Commerce: 

Division A of the Further Additional Extending Government Funding Act, 

Public Law 117-86, February 18, 2022. NIST anticipates making awards for 

the program listed in this notice provided that funding for Fiscal Year 2022 is 

continued beyond March 11, 2022, the expiration of the current continuing 

resolution. This information is being provided to inform potential applicants 

that NIST’s annual appropriation for FY22 has not yet been enacted by 

Congress as of the date this NOFO is published. If an applicant is uncertain 

as to the availability of NIST funding during FY22 or future fiscal years, the 

applicant may contact the Programmatic and Technical Point of Contact listed 

in Section VII. of this NOFO.

7. Collaborations with NIST Employees. If an applicant proposes 

collaboration with NIST, the statement of work should include a statement of 

this intention, a description of the collaboration, and prominently identify the 

NIST employee(s) involved, if known. Any collaboration by a NIST employee 

must be approved by appropriate NIST management and is at the sole 

discretion of NIST. Prior to beginning the merit review process, NIST will 

verify the approval of the proposed collaboration. Any unapproved 

collaboration will be stricken from the application prior to the merit review. Any 

collaboration with an identified NIST employee that is approved by 

appropriate NIST management will not make an application more or less 

favorable in the competitive process.
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8. Supporting Documentation. Following the issuance of a MEP award, NIST 

may require recipients to provide copies of executed sub-tier agreements, 

including subawards and contracts over $250,000, as well as subrecipient 

performance reporting monitoring plans.

9. Use of Government-Owned Intellectual Property. If the applicant 

anticipates using any Government-owned intellectual property to carry out the 

work proposed, the applicant should identify such intellectual property. This 

information will be used to ensure that no Federal employee involved in the 

development of the intellectual property will participate in the review process 

for that competition. In addition, if the applicant intends to use Governmentowned intellectual property, the applicant must comply with all statutes and 

regulations governing the licensing of Federal government patents and 

inventions, described in 35 U.S.C. §§ 200-212, 37 C.F.R. Part 401, 2 C.F.R. 

§200.315, and in Section C.03 of the Department of Commerce Financial 

Assistance Terms and Conditions dated November 12, 2020. Questions 

about these requirements may be directed to the Chief Counsel for NIST, 

(301) 975-2803, nistcounsel@nist.gov.

Any use of government-owned intellectual property by a recipient of an 

award under this announcement is at the sole discretion of the Federal 

Government and will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis if a project is 

deemed meritorious. The applicant should indicate within the statement of 

work whether it already has a license to use such intellectual property or 

whether it intends to seek one.

If any inventions made in whole or in part by a Federal employee arise in 

the course of an award made pursuant to this NOFO, the United States 

Government may retain its ownership rights in any such invention. 

Licensing or other disposition of Federal Government’s rights in such 

inventions will be determined solely by the Federal Government, and 

include the possibility of the Federal Government putting the intellectual 

property into the public domain.

10.Reporting

a. Reporting Requirements. The following reporting requirements 

described in Sections A.01, Reporting Requirements, of the Department of 

Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions, dated 

November 12, 2020, apply to awards in this program:

(1) Financial Reports. Each award recipient will be required to submit an 

SF-425, Federal Financial Report into the MEP’s Enterprise 

Information System (MEIS) on a semi-annual basis for the periods 

ending March 31 and September 30 of each operating year, unless 
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other reporting intervals and/or due dates are identified by the NIST 

Grants Officer pursuant to a Specific Award Condition. Reports will be 

due within 30 days after the end of each reporting period. A final 

financial report is due within 120 days after the end of the project 

period.

(2) Performance (Technical) Reports. The recipient shall submit a 

Technical Report (completing all required MEIS fields) on a semiannual basis for the periods ending March 31 and September 30 of 

each operating year, unless other reporting intervals and/or due dates 

are identified by the NIST Grants Officer pursuant to a Specific Award 

Condition. Reports are due in MEIS no later than 30 days following the 

end of each reporting period. Additional progress reports and outcome 

updates may be requested by the NIST MEP Project Manager. The 

recipient shall submit a final Technical/Quarterly report within 120 days 

after the expiration date of the award, and publication citation 

information as well as links to publicly available data shall be submitted 

as soon as they become available.

Technical/Quarterly Report details are accessible on the MEIS website 

(https://meis.nist.gov/). Technical progress reports shall contain 

information as prescribed in the NIST MEP Reporting Guidelines (OMB 

Control Number 0693-0032). For further information regarding the 

NIST MEP Reporting Process, you may download a copy of the NIST 

MEP Reporting Guidelines at http://nist.gov/mep.

c) Post Client Project Follow-Up. The recipient will be required to 

provide client and project data on a quarterly basis (unless otherwise 

directed by the NIST Grants Officer) and in a specified format to the 

organization identified by NIST MEP in order for post-project follow-up 

data to be obtained (OMB Control Number 0693-0021). For further 

information regarding the NIST MEP Reporting process, you may 

download a copy of the NIST MEP Reporting Guidelines: (add link to 

NOFO site)

(3) Patent and Property Reports. From time to time, and in accordance 

with the Uniform Administrative Requirements and other terms and 

conditions governing the award, the recipient may need to submit 

property and patent reports.

(4) Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters. In accordance with 

section 872 of Public Law 110-417 (as amended; see 41 U.S.C. 2313), 

if the total value of a recipient’s currently active grants, cooperative 

agreements, and procurement contracts from all Federal awarding 

agencies exceeds $10,000,000 for any period of time during the period 
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of performance of an award made under this NOFO, then the recipient 

shall be subject to the requirements specified in Appendix XII to 2 

C.F.R. Part 200, http://go.usa.gov/cTBwC, for maintaining the currency 

of information reported to SAM that is made available in FAPIIS about 

certain civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings involving the 

recipient.

b. Audit Requirements. The Department of Commerce Financial Assistance 

Standard Terms and Conditions, Section D.01, and 2 C.F.R. Part 200 Subpart 

F, adopted by the Department of Commerce through 2 C.F.R. § 1327.101, 

require any non-Federal entity (i.e., including non-profit institutions of higher 

education and non-profit organizations) that expends Federal awards of 

$750,000 or more in the recipient’s fiscal year to conduct a single or program

specific audit in accordance with the requirements set out in the Subpart. 

Additionally, unless otherwise specified in the terms and conditions of the 

award, entities that are not subject to Subpart F of 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (e.g., 

for-profit commercial entities) that expend $750,000 or more in DOC funds 

during their fiscal year must submit to the Grants Officer either: (i) a financial 

related audit of each DOC award or subaward in accordance with Generally 

Accepted Government Auditing Standards; or (ii) a project specific audit for 

each award or subaward in accordance with the requirements contained in 2 

C.F.R. § 200.507. Applicants are reminded that NIST, the Department of 

Commerce Office of Inspector General, or another authorized Federal agency 

may conduct an audit of an award at any time.

c. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. In 

accordance with 2 C.F.R. Part 170, all recipients of a Federal award made on 

or after October 1, 2010, are required to comply with reporting requirements 

under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 

(Public Law No. 109-282). In general, all recipients are responsible for 

reporting sub-awards of $25,000 or more. In addition, recipients that meet 

certain criteria are responsible for reporting executive compensation. 

Applicants must ensure they have the necessary processes and systems in 

place to comply with the reporting requirements should they receive funding. 

Also see the Federal Register notice published September 14, 2010, at 75 FR 

55663 available here http://go.usa.gov/hKnQ.

VII.Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

Questions should be directed to the following:

Subject Area Point of Contact

Programmatic and Technical Questions Michael Wilson

Phone: 301-975-3346
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Subject Area Point of Contact

E-mail: mepnofo@nist.gov with ‘2021-

NIST-MEP-01’ in the subject line.

Technical Assistance with Grants.gov 

Submissions

grants.gov

Phone: 800-518-4726

E-mail: support@grants.gov 

Grant Rules and Regulations Gilberto Castillo

Phone: 301-975-3726

Fax: 301-975-6368

E-mail: gilberto.castillo@nist.gov

VIII. Other Information

1. Personal and Business Information

The applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data 

contained in applications for financial assistance, as well as information and data 

contained in financial, performance and other reports submitted by applicants, 

may be used by the Department of Commerce in conducting reviews and 

evaluations of its financial assistance programs. For this purpose, applicant 

information and data may be accessed, reviewed and evaluated by Department 

of Commerce employees, other Federal employees, and also by Federal agents 

and contractors, and/or by non-Federal personnel, all of whom enter into 

appropriate conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering the use of 

such information. As may be provided in the terms and conditions of a specific 

financial assistance award, applicants are expected to support program reviews 

and evaluations by submitting required financial and performance information 

and data in an accurate and timely manner, and by cooperating with Department 

of Commerce and external program evaluators. In accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 

200.303(e), applicants are reminded that they must take reasonable measures to 

safeguard protected personally identifiable information and other confidential or 

sensitive personal or business information created or obtained in connection with 

a Department of Commerce financial assistance award.

In addition, Department of Commerce regulations implementing the Freedom of 

Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552, are found at 15 C.F.R. Part 4, Public 

Information. These regulations set forth rules for the Department regarding 

making requested materials, information, and records publicly available under the 

FOIA. Applications submitted in response to this Federal Funding Opportunity 

may be subject to requests for release under the Act. If an application contains 

information or data that the applicant deems to be confidential commercial 

information that should be exempt from disclosure under FOIA, that information 

should be identified, bracketed, and marked as Privileged, Confidential, 

Commercial or Financial Information. In accordance with 15 CFR § 4.9, the 

Department of Commerce will protect from disclosure confidential business 
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information contained in financial assistance applications and other 

documentation provided by applicants to the extent permitted by law.

2. Public Website

NIST MEP has a public website https://www.nist.gov/mep/nist-mep-competitiveawards-program-cap, that provides information pertaining to this Funding 

Opportunity. Any amendments to this NOFO will be announced through 

Grants.gov.

Applicants must submit all questions pertaining to this funding opportunity in 

writing to mepnofo@nist.gov with ‘2021-NIST-MEP-01’ in the subject line. 

Questions submitted may be posted on the MEP website.

3. Webinar Information Session

NIST MEP will host a webinar information session for applicants that are 

interested in learning about this funding opportunity. This webinar will provide 

general information regarding this NOFO and offer general guidance on 

preparing proposals.

IX. APPLICATION CHECKLIST

▪ 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 (if applicable)

▪ Technical Proposal

- Table of Contents

- Executive Summary

- Explanation Statement

- Proposal Narrative

▪ Budget Narrative and Justification

▪ Indirect Cost Agreement

▪ Table of Abbreviations and Acronyms

▪ Table of Funded Project Participants and Unfunded Informal Collaborators

▪ Bibliographic List of References

▪ Resumes of Key Personnel

▪ Current and Pending Support Forms

▪ Letters of Commitment