Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

1

August 24, 2018

NOTICE OF FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

Award Competition for a Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) 

Center in the State of Alaska.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Federal Agency Name: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 

United States Department of Commerce (DoC) 

• Funding Opportunity Title: Award Competition for a Hollings Manufacturing 

Extension Partnership (MEP) Center in the State of Alaska. 

• Announcement Type: Initial 

• Funding Opportunity Number: 2018-NIST-MEP-AK-01 

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

Partnership 

• Dates: Applications must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 

Tuesday, October 23, 2018. Paper applications will not be accepted. Applications 

received after the deadline will not be reviewed or considered. 

The approximate start date for the award made under this NOFO is expected to be 

January 1, 2019. 

Applicants should be aware, and factor in their application submission 

planning, that the Grants.gov system is expected to be closed for routine 

maintenance at these times: from 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time, Saturday,

September 17, 2018 until 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time Monday, September 17, 2018; 

and again from 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time, Saturday, October 20, 2018 until 6:00 

a.m. Eastern Time Monday, October 22, 2018. Applications cannot be 

submitted when Grants.gov is closed. 

Applicants are strongly urged to read Section IV.2.b., Attachment of Required 

Application Documents, found on page 19 of this NOFO, with great attention. 

Applicants should carefully follow the instructions and recommendations 

regarding attachments and use the “Download Submitted Forms and 

Applications” feature to check that all required attachments are contained in 

their submission. Applications submitted without the required documents will 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

2

not pass the Initial Administrative Review, described in Section V.2.a. of this 

NOFO.

When developing the submission timeline, please keep in mind that (1) all applicants 

are required to have a current registration in the System for Award Management 

(SAM.gov); (2) the free annual registration process in the electronic System for 

Award Management (SAM.gov) (see Section IV.3. and Section IV.7.a.(1).(b) of this 

NOFO) often takes between three and five business days, and may take as long as 

two weeks; (3) applicants submitting applications are required to have a current 

registration in Grants.gov; and (4) applicants will receive a series of e-mail 

messages from Grants.gov over a period of up to two business days before learning 

whether a Federal agency’s electronic system has received its application. Please 

note that a Federal assistance award cannot be issued if the designated recipient’s 

registration in the SAM.gov is not current at the time of the award. 

• Application Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically through 

www.grants.gov . NIST will not accept applications submitted by mail, facsimile, or 

by e-mail. See Sections IV.2.c.(1)., IV.2.c.(2)., and IV.2.c.(7). in the full 

announcement text of this NOFO.

• Funding Opportunity Description: NIST invites applications from eligible 

applicants for NIST cooperative agreement funding for one (1) MEP Center to 

provide manufacturing extension services to primarily small and medium-sized 

manufacturers in the State of Alaska. The MEP center will become part of the MEP 

National NetworkTM of extension service providers, currently comprised of more than 

51 Centers and approximately 425 field offices located throughout the United States 

and Puerto Rico. 

• Anticipated Amounts: NIST anticipates funding one (1) award at a funding level of 

up to $500,000 per year of operation for an MEP Center in the State of Alaska. The 

project awarded under this NOFO will have a budget and performance period of up 

to five (5) years. As discussed in the multi-year funding policy described in Section 

II.3. of this NOFO, obligated funding amounts may be adjusted higher or lower from 

year-to-year of the award. In addition, as set forth in Section II.4. of this NOFO, 

awards issued pursuant to this NOFO may be renewed by NIST on a noncompetitive basis for an additional period of two (2) years at the end of the initial 

award period. The final time frame will be based upon maintaining the Alaska MEP 

Center on the same cycle with an existing group of MEP Centers, which will require 

a full competition in 2025, based upon the recipient’s satisfactory performance, 

continued relevance of the project to the mission, priorities of the MEP Program, and 

the availability of appropriated funds.
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

3

• Funding Instrument: Cooperative Agreement. See Section II.1. of this NOFO for 

additional information concerning the funding instrument for this award.

• Who Is Eligible: The eligibility requirements set forth in 15 U.S.C. § 278k(a)(5) and 

in Section III.1. of this NOFO will be used in lieu of and to the extent they are 

inconsistent with will supersede the eligibility requirements provided in the MEP 

regulations found at 15 CFR part 290, specifically 15 CFR § 290.5(a)(1). Each 

applicant for and recipient of an MEP award must be a United States-based 

nonprofit institution, or consortium thereof, an institution of higher education, or a 

State, United States territory, local, or tribal government. Existing MEP awardees 

and new applicants that meet the eligibility criteria set forth in Section III.1. of this

NOFO may apply. An eligible organization may work individually or may include 

proposed subawards to eligible organizations or proposed contracts with any other 

organization as part of the applicant’s proposal, effectively forming a team. 

However, as discussed in Section I.4. of this NOFO, NIST generally will not fund 

applications that propose an organizational or operational structure that, in whole or 

in part, delegates or transfers to another person, institution, or organization the 

applicant’s responsibility for core MEP Center management and Oversight functions. 

In addition, the applicant must have or propose an Oversight Board or Advisory 

Committee and Governance structure or plan for establishing a board structure 

within 90 calendar days from the award start date (Refer to Section I.3. of this 

NOFO).

• Cost Sharing Requirements: In accordance with 15 U.S.C. § 278k(e)(2), the 

minimum non-Federal cost share for MEP Center cooperative agreements is 50 

percent of the total approved project budget, which is determined on an annual 

basis. The MEP statute requires that minimum cost share requirements must be met

annually; there can be no carryover of excess cost share from one year to the next.

See Section III.2. of this NOFO for more information on the non-Federal cost sharing 

requirements under MEP awards.

• Alaska Information Forum: The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s 

Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP) held an information session, June 

7th, 2018 in Anchorage, Alaska for organizations that are considering applying for the 

funding opportunity. NIST MEP staff provided general information regarding MEP 

and offered general guidance on preparing proposals. NIST MEP staff provided 

information about the MEP eligibility and cost sharing requirements, the evaluation 

criteria, the selection factors and process, and the general characteristics of a 

competitive MEP proposal during the Regional Forum. Details of the Regional 

Forum are posted on the MEP website: https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturingextension-partnership-center-alaska.
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

4

• Webinar Information Session: NIST MEP will host a webinar information session 

for organizations that are considering applying for this funding opportunity. This 

webinar will provide general information regarding MEP and offer general guidance 

on preparing proposals. NIST MEP staff will be available at the webinar to answer 

general questions. During the webinar, proprietary technical discussions about 

specific project ideas will not be permitted. Also, NIST MEP staff will not critique or 

provide feedback on any specific project ideas during the webinar or at any time 

before submission of a proposal to Grants.gov. However, NIST MEP staff will 

provide information about the MEP eligibility and cost sharing requirements, the 

evaluation criteria, the selection factors and process, and the general characteristics 

of a competitive MEP proposal during this webinar. The webinar will be held 

approximately fifteen (15) to thirty (30) business days after posting of this NOFO. 

The exact date and time of the webinar will be posted on the MEP website at 

https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturing-extension-partnership-center-alaska. The 

webinar will be recorded, and a link to the recording will be posted on the NIST MEP 

website. In addition, the webinar presentations will be available on the MEP 

website. Organizations wishing to participate in the webinar must register in 

advance by contacting NIST MEP by e-mail at mepnofo@nist.gov. Participation in 

the webinar is not required in order for an organization to submit an application 

pursuant to this NOFO. 

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Questions from applicants pertaining to 

MEP eligibility, cost sharing requirements, evaluation criteria and selection factors, 

the selection process, and the general characteristics of a competitive MEP proposal 

will not be considered on an informal basis. Applicants must submit all such 

questions in writing to mepnofo@nist.gov. 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/regionalforum-competition-select-operator-alaska-mep-center.

Table of Contents

I. Program Description..................................................................................................... 6

II. Federal Award Information ........................................................................................ 10

III. Eligibility Information ................................................................................................ 12

IV. Application and Submission Information.................................................................. 14
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

5

V. Application Review Information................................................................................. 26

VI. Federal Award Administration Information............................................................... 35

VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) ..................................................................... 39

VIII. Other Information................................................................................................... 40
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

6

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Program Description 

The statutory authority for the MEP program is 15 U.S.C. § 278k, as implemented in 15 

C.F.R. part 290. In the event of any inconsistency between this NOFO and the notice 

published in the Federal Register, the notice published in the Federal Register controls. 

1. About the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership 

The Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is based at the National 

Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The National Program Office (aka NIST 

MEP) which provides the federal government funding for the MEP National NetworkTM is

located in Gaithersburg, MD. 

2. The MEP National Network 

The MEP National Network is a unique public-private partnership that delivers 

comprehensive, proven solutions to U.S. manufacturers, fueling growth and advancing 

U.S. manufacturing.

Focused on helping small and medium-sized manufacturers generate business results 

and thrive in today’s technology-driven economy, the MEP National Network comprises 

NIST MEP, the 51 MEP Centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and over 

1,300 trusted advisors and experts at more than 400 MEP service locations, providing 

any U.S. manufacturer with access to resources they need to succeed. 

The MEP National Network's strength is in its partnerships. Through its collaborations at 

the federal, state and local level, MEP Centers work with manufacturers to develop new 

products and customers, expand and diversify markets, adopt new technology, and 

enhance value within supply chains. The MEP Program serves as a bridge to other 

organizations and federal research labs that share a passion for enhancing the 

manufacturing community. 

In 2017, the MEP National Network connected with 26,313 manufacturers, leading to 

$12.6 billion in sales, $1.7 billion in cost savings, $3.5 billion in new client investments, 

and helping to create and retain more than 100,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs.

3. Oversight Board and/or Advisory Committee Governance 

a. Oversight Board 

15 U.S.C. § 278(k) requires MEP Centers to establish boards to oversee the 

operations of the Center (Oversight Board) as a condition of receiving a federal 

financial assistance award. The Oversight Board shall be representative of State 

service area stakeholders with a majority of the Oversight Board members drawn 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

7

from small and medium-sized manufacturing firms. Members of the Oversight Board 

may not concurrently serve on more than one MEP Center Oversight Board or serve 

as a vendor or provide contractual services to the Recipient or to a Subrecipient. 

Additionally, recipients shall adopt bylaws or equivalent governance documents 

setting forth the roles, responsibilities, and procedures of their Oversight Boards, 

including a conflict of interest policy to ensure relevant relationships are disclosed 

and appropriate recusal procedures are in place. As a condition of receiving an 

MEP Center cooperative agreement, an applicant may be required to provide the 

NIST Grants Officer with copies of the ratified bylaws and conflict of interest policies

for its Oversight Board.

b. Advisory Committee 

A recipient of an MEP Center cooperative agreement that is an institution of higher 

education, State, local or Tribal governmental entity, where state law or policy 

prohibits compliance with the Oversight Board requirement, may establish an 

Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee shall be broadly representative of 

State service area stakeholders with a majority of its members drawn from smalland medium-sized manufacturing firms and provide regular strategic, policy, and 

programmatic input directly to the designated representative of the applicant. A 

recipient that is a nonprofit organization with multiple programs and MEP Center 

program activities are not a primary activity of the applicant may establish an 

Advisory Committee, instead of an Oversight Board, that conforms to membership 

requirements as set forth above. 

In determining whether the MEP Center is a primary activity of a recipient, MEP will 

consider unique factors and circumstances such as, but not limited to, (1) the 

proportion of MEP Center funding (both Federal dollars and non-Federal match) 

relative to the applicant’s funding [or budget] for its other programs and activities, or 

(2) the duration of other funding sources over time. 

Advisory Committee members may not concurrently serve on more than one MEP 

Center Advisory Committee or serve as a vendor or provide contractual services to 

the applicant or to a Subrecipient. Recipients shall have bylaws or equivalent 

governance documents setting forth the roles, responsibilities, and procedures of its 

Advisory Committee, including a conflict of interest policy to ensure relevant 

relationships are disclosed and appropriate recusal procedures are in place. As a 

condition to receiving an MEP Center cooperative agreement, an applicant may be 

required to provide the NIST Grants Officer with copies of its ratified by-laws and 

conflict of interest policies for its Advisory Committee. 

c. New/Proposed Oversight Board and/or Advisory Committee 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

8

If an Oversight Board or Advisory Committee meeting the requirements of this 

section is not in place at the time an application is submitted, the applicant must 

submit a plan for establishing such structure, including Oversight Board or Advisory 

Committee membership criteria. As a condition to receiving an MEP Center 

cooperative agreement, an applicant may be required to provide the NIST Grants 

Officer with copies of the organizational documents for its proposed Oversight or 

Advisory Committee and Governance, including draft bylaws and conflict of interest 

policies. An awardee will have up to 90 calendar days from award start date 

(expected to be January 1, 2019) to establish its Oversight Board or the Advisory 

Committee. The sufficiency of the proposed Oversight or Advisory Committee Board 

and Governance will be evaluated against the applicable evaluation criterion (see 

Section V.1.b.ii. of this NOFO). 

No Federal award funds will be released to an awardee until the NIST Grants 

Officer, in consultation with the MEP Program Office, determines that its Oversight 

Board or Advisory Committee and Governance is in conformance with the 

requirements set forth in this section. 

4. MEP Core Management and Oversight Functions 

An MEP Center, as a direct recipient of Federal financial assistance funds under an 

MEP cooperative agreement, must possess and maintain, at all times during an MEP 

award period, accountability to directly manage and execute all functions material and 

inherent to the successful operation of a Center, which include, but are not limited to, 

the following: 

a. Budget execution, including the responsibility for determining and executing budget 

policy, guidance and strategy, and the determination of program priorities and 

associated budget or funding requests; 

b. Policy implementation, including the responsibility for determining the content and 

implementation of financial and program policies and procedures impacting the 

recipient’s MEP project; 

c. Human resources management, including the responsibility for selecting individuals 

for Center employment and for selecting contractors and the direction, control, and 

performance management of Center employees and oversight of contractors; and 

d. Strategic planning and project execution and management, including the 

responsibility for: 

i. Strategic planning functions such as the following: determination of project 

requirements, approval of a project implementation strategy, and the 

development and monitoring of agreements and statements of work with 

subrecipients, vendors, third-party contributors and other strategic partners; and 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

9 

ii. Project execution and management functions such as submission of

required financial and technical reports, maintenance of a functioning financial

management system that satisfies the requirements found in 2 CFR Section

200.302, in order to ensure that costs charged against an MEP award are

reasonable, allocable, and allowable under applicable Federal cost principles;

and adherence to the terms and conditions of the MEP award.

In extraordinary situations, the NIST Grants Officer may allow a recipient to temporarily 

outsource certain or all its management and oversight responsibilities under an MEP 

award. If an applicant is proposing such a structure, the applicant must include with its 

application a detailed explanation and accompanying documentation (e.g., copies of 

draft contracts or other agreements) supporting its outsourcing request. 

The sufficiency of the proposed Core Management and Oversight Functions will be 

evaluated against an evaluation criterion (see Section V.1.b.i. and ii. of this NOFO).

5. Resources

The following competition-related resources are currently available on the MEP website 

at:https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturing-extension-partnership-center-alaska: 

• MEP National Network Strategic Plan;

• Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Operating Outcome Plan

Guidelines located within the NIST MEP Renewal Guidelines, August 2017

• Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership General Terms and Conditions,

August 2017 (see also Section VI.2.e. of this NOFO);

• Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Reporting Guidelines;

• Budget Summary Table and Narrative Template;

• 5 Year Summary Table Template;

• Alaska State Technology Extension Planning Study Final Report from September

2014.

The MEP program is not a Federal research and development program. It is not the 

intent of this program that awardees will perform systematic research. 

To learn more about the MEP program, please go to http://www.nist.gov/mep/.

Refer to Section VII. of this NOFO, Federal Awarding Agency Contacts, Grant Rules 

and Regulations, if you seek the information at this link and it is no longer working, or if 

you seek information at any link in this NOFO and it is no longer working, or if you need 

more information. 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

10

II. Federal Award Information 

1. Funding Instrument. The funding instrument that will be used for the awards 

issued pursuant to this NOFO is a cooperative agreement. The nature of NIST’s 

“substantial involvement” will generally be collaboration between NIST MEP and the 

recipient organizations. This includes NIST MEP collaboration with a recipient in 

developing and delivering program services to small and medium sized 

manufacturers. Additional forms of substantial involvement that may arise are 

described in Final Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidance Implementing 

the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act, 43 Fed. Reg. 36860-65 (Aug. 18, 

1978) and in Chapter 5.C of the Department of Commerce Grants and Cooperative 

Agreements Manual, as may be periodically amended, which is available at 

https://go.usa.gov/x5grC.

Examples of NIST involvement in cooperative agreements awarded pursuant to this 

NOFO may include activities such as, but not limited to: 

• Guidelines and assistance in developing required plans; 

• Guidance for evaluation of performance and collection of data and information 

from the Recipient organization; 

• Approval of key personnel; 

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

problems; and 

• Assistance to the Recipient organization to define, understand, and resolve issues 

pertaining to the successful implementation of the MEP project. 

• Such other substantial involvement by NIST as determined by the NIST Grants 

Officer, in consultation with the NIST MEP Program Office.

For further information related to NIST’s substantial involvement in this award, please 

refer to the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership General Terms and 

Conditions to which a link is located in Section VI.2.e. of this NOFO.

2. Funding Availability. NIST anticipates funding one (1) Center award for the State 

of Alaska with an initial five-year period of performance in accordance with the multiyear funding policy described in Section II.3. of this NOFO. Funding for the award 

listed below is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds. The table 

below lists the state identified for funding as part of this NOFO and the estimated 

amount of funding available: 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

11

MEP Center Location 

and Assigned 

Geographical Service 

Area (by State)

Anticipated Annual 

Federal Funding for Each 

Year of the Award

Total Federal Funding for 

5 Year Award Period

Alaska $500,000 $2,500,000

Applicants may propose annual Federal funding amounts that are different from the 

anticipated annual Federal funding amount set forth in the above table, provided that 

the total amount of Federal funding being requested by an applicant does not exceed 

the total amount of Federal funding for the five-year award period as set forth in the 

above table. For example, if the anticipated annual Federal funding amount for an 

MEP Center is $500,000 and the total Federal funding amount for the five-year award 

period is $2,500,000, an applicant may propose Federal funding amounts greater, less 

than, or equal to $500,000 for any year or years of the award, so long as the total 

amount of Federal funding being requested by the applicant for the entire five-year 

award period does not exceed $2,500,000.

3. Multi-Year Funding Policy. When an application for a multi-year award is approved, 

funding will usually be provided for only the first year of the project. Recipients will be 

required to submit detailed budgets and budget narratives prior to the award of any 

continued funding. Continued funding for the remaining years of the project will be 

awarded by NIST on a non-competitive basis, and may be adjusted higher or lower 

from year-to-year of the award, contingent upon satisfactory performance, continued 

relevance to the mission and priorities of the program, and the availability of Federal 

funds. Continuation of an award to extend the period of performance and/or to 

increase or decrease funding is at the sole discretion of NIST.

4. Potential for Additional Years. Initial awards issued pursuant to this NOFO are 

expected to be for up to five (5) years with the possibility for NIST to renew the award, 

on a non-competitive basis, for an additional two (2) year period at the end of the initial 

award period (i.e., up to a total of seven (7) years). As discussed in Section VI.3.d. of 

this NOFO, renewal funding for MEP Centers is contingent, in part, upon successful 

annual and panel reviews, and Secretarial evaluations in accordance with 15 U.S.C. § 

278k(g) and 15 CFR Section 290.8.

5. Kick-Off Conference. A recipient will be required to attend a kick-off conference, 

which will be held within 30 days post start date of award, to help ensure that the MEP 

Center operator has a clear understanding of the program and its components. The 

kick-off conference will take place at NIST MEP headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD, 

during which time NIST will: (1) orient MEP Center key personnel to the MEP 

program; (2) explain program and financial reporting requirements and procedures; (3) 

identify available resources that can enhance the capabilities of the MEP Center; and 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

12

(4) negotiate and develop a detailed three-year operating plan with the recipient. 

NIST MEP anticipates an additional set of site visits at the MEP Center and/or 

telephonic meetings with the recipient to finalize the three-year operating plan. 

The kick-off conference will take up to approximately three days and must be attended 

by the MEP Center Director, along with up to two additional MEP Center employees. 

Applicants must include travel and related costs for the kick-off conference as part of 

the budget for year one (1), and these costs should be reflected in the SF-424A form. 

(See Section IV.2.a.(2). of this NOFO). These costs must also be reflected in the 

budget table and budget narrative for Year 1, which is submitted as part of the budget 

summary tables and budget narratives section of the Technical Proposal. (See 

Section IV.2.a.(6).(e). of this NOFO) Representatives from key subrecipients and other 

key strategic partners may attend the kick-off conference with the prior written 

approval of the Grants Officer. Applicants proposing to have key subrecipients and/or 

other key strategic partners attend the kick-off conference should clearly indicate that 

fact as part of the budget narrative for year one of the project.

6. MEP Network-Wide Meetings. NIST MEP typically organizes network-wide meetings 

several times a year to share best practices, new and emerging trends, and additional 

topics of interest. These meetings are rotated throughout the United States and 

typically involve 3-4 days of resource time and associated travel costs for each 

meeting. 

Applicants must include travel and related costs for approximately two (2) MEP 

network-wide meetings in each of the five (5) project years (2 meetings per year; 10 

total meetings over five-year award period). These costs must be reflected in the 

MEP Budget Summary form (see Section IV.2.a.(2). of this NOFO. These costs must 

be reflected in the budget summary tables and budget narratives for each of the

project’s five (5) years, which are submitted in the budget summary tables and budget 

narratives section of the Technical Proposal. (See Section IV.2.a.(6).(e). of this 

NOFO). A budget summary table and narrative template for Year 1 and budget 

summary table for Years 2-5 is available on the MEP website, 

https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturing-extension-partnership-center-alaska.

7. Indirect (F&A) Costs. NIST will reimburse applicants for proposed indirect (F&A) 

costs in accordance with 2 CFR 200.414. Applicants proposing indirect (F&A) costs 

must follow the application requirements set forth in Section IV.2.a.(8). of this NOFO. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants. The eligibility requirements set forth in 15 U.S.C. § 278k(a)(5) 

and in this NOFO will be used in lieu of and to the extent they are inconsistent with will 

supersede those given in the MEP regulations found at 15 CFR part 290, specifically 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

13

15 CFR 290.5(a)(1). Each applicant for and recipient of an MEP award must be a 

United States-based nonprofit institution, or consortium thereof, an institution of higher 

education, or a State, United States territory, local, or tribal government. Existing MEP 

awardees and new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria set forth in this section 

may apply. An eligible organization may work individually or may include proposed 

subawards to eligible organizations or proposed contracts with any other organization 

as part of the applicant’s proposal, effectively forming a team. However, as discussed 

in Section I.4. of this NOFO, NIST generally will not fund applications that propose an 

organizational or operational structure that, in whole or in part, delegates or transfers to 

another person, institution, or organization the applicant’s responsibility for MEP Center 

Core Management and Oversight functions. In addition, the applicant must have or 

propose an Oversight Board or Advisory Committee and Governance structure or plan 

for establishing a board structure within 90 days from the award start date (Refer to 

Section I.3. of this NOFO). See also Section IV.6. of this NOFO for funding restrictions 

under the MEP program. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement. In accordance with 15 U.S.C. § 278k(e)(2), 

the minimum non-Federal cost share for MEP Center cooperative agreements is 50 

percent of the total approved project budget, which is determined on an annual basis. 

The MEP statute requires that minimum cost share requirements must be met annually;

there can be no carryover of excess cost share from one year to the next. 

Non-Federal cost sharing is that portion of the project costs not borne by the Federal 

Government. The applicant’s share of the MEP Center expenses may include cash, 

services, and third party in-kind contributions, as described at 2 CFR 200.306. The 

source and detailed rationale of the cost share, including cash, full- and part-time 

personnel, and in-kind donations, must be documented in the budget tables and 

budget narratives submitted with the application and will be considered as part of the 

review under the evaluation criterion found in Section V.1.c.ii. of this NOFO. 

Recipients must meet the minimum non-Federal cost share requirements for 

each year of the award, with each such year being distinct and unique for costshare purposes. Cost-share cannot be “carried” forward from one year to the 

next under this program. For purposes of the MEP program, “program income” 

(as defined in 2 CFR 200.80, as applicable) generated by an MEP Center may be 

used by a recipient towards the required non-Federal cost share under an MEP 

award. 

As with the Federal share, any proposed costs included as non-Federal cost sharing 

must be an allowable/eligible cost under this program and under the Federal cost 

principles set forth in 2 CFR part 200, Subpart E. Non-Federal cost sharing 

incorporated into the budget of an approved MEP cooperative agreement is subject to 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

14

audit in the same general manner as Federal award funds. See 2 CFR part 200, 

Subpart F.

As set forth in Section IV.2.a.(7) of this NOFO, a letter of commitment is required from 

an authorized representative of the applicant, stating the total amount of cost share to 

be contributed by the applicant towards the proposed MEP Center. Letters of 

commitment for all other third-party sources of non-Federal cost sharing identified in a 

proposal are not required, but are strongly encouraged. 

3. Oversight Board or Advisory Committee Governance. The applicant must include in 

their application a proposed board structure including the type of board, board member 

names, organization and roles of such board members. If such a board is not in place, 

or is not expected to meet these requirements at the time of the MEP award, the 

applicant must provide a plan for establishing such a board within 90 days of award 

start date (expected to be January 1, 2019). See Section I.3. of this NOFO for 

additional information concerning the Oversight Board or Advisory Board Governance 

requirements for this program.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package. The standard application package, 

consisting of the standard forms, i.e., SF-424, SF-424B, SF-LLL, and the CD-511, 

is available at www.grants.gov under 2018-NIST-MEP-AK-01. MEP Budget 

Summary templates for single and multi-years are available at 

https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturing-extension-partnership-center-alaska. 

Applicants may also request an application package by contacting the point of 

contact for administrative, budget, cost sharing, eligibility questions and other 

programmatic questions listed in Section VII. of this NOFO. 

2. Content and Form of Application/Submission. The requirements given in this 

section of the NOFO will be used in lieu of and to the extent they are inconsistent 

with will supersede those given in the MEP regulations found at 15 CFR part 290, 

specifically 15 CFR 290.5. 

a. Required Forms and Documents 

(1) SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. Applicants must indicate the 

state in which they are seeking to establish an MEP Center in field 4, 

Applicant Identifier, of the SF-424. The SF-424 must be certified through 

www.grants.gov by an authorized representative of the applicant organization. 

SF-424, Item 12, should list the NOFO number as 2018-NIST-MEP-AK-01. 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

15

SF-424, Item 18, should list the total budget information for the full five (5) 

years of the project. 

SF-424, Item 21, should list the certifications and assurances contained in the 

SF-424B. 

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

The Grant Program Function or Activity on Line 1 under Column (a) should be 

entered as Manufacturing Extension Partnership. 

The Assistance Listing (CFDA Number) on Line 1 under Column (b) should 

be 11.611. 

In addition to the SF424A, applicants must submit detailed budget and 

financial plans as part of the Technical Proposal. See Section IV.2.a.(6).(e). 

below. Applicants must provide a detailed budget summary table and budget 

narrative for year one (1) of the project, fully explaining and justifying all 

proposed project funding (both revenue and expenses) in accordance with

applicable Federal cost principles. Additionally, The multi-year budgets should 

reflect anticipated expenses for all five (5) years of the project, considering all 

potential cost increases, including cost of living adjustments. Recipients must 

meet the minimum cost share and matching requirements set forth in this 

NOFO. Please refer to Section III.2. of this NOFO for the Cost Share and 

Matching Requirement over the life of the award. 

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

(4) CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying. Enter “2018-NIST-MEP-AK01” in the Award Number field. Enter the title of the application used in field 

15 of the SF-424, or an abbreviation of that title, in the Project Name field. 

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

(6) Technical Proposal. The five (5) year Technical Proposal is a wordprocessed document not exceeding 40 pages that is responsive to the 

program description (see Section I. of this NOFO) and the evaluation criteria 

(see Section V.1. of this NOFO). The following is a suggested format that 

applicants may use for the technical proposal. 

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

b) Executive Summary. (Does not count towards page limit). The 

executive summary should briefly (usually no longer than two pages) 

describe the proposed project, consistent with the evaluation criteria 

(see Section V.1. of this NOFO). Applicants should name the state in 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

16

which they are seeking to establish an MEP Center in the first 

sentence of the Executive Summary.

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 

CFR 4.9(c) concerning the designation of business information by the 

applicant. 

c) Project Narrative. A description of the proposed approach to establish 

an MEP Center. The project narrative must also identify tasks, 

measurable milestones and outcomes in providing manufacturing 

extension services to primarily small and medium-sized manufacturers 

separately for each of the five years in the designated State (see 

Section II.2. of this NOFO), sufficient to permit evaluation of the 

application, in accordance with the Executive Summary and Project 

Narrative evaluation sub-criteria (see Section V.1.a. of this NOFO). If 

relevant, an applicant should provide information that helps the 

reviewers understand the past experience of the applicant in serving 

small and mid-sized manufacturers. 

d) Qualifications of the Applicant; Key Personnel, Organizational 

Structure and Oversight Board or Advisory Committee 

Governance. A description of the qualifications and proposed Center 

operational or management activities of key personnel who will be 

assigned to work on the proposed project, and a description of program 

management plans, sufficient to permit evaluation of the application, in 

accordance with the Qualifications of the Applicant subcriteria (see 

Section V.1.b.i. and ii. of this NOFO). The applicant must include a 

description of its proposed structure for executing the MEP Core 

Management and Oversight Functions as described in Section I.4. of 

this NOFO. The applicant must provide enough information for NIST to 

determine whether the proposed structure meets the requirements of 

Section I.4. 

The applicant must also provide a description of its established or 

proposed MEP Center Oversight Board or Advisory Committee, as the 

case may be, and Governance, including a listing of the members or 

intended members and a discussion of the governing documents (e.g., 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

17

bylaws, policies or procedures and conflict of interest policies) with 

enough information for NIST to determine whether the proposed 

Oversight Board or Advisory Committee and Governance meets the 

requirements of Section I.3. of this NOFO. If an applicant’s Oversight 

Board or Advisory Committee and Governance does not currently meet 

the requirements set forth in Section I.3. of this NOFO or is not 

expected to meet these requirements at the time of the MEP award, the 

applicant must provide a feasible plan to bring its Oversight Board or 

Advisory Committee and Governance into compliance with Section I.3. 

of the NOFO within 90 calendar days of award start date (expected to 

be January 1, 2019). 

e) Budget and Financial Plan. (Does not count toward the page limit).

Applicants must provide a detailed budget summary table and budget 

narrative for year one (1) of the project, fully explaining and justifying all 

proposed project funding (both revenue and expenses) in accordance 

with applicable Federal cost principles being committed to the project. 

In addition, applicants must also provide a budget summary table for 

years two (2) through five (5) of the project; however, a budget narrative 

for these years is not required as part of an application. 

A suggested budget summary table and narrative template for year 

1 and budget summary table for Years 2-5 is available on the MEP 

website, https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturing-extensionpartnership-center-alaska .

In the year one budget narrative, the recipient should provide a detailed 

description 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 subawardees/contractors, if 

known at the time of application, and a detailed description of the 

purpose of each subaward/contract. Applicants must also include staff, 

travel and related expenses for the required NIST MEP kick-off 

conference and meetings described in Sections II.5. and II.6. of this 

NOFO in the budget tables and budget narratives. 

This budget information submitted by an applicant will be evaluated in 

accordance with the Budget Narrative and Financial Plan evaluation 

sub-criteria (see Section V.1.c.i. and ii. of this NOFO). 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

18

(7) Letters of Commitment or Support. (Do not count toward the page limit). 

The letters of commitment or support identified below do not count toward 

the overall application page limit. In obtaining letters of commitment, please 

note that it is inappropriate for Federal employees to critique or provide 

feedback on project ideas, etc., and it is also inappropriate for Federal 

employees to provide a letter of support. 

a) Non-profit applicants: A resolution from the fiduciary board 

authorizing submission of the MEP Center application to NIST 

supporting the activities described therein is required.

b) Applicant and Third-Party Non-Federal Cost Sharing: With the 

exception of a commitment letter from the applicant, letters of 

commitment for all other third-party sources of non-Federal cost 

sharing identified in a proposal are not required, but are strongly 

encouraged. Applications without commitment letters for each item 

of third-party, non-Federal cost sharing may be considered less 

favorably during the application review process. Applicants may 

submit a summary listing of non-Federal cost share, which will not 

be counted toward the page limit. 

(i) Applicant Non-Federal Cost Sharing (Cash and In-kind): A 

letter of commitment is required from an authorized 

representative of the applicant, stating the total amount of cost 

share to be contributed by the applicant towards the proposed 

MEP Center project separate and apart from the submission of 

the proposal. This stand-alone letter must cover all five (5) 

years of the proposed MEP Center project and include a per 

year break-out of the applicant’s contribution of non-Federal 

cost share, as well as a per year break-out of cash cost share 

(including anticipated program income) and in-kind (non-cash) 

contributions. 

(ii) Third Party Cost Sharing (Cash and In-kind): The applicant 

is strongly encouraged to include in its application a letter of 

commitment from an authorized representative of each thirdparty organization providing cash or in-kind contributions that 

are to be used as cost share under the proposed MEP Center 

project. Any such letter(s) should clearly state: whether the 

third-party contribution will consist of cash contributions, in-kind 

contributions, or a combination thereof; the total amount of the 

contribution, including a break-out of cash versus in-kind 

contributions (as applicable); the time period over which the 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

19

third-party contribution will be made; and any interim 

performance requirements for phased contributions. 

c) Subrecipients: Letters of commitment from subrecipients who are 

key to the technical plan’s success are useful for verifying the 

availability of resources, but are not required. Applications without 

commitment letters from all identified, proposed key subrecipients 

may be considered less favorably during the application review 

process. The applicant should include information regarding any 

planned cost share contribution from a subrecipient in their letter of 

commitment. If an award is issued, the recipient is ultimately the 

entity that is committing to the cost share being obtained from the 

subrecipient. 

If a subrecipient fails to meet the cost share expectations, the award 

recipient is required to meet the shortfall. In addition, applicants 

planning to use subawards are responsible for evaluating the financial 

viability of subrecipients to meet proposed cost share levels.

d) Prospective Key Employees: Letters of commitment to join the 

proposing organization’s team are useful for verifying the availability 

of key employees, who are not yet employed at a proposing 

organization, to participate in the project if the project is funded. 

These letters are not required, but they can play an important role in 

conveying the qualifications of key employees, especially for projects 

involving small companies or startups. Applications without 

commitment letters from all prospective key employees may be 

considered less favorably during the application review process. 

e) Contractors: Letters of commitment from contractors who are key to 

the technical plan’s success are useful for verifying the availability of 

resources, but are not required. Applications without commitment 

letters from all identified, proposed key contractors may be 

considered less favorably during the application review process. 

Contractors may not contribute cost share towards the project. 

f) General Letters of Support: General letters of support are not 

required, but may be useful for illustrating broad-based support for 

the applicant’s proposal. 

(8) Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. (Does not count toward 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 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

20

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 the Department of Commerce Financial 

Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions available at: 

https://go.usa.gov/xXRxK. This does not count toward the page limit. 

Alternatively, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.414(f), applicants that have 

never received a negotiated indirect cost rate may elect to charge indirect 

costs to an MEP 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 CFR 200.414(f) should note this election as part of the 

budget portion of the application.

(9) Resumes. (Do not count toward page limit). One-page resumes of no more 

than five key personnel may be included. Any information beyond one page 

for each resume and any additional resumes submitted will not be considered.

(10) Intellectual Property (IP) Plan for the Allocation of Legal Rights. (Does 

not count toward the page limit). Applicants must include as part of the 

application a plan for the allocation of the legal rights associated with any 

intellectual property, which may result from activities of the Center. The 

proposed IP plan must be consistent with the IP provisions set forth in 2 

C.F.R. § 200.315 and the Department of Commerce Standard Terms and 

Conditions (see Section C.04 at https://go.usa.gov/xXRxK). There is no 

required format for the IP plan. Applicants not expecting to acquire or 

generate any IP pursuant to the proposed project must explain as part of its 

application why the allocation of legal rights associated with IP is not within 

the scope of the proposed project. The IP plan or explanation in lieu of an IP 

plan will not be evaluated against any evaluation criteria and will not count 

towards the overall page count of an application. Notwithstanding, the 

sufficiency of the IP plan or an explanation in lieu of an IP plan will be 

considered by NIST as part of the administrative review of the application 

(see Section V.2.a. of this NOFO) and applicants may be required to make 

certain revisions to its IP plan as part of pre-award negotiations or pursuant 

to a post-award Specific Award Condition (see Section V.2.b.(2) of this 

NOFO). Necessary, reasonable and allocable costs associated with 

implementation of the IP plan may be proposed as part of the overall budget 

for the proposed project.

(11) Oversight Board or Advisory Committee Governance. The applicant 

must include in their application a proposed board structure including the 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

21

type of board, board member names, organization and roles of such board 

members. If such a board is not in place, or is not expected to meet these 

requirements at the time of the MEP award, the applicant must provide a 

plan for establishing such a board within 90 days of award start date 

(expected to be January 1, 2019). See Section I.3. of this NOFO for 

additional information concerning the Oversight Board or Advisory Board 

Governance requirements for this program.

b. Attachment of Required Documents 

Items IV.2.a.(1). through IV.2.a.(5). above are part of the standard application 

package in Grants.gov and can be completed through the download application 

process. 

Items IV.2.a.(6). through IV.2.a.(11). must be completed and attached by clicking 

on “Add Attachments” found in item 15 of the SF-424, Application for Federal 

Assistance. This will create a zip file that allows for 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 using Grants.gov 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 to check that their application’s required attachments were 

contained in their submission.

After submitting the application, follow the directions found at this link, 

https://go.usa.gov/xQqeh in the Grants.gov Online Users Guide.

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://go.usa.gov/xQqeh 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 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

22

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.

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) E-mail submissions. Will not be accepted. 

(2) Facsimile submissions (fax). Will not be accepted. 

(3) Figures, graphs, images, and pictures. Should be of a size that is easily 

readable or viewable and may be landscape orientation. 

(4) Font. Easy to read font (11-point minimum). Smaller type may be used in 

figures and tables but must be clearly legible. 

(5) Line spacing. Single. 

(6) Margins. One (1) inch top, bottom, left, and right. 

(7) Paper copies. Will not be accepted. All submissions must be made via 

www.grants.gov. 

(8) Page layout. Portrait orientation only (except figures, graphs, and pictures 

(see Section IV.2.c.(3)). 

(9) Page Limit. Forty (40) pages. 

Page limit includes: Technical Proposal (with the exceptions specified 

below) figures, graphs, tables, images, pictures, and all other pages of an 

application, with the exception of the page limit exclusions listed below. 

Page limit excludes: SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance; SF424A Budget Information Non-Construction Programs; SF-424B, 

Assurances – Non-Construction Programs; CD-511, Certification 

Regarding Lobbying; SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities; Technical 

Proposal Table of Contents, Technical Proposal Executive Summary; all 

elements of the Technical Proposal Budget and Financial Plan, including 

Budget Tables and Budget Narratives; Letters of Commitment or Support; 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

23

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement; IP Plan; Oversight Board/Advisory 

Committee Bylaws and Conflicts of Interest Policies;and Resumes. 

(10) Page numbering. Number pages sequentially. 

(11) Paper size. 21.6 centimeters by 27.9 centimeters (8 1⁄2 inches by 11 

inches). 

(12) Application language. English. 

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

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 or white papers under this 

NOFO. 

f. Certifications Regarding Federal Felony and Federal Criminal Tax Convictions, 

Unpaid Federal Tax Assessments and Delinquent Federal Tax Returns. 

In accordance with Federal appropriations law, an authorized representative of the 

selected applicant may be required to provide certain pre-award certifications 

regarding Federal felony and Federal criminal tax convictions, unpaid federal tax 

assessments, and delinquent Federal tax returns. 

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

2 CFR part 25, applicants and recipients (as the case may be) 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 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 CFR 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; 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. Applicants must submit applications electronically 

through www.grants.gov. Applications must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. 

Eastern Time on Tuesday, October 23, 2018. The approximate start date for the 

award made under this NOFO is expected to be January 1, 2019. 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

24

Applicants should be aware, and factor in their application submission planning, that 

the Grants.gov system is expected to be closed for routine maintenance at these 

times: from 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time, Saturday, September 15, 2018 until 6:00 a.m. 

Eastern Time Monday, September 17, 2018; and again from 12:01 a.m. Eastern 

Time, Saturday, October 20, 2018 until 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time Monday, October 22, 

2018. Applications cannot be submitted when Grants.gov is closed. 

When developing the submission timeline, please keep in mind that: (1) all applicants 

are required to have a current registration in the System for Award Management 

(SAM.gov); (2) the free annual registration process in the electronic System for 

Award Management (SAM.gov) (see Section IV.3 and Section IV.7.a.(1).(b). of this 

NOFO) often takes between three and five business days or as long as two weeks or 

more; (3) applicants are required to have a current registration in Grants.gov; and (4) 

applicants will receive a series of e-mail messages from Grants.gov over a period of 

up to two business days before learning whether a Federal agency’s electronic 

system has received its application. 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. 

Applicants will find instructions on registering with SAM.gov as part of the 

Grants.gov process at: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organizationregistration.html. 

The date and time recorded by www.grants.gov will be considered the official time 

that the application was received by NIST. Applicants are cautioned that the 

validation process may take up to two full business days after the application is 

submitted to Grants.gov. 

NIST strongly recommends that applicants do not wait until the last minute to submit 

an application. NIST will not make allowance for any late submissions. The 

responsibility for ensuring a complete application is received by NIST by the deadline 

is the sole responsibility of the applicant. To avoid any potential processing backlogs 

due to last minute Grants.gov registrations, applicants are strongly encouraged to 

start their Grants.gov registration process at least four (4) weeks prior to the 

application due date. 

NIST will not accept applications submitted by mail, facsimile, or by e-mail. 

5. Intergovernmental Review. Applications under this Program are not subject to 

Executive Order 12372. 

6. Funding Restrictions. Construction activities are not an allowable cost under the 

MEP Program. In addition, a recipient or a subrecipient may not charge profits, fees 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

25

or other increments above cost to an MEP award. 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 through www.grants.gov. NIST 

will not accept applications submitted by mail, facsimile, or by e-mail. 

(1) Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov at www.grants.gov, under 

announcement 2018-NIST-MEP-AK-01. 

(a) Submitters of electronic applications should carefully follow specific 

Grants.gov instructions to ensure the 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 for the 2018-

NIST-MEP-AK-01 announcement, contact Leon Sampson by phone at 301-975-

3086 or by e-mail at grants@nist.gov. 

(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. If all goes well, 

the registration process takes three (3) to five (5) business days. If problems are 

encountered, the registration process can take up to two (2) 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. See also Section IV.3. of this NOFO. 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 authorized individual(s) 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, with the 

exception of Federal holidays. Help Desk service will resume at 7:00 a.m. 

Eastern Time the day after Federal holidays. For assistance using Grants.gov, 

you may also contact support@grants.gov.
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

26

(c) To find instructions on submitting an application on Grants.gov, Applicants 

should refer to the “Applicants” tab in the banner just below the top of the 

www.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. Closely following the detailed information in these 

subcategories will increase the likelihood of acceptance of the application by the 

Federal agency’s electronic system. 

Applicants should pay close attention to the guidance under “Applicant FAQs,” as it 

contains information important to successful submission on Grants.gov, including 

essential details on the naming conventions for attachments to Grants.gov 

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 as the deadline date approaches. 

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 know whether the application was rejected with errors and 

the reasons why, the applicant must log in to Grants.gov, select “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 their 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 your 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 or may 

request a copy of the amendment by email at mepnofo@nist.gov. 

V. Application Review Information 

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

selection process provided in this section will be used for this competition and are 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

27

consistent with the evaluation requirements set forth in 15 U.S.C. § 278k(f)(5)(B). To 

the extent that the evaluation criteria, selection factors or the review and selection 

process contained in this NOFO are inconsistent with the MEP regulations found at 15 

CFR part 290, specifically 15 CFR 290.6 and 290.7, the evaluation criteria, selection 

factors and the review and selection process contained in this NOFO will control. The 

evaluation criteria that will be used in evaluating applications and assigned weights, 

with a maximum score of 100, are listed below. 

a. Project Narrative. (40 points; Sub-criteria i. through iv. will be weighted equally)

NIST MEP will evaluate the extent to which the applicant’s Project Narrative 

demonstrates how the applicant’s methodology will efficiently and effectively establish 

an MEP Center and provide manufacturing extension services to primarily small and 

medium-sized manufacturers in the applicable State-wide geographical service area 

identified in Section II.2. of this NOFO. Reviewers will consider the following topics 

when evaluating the Project Narrative: 

i. Center Strategy. Reviewers will assess the applicant’s strategy proposed for 

the Center to deliver services that meet manufacturers’ needs, generate client 

impacts (e.g., cost savings, increased sales, etc.), and support a strong 

manufacturing ecosystem. Reviewers will assess the quality with which the 

applicant: 

 incorporates the market analysis described in the criterion set forth in 

Section V.1.a.ii.(1). below to inform strategies, products and services; 

 defines a strategy for delivering services that balances market 

penetration with impact and revenue generation, addressing the needs 

of manufacturers, with an emphasis on the small and medium-sized 

manufacturers; 

 defines the Center’s existing and/or proposed roles and relationships 

with other entities in the state’s manufacturing ecosystem, including 

state, regional, and local agencies, economic development 

organizations and educational institutions such as universities and 

community or technical colleges, industry associations, and other 

appropriate entities; 

 plans to engage with other entities in statewide and/or regional 

advanced manufacturing initiatives; and 

 supports achievements of the MEP mission and objectives while also 

satisfying the interests of other stakeholders, investors, and partners. 

ii. Market Understanding. Reviewers will assess the strategy proposed for the 

Center to define the target market, understand the needs of manufacturers 

(especially Small and Medium Enterprises [SMEs]), and to define appropriate 

services to meet identified needs. Reviewers will evaluate the proposed 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

28

approach for regularly updating this understanding through the five years. The 

following sub-topics will be evaluated and given equal weight: 

(1) Market Segmentation. Reviewers will assess the quality and extent 

of the applicant’s market segmentation strategy including: 

• Segmentation of company size, geography, and industry 

priorities including some consideration of rural, start-up (a 

manufacturing establishment that has been in operation for five 

years or less) and/or very small manufacturers as appropriate to 

the state; 

• alignment with state and/or regional initiatives; and 

• other important factors identified by the applicant. 

(2) Needs Identification and Product/Service Offerings. Reviewers will 

assess the quality and extent of the applicant’s proposed needs 

identification and proposed products and services for both sales 

growth and operational improvement in response to the applicant’s 

market segmentation and understanding assessed by reviewers under 

the preceding Section V.1.a.ii.(1). Of particular interest is the 

applicant’s ability to:

• leverage new manufacturing technologies, techniques and 

processes usable by small and medium-sized manufacturers 

through technology diffusion and transfer; and, 

• support a stronger training and education ecosystem in support 

of manufacturing workforce needs in the state. 

iii. Business Model. Reviewers will assess the quality, feasibility and potential 

efficacy and efficiency of the applicant’s proposed business model for the 

Center as provided in the Project Narrative, Qualifications of the Applicant, 

Key Personnel, Organizational Structure and Management, and the Budget 

Tables and Budget Narratives sections of its Technical Proposal, submitted 

under section IV.2.a.(6) of this NOFO, and the likelihood that the proposed 

business model will result in the Center’s ability to successfully execute the 

strategy evaluated under criterion set forth in Section V.1.a.i., based on the 

market understanding evaluated under criterion set forth in Section V.1.a.ii.. 

The following sub-topics will be evaluated and given equal weight: 

(1) Outreach and Service Delivery to the Market. Reviewers will 

assess the extent to which the proposed Center is organized to: 

• identify, reach and provide proposed services to key market 

segments and individual manufacturers described above; 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

29

• work with a manufacturer’s leadership in strategic discussions 

related to new technologies, new products and new markets; 

and 

• leverage the applicant’s past experience in working with small 

and medium-sized manufacturers as a basis for future 

programmatic success. 

(2) Partnership Leverage and Linkages. Reviewers will assess the 

extent to which the proposed Center will make effective use of 

resources or partnerships with third parties such as industry, 

universities, community/technical colleges, nonprofit economic 

development organizations, and Federal, state and local government 

agencies in the Center’s business model. 

iv. Performance Measurement and Management. Reviewers will assess the 

extent to which the applicant will use a systematic approach for measuring 

and managing performance including the: 

• quality and extent of the applicant’s stated goals, milestones and 

outcomes described by operating year (Year 1, Year 2, etc.); 

• applicant’s utilization of client-based business results important to 

stakeholders in understanding program impact; and 

• depth of the proposed methodology for program management and 

internal evaluation likely to ensure effective operations and oversight 

for meeting program and service delivery objectives. 

b. Qualifications of the Applicant; Key Personnel, Organizational Structure and 

Management; and Oversight Board or Advisory Committee and Governance (30 

points; Sub-criteria i. and ii. will be weighted equally). Reviewers will assess the 

ability of the key personnel, the applicant’s management structure and Oversight 

Board or Advisory Committee and Governance to deliver the program and services 

envisioned for the Center. Reviewers will consider the following topics when 

evaluating the qualifications of the applicant and of program management: 

i. Key Personnel, Organizational Structure and Management. Reviewers will 

assess the extent to which the: 

• proposed key personnel have the appropriate experience and 

education in manufacturing, outreach, program management and 

partnership development to support achievements of the MEP mission 

and objectives; 

• proposed management structure and organizational roles are aligned 

to plan, direct, monitor, organize and control the monetary resources of 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

30

the proposed Center to achieve its business objectives (Refer to 

Section I.4. of this NOFO); 

• proposed organizational structure flows logically from the specified 

approach to the market and products and service offerings; and 

• proposed field staff structure sufficiently supports the geographic 

concentrations and industry targets for the region. 

ii. Oversight Board or Advisory Committee and Governance. Reviewers will 

assess the extent to which the: 

• Proposed Oversight Board or Advisory Committee and its operations 

are complete, appropriate and will meet the program’s objectives at the 

time of award, or, if such an Oversight Board or Advisory Committee 

does not exist at the time of application or is not expected to meet 

these requirements at the time of award, the extent to which the 

proposed plan for developing and implementing such an Oversight 

Board or Advisory Committee within 90 days of award start date 

(expected to be January 1, 2019) is feasible. (Refer to Section I.3. of 

this NOFO). 

• Oversight Board or Advisory Committee and Governance is engaged 

with overseeing and guiding the Center and supports its own 

development through a schedule of regular meetings, and processes 

ensuring Oversight Board or Advisory Committee involvement in 

strategic planning, recruitment, selection and retention of board 

members, board assessment practices and board development 

initiatives (Refer to Section I.3. of this NOFO). 

c. Budget and Financial Plan. (30 points; Sub-criteria i. and ii. will be weighted 

equally). Reviewers will assess the suitability and focus of the applicant’s five (5) 

year budget. The application will be assessed in the following areas: 

i. Budget. Reviewers will assess the extent to which: 

• the proposed financial plan is aligned to support the execution of the 

proposed Center’s strategy and business model over the five (5) year 

project plan;

• the proposed projections for income and expenditures are appropriate 

for the scale of services that are to be delivered by the proposed 

Center and the service delivery model envisioned within the context of 

the overall financial model over the five (5) year project plan; 

• a reasonable ramp-up or scale-up scope and budget has the Center 

fully operational by the 4th year of the project; and 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

31

• the proposal’s narrative for each of the budgeted items explains the 

rationale for each of the budgeted items, including assumptions the 

applicant used in budgeting for the Center. 

ii. Quality of the Financial Plan for Meeting the Award’s Non-Federal Cost 

Share Requirements over 5 Years. Reviewers will assess the quality of and 

extent to which the: 

• applicant clearly describes the total level of cost share ( reference III. 

2.) and detailed rationale of the cost share, including cash and in-kind, 

in their proposed budget; 

• applicant’s funding commitments for cost share are documented by 

letters of support from the applicant, proposed sub-recipients and any 

other partners identified and meet the basic matching requirements of 

the program; 

• applicant’s cost share meets basic requirements of allowability, 

allocability and reasonableness under applicable Federal costs

principles set for in 2 CFR 200, Subpart E; and

• the overall proposed financial plan is sufficiently robust and diversified 

to support the long-term sustainability of the Center throughout the five 

(5) years of the project plan. 

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, Federal agents and contractors, and/or by nonFederal personnel who enter into or are subject to appropriate confidentiality and 

nondisclosure agreements covering such information. 

a. Initial Administrative Review of Applications. An initial review of timely received 

applications will be conducted to determine eligibility, completeness, and 

responsiveness to this NOFO and the scope of the stated program objectives. 

Applications determined to be ineligible, incomplete, and/or non-responsive 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 

that can easily be rectified or cured. 

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

that is determined to be eligible, complete, and responsive will proceed for full 

review in accordance with the review and selection processes below. 

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

technically qualified individual reviewers who will evaluate each application 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

32

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

may receive written follow-up questions during the review process relative to 

requested clarifications of items contained in the applicant’s proposal. Each 

reviewer will provide a written technical assessment against the evaluation 

criteria and based on that assessment will assign each application a numeric 

score, with a maximum score of 100. If a non-Federal reviewer is used, the 

reviewers may discuss the applications with each other, but scores will be 

determined on an individual basis, not as a consensus. 

Applicants whose applications receive an average score of 70 or higher out of 

100 will be deemed finalists. If deemed necessary, finalists will be invited to 

participate with reviewers in a conference call, and/or a video conference, 

and/or finalists will be invited to participate in a site visit that will be conducted 

by the same reviewers at the applicant’s location. If there are two (2) or more 

finalists, conference calls, video conferences or site visits will be conducted 

with each finalist. Finalists will be reviewed and evaluated, and reviewers 

may revise their assigned numeric scores based on the evaluation criteria 

(see Section V.1. of this NOFO) as a result of the conference call, and/or 

video conference and/or site visit.

(2) Ranking and Selection. Based upon an average of the technical reviewers’ 

final scores, an adjectival rating will be assigned to each application in 

accordance with the following scale: 

Fundable, Outstanding (91-100 points); 

Fundable, Very Good (81-90 points); 

Fundable (70-80 points); or 

Unfundable (0-69 points). 

For decision-making purposes, applications receiving the same adjectival 

rating will be considered to have an equivalent ranking, although their 

technical review scores, while comparable, may not necessarily be the same. 

The Selecting Official is the Director of NIST MEP or her designee. The 

Selecting Official makes the final recommendation to the NIST Grants Officer 

regarding the funding of applications under this NOFO. The Selecting Official 

shall be provided all applications, all the scores and technical assessments of 

the reviewers, and all information obtained from the applicants during the 

evaluation, review and negotiation processes. 

The Selecting Official will generally select and recommend the most 

meritorious application for an award based on the adjectival rankings and/or 

one or more of the seven (7) selection factors described in Section V.3. of this 

NOFO. The Selecting Official retains the discretion to select and recommend 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

33

an application out of rank order (i.e., from a lower adjectival category) based 

on one or more of the selection factors, or to select and recommend no 

applications for funding. The Selecting Official’s recommendation to the 

Grants Officer shall set forth the bases for the selection decision. 

As part of the overall review and selection process, NIST reserves the right to 

request that applicants provide pre-award clarifications and/or enter into preaward negotiations relative to programmatic, financial or other aspects of an 

application, such as but not limited to the revision or removal of proposed 

budget costs, the modification of proposed MEP Center activities, work plans 

or program goals and objectives. In this regard, NIST may request that 

applicants provide supplemental information required by the Agency prior to 

award. 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. The final approval of selected applications and issuance of award 

will be by the NIST Grants Officer. The award decisions of the NIST Grants 

Officer are final.

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 CFR 200.205, 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 $150,000), NIST GMD will 

review and consider the publicly available information about that applicant in the 

Federal Awardee Performance and 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. Selection Factors. The Selection Factors for this NOFO are as follows: 

a. The availability of Federal funds;
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

34

b. The type and percentage of funding and in-kind commitment from other 

sources, such as 3rd party In-Kind. 

c. Relevance of the proposed project to MEP program goals and policy 

objectives; 

d. Reviewers' evaluations, including technical comments; 

e. The geographical diversity and extent of the service area;

f. Whether the project duplicates other projects funded by DoC or by other 

Federal agencies; and 

g. Whether the application complements or supports other Administration 

priorities, or projects supported by DoC or other Federal agencies, such as 

but not limited to the Manufacturing USA. 

4. Anticipated Announcement and Award Date. Review, selection, and award 

processing is expected to be completed in late calendar year 2018. The anticipated 

start date for award made under this NOFO is expected to be January 1, 2019. 

5. Additional Information 

a. Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in 

writing. 

b. Retention of Unsuccessful Applications. Unsuccessful applications will be 

retained in accordance with the General Record Schedule 1.2/021, found at 

https://www.archives.gov/files/records-mgmt/grs/grs01-2.pdf. 

c. Protection of Proprietary Information. When an application includes trade secrets 

or information that is commercial or financial, or information that is confidential or 

privileged, it is furnished to the Government in confidence with the understanding that 

the information shall be used or disclosed only for evaluation of the application. Such 

information will be withheld from public disclosure to the extent permitted by law, 

including the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552) and 15 U.S.C. 278k(j). 

Applicants should clearly mark as “proprietary” any information contained in their 

applications that they believe is a trade secret or otherwise protected proprietary 

business information. Without assuming any liability for inadvertent disclosure, NIST 

will seek to limit disclosure of such information to its employees and to outside 

reviewers when necessary for merit review of the application or as otherwise

authorized by law. This restriction does not limit the Government’s right to use the 

information if it is obtained from another source.
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

35

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 

a. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit 

Requirements. Through 2 CFR 1327.101, the Department of Commerce 

adopted the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit 

Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 CFR Part 200, which apply to awards 

made pursuant to this NOFO Refer to http://go.usa.gov/SBYh and 

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

b. Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and 

Conditions. The Department of Commerce will apply the Financial Assistance 

Standard Terms and Conditions dated March 31, 2017, accessible at 

http://go.usa.gov/xXRxK, to this award. If the Department of Commerce 

publishes revised Standard Terms and Conditions prior to issuance of awards 

under this NOFO, the revised Standard Terms and Conditions will apply. Refer to 

Section VII. of this NOFO, Federal Awarding Agency Contacts, Grant Rules and 

Regulations, if you need more information. 

c. 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, if you need more information.

d. Funding Availability and Limitation of Liability. Funding Availability and 

Limitation of Liability. Funding for the program listed in this NOFO is contingent 

upon the availability of appropriations. In no event will NIST or the Department of 

Commerce be responsible for application preparation costs if these programs fail 

to receive funding or are cancelled because of agency priorities. Publication of 

this announcement does not oblige NIST or the Department of Commerce to 

issue any specific award or to obligate any available funds. 

e. Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership General Terms and 

Conditions. As a recipient of an MEP award, the recipient shall comply with the 

Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership General Terms and Conditions 

(MEP Terms and Conditions), as may be periodically amended. The MEP 

General Terms and Conditions in effect at the time the awards are made will be 

incorporated into the awards. A copy of the current MEP General Terms and 

Conditions is available at: https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturing-extension-
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

36

partnership-center-alaska. Award recipients will also be required to comply with 

any Specific Award Conditions imposed by the NIST Grants Officer. 

f. Operating Plan, Budget and Supporting Documentation. Following the 

issuance of an MEP award, recipients will be required to submit an Operating 

Plan in accordance with the NIST MEP Operating Outcome Plan Guidelines in 

effect at the time the award is made. In this connection, NIST may require 

recipients to provide copies of sub-tier agreements, including subawards and 

contracts over $150,000, as well subrecipient performance monitoring plans. A 

copy of the current NIST MEP Operating Plan Guidelines is available at: 

https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturing-extension-partnership-center-alaska.

3. Reporting and Performance Assessments

a. Reporting Requirements. The following reporting requirements described in 

Sections A.01 Performance (Technical) Reports and B.02 Financial Reports of the 

Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions 

dated March 31, 2017, accessible at http://go.usa.gov/xXRxK, apply to awards in 

this program: 

(1) Financial Reports. The Recipient shall submit an SF-425, Federal Financial 

Report, into the MEP’s Enterprise Information System (MEIS) on a semiannual basis after the sixth and twelfth month 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 will be due within 30 

days after the end of each semi-annual reporting period. The Recipient shall 

submit a final SF-425 within 90 days after the expiration date of the award.

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

Report (completing all required MEIS fields) on a semi-annual basis after the 

sixth and twelfth month 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. The Recipient shall submit a final 

Technical/Quarterly report within 90 days after the expiration date of the 

award. 

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 

https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturing-extension-partnership-center-alaska .
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

37

(3) 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:

https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturing-extension-partnership-center-alaska.

(4) Patent and Property Reports. From time to time, and in accordance with the 

Uniform Administrative Requirements set forth in 2 C.F.R. part 200 and in 

accordance with other terms and conditions governing the award, the recipient 

may be required to submit property and patent reports. 

(5) 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 of performance of an 

award made under this NOFO, then the recipient shall be subject to the 

requirements specified in Appendix XII to 2 CFR 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.b.1., 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 (e.g., 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 have an audit 

conducted for that year in accordance with program guidance. 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 CFR 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 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

38

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. 

 d. MEP Center Performance Assessments. Renewal funding for MEP Centers is 

contingent, in part, upon successful annual reviews, and Panel and Secretarial 

evaluations in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 278k(g) and 15 C.F.R. Section 290.8. 

Below is a summary of each of these reviews: 

(1) Annual Reviews. Within the 12-month operating year and in operating years 

where a Panel or Secretarial Evaluation is not conducted, NIST MEP will 

conduct an annual review. This review will focus on the Center’s strategic 

alignment to NIST MEP’s overall program objectives, the Center’s activities, 

progress and performance in implementing the NIST MEP award, lessons 

learned, monitoring of subrecipients, resource expenditures, activities planned 

for the next year, and any proposed changes to the project plan or budget. The 

Non-Federal Entity will be provided guidelines on the format for the review 

approximately 30 days prior to the Program Review. The results of the annual 

review will be communicated to the Non-Federal Entity which will have 30 days 

to provide comments on the draft report. Following receipt and consideration of 

the comments from the Non-Federal Entity, NIST will notify the Non-Federal 

Entity in writing of the final recommendations stemming from the annual 

review. 

(2) Panel Evaluations. NIST MEP will conduct a panel evaluation during the third 

year of each Center’s operation, in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 278k(g)(1)(A). 

The evaluation will be conducted by a panel of private experts, none of whom 

are connected with the Center being evaluated by the panel, and Federal 

officials. An official of NIST shall be appointed as the panel’s chairperson. The 

Center will be evaluated in accordance with the performance measures 

described in 15 U.S.C. 278k(g)(3). Following each evaluation, a draft report will 

be provided to the Center, noting the panel’s observations, deficiencies (if any), 

recommendations for improvement and commendations on the Center’s 

performance. Centers will have 30 days to provide comments on the draft 

report. Following receipt and consideration of the comments from the NonFederal Entity, NIST will notify the Non-Federal Entity in writing of the final 

recommendations stemming from the panel evaluation. Upon receipt of the final 

recommendations from NIST, Centers shall, as appropriate, incorporate such 

recommendations into the Required Plans and submit revised documents to 

NIST for prior approval. 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

39

(3) Secretarial Evaluations. In the fifth year of a Center’s operation, the Secretary 

shall conduct a review of the Center. The Center will be evaluated in 

accordance with the performance measures described in 15 U.S.C. 278k(g)(3). 

The Secretarial Evaluations will be conducted by the MEP Director and Deputy 

Director. Following each evaluation, a draft report will be provided to the 

Center, noting the Secretary’s observations, deficiencies (if any), 

recommendations for improvement and commendations on the Center’s 

performance. Centers will have 30 days to provide comments on the draft 

report. Following receipt and consideration of the comments from the NonFederal Entity, NIST will notify the Non-Federal Entity in writing of the final 

recommendations stemming from the Secretarial Evaluation. Upon receipt of 

the final recommendations from NIST, Centers shall, as appropriate, 

incorporate such recommendations into the Required Plans and submit revised 

documents to NIST for approval. 

(4) Evaluation Outcomes. If a Center receives a positive performance evaluation 

from the Panel or Secretarial Evaluations, the Secretary may continue to 

provide financial assistance in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 278k(g)(4). If a 

Center receives other than a positive performance evaluation, the Center shall 

be placed on probation and NIST will follow the provisions set forth in 15 U.S.C. 

278k(g)(5). This includes but is not limited to development and implementation 

of a performance improvement plan and quarterly reviews of progress against 

the plan. A reevaluation of the Center shall take place not later than 12 months 

after the Center has been notified that it is on probation. In the event a Center 

is unable to remedy any deficiencies or demonstrate significant improvement in 

performance before the end of the probation period, a competition for a new 

operator for that Center shall be initiated.

VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 

Questions should be directed to the following contact persons:

Subject Area Point of Contact 

Administrative, budget, cost 

sharing, eligibility questions and 

other programmatic questions. 

Mike Simpson 

Phone: (301) 975-6147

or 

Wiza Lequin

Phone: (301) 975-4395

Fax: (301) 963-6556 

E-mail: mepnofo@nist.gov
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

40

Technical Assistance with 

Grants.gov Submissions 

Leon Sampson

Phone: (301) 975-3086

Fax: (301) 975-6368 

E-mail: grants@nist.gov

or

Grants.gov

Phone: 800-518-4726

E-mail: support@grants.gov 

Grant Rules and Regulations Gilbert Castillo

Phone: (301) 975-3726 

Fax: (301) 975-6368 

E-mail: gilbert.castillo@nist.gov

VIII. Other Information 

1. Webinar Information Session: NIST MEP will hold a webinar information session 

for organizations that are considering applying to this opportunity. The webinar will 

provide general information regarding NIST MEP and offer general guidance on 

preparing proposals. NIST MEP staff will be available on the webinar to answer 

general questions. During the webinar, proprietary technical discussions about 

specific project ideas will not be permitted. Also, NIST MEP staff will not critique or 

provide feedback on any specific project ideas during the webinar or at any time 

before submission of a proposal to NIST MEP. However, NIST MEP staff will provide 

information about the MEP eligibility and cost sharing requirements, evaluation 

criteria and selection factors, selection process, and the general characteristics of a 

competitive NIST MEP proposal during this webinar, and by phone and e-mail. The 

webinar will be held approximately fifteen (15) to thirty (30) business days after 

posting of this NOFO. The exact date and time of the webinar will be posted on the 

NIST MEP website at https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturing-extensionpartnership-center-alaska. The webinar will be recorded and a link to the recording 

will be posted on the MEP website. In addition, the webinar presentations will be 

available on the NIST MEP website. Organizations wishing to participate in the 

webinar must sign up by e-mailing mepnofo@nist.gov. Participation in the webinar is 

not required in order for an organization to submit an application pursuant to this 

NOFO.

2. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Questions from applicants pertaining to MEP 

eligibility, cost sharing requirements, evaluation criteria and selection factors, 
Notice of Funding Opportunity

2018-NIST-MEP- AK-01

41

selection process, and the general characteristics of a competitive MEP proposal will 

not be considered on an informal basis. Applicants must submit all such questions in 

writing to mepnofo@nist.gov.

Questions submitted to NIST MEP may be posted as part of an FAQ document, 

which will be periodically updated on the NIST MEP website at 

https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturing-extension-partnership-center-alaska.

3. Alaska Information Forum: NIST MEP held an information session, June 7th, 2018 

in Anchorage, Alaska for organizations that are considering applying for the funding 

opportunity. NIST MEP staff provided general information regarding MEP and 

offered general guidance on preparing proposals. NIST MEP staff provided 

information about the MEP eligibility and cost sharing requirements, the evaluation 

criteria, the selection factors and process, and the general characteristics of a 

competitive MEP proposal during the Regional Forum. Details of the Regional 

Forum are posted on the MEP website: https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturingextension-partnership-center-alaska.