MAKING AN IMPACT ON U.S. MANUFACTURING

Information Webinar

Federal Funding Opportunity: 2016-NIST-MEP-ENNMI-01

(CLOSING FRIDAY, JUNE 17TH @ 11:59 p.m. EASTERN)

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MAKING AN IMPACT ON U.S. MANUFACTURING

WELCOME 

Informational Webinar – May 9, 2016

2:30 p.m. (Eastern)

Federal Funding Opportunity: 2016-NIST-MEP-ENNMI-01

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) 

Diane Henderson, Manager of Competitions, NIST MEP

Dave Stieren, Technical Manager, Partnerships and Program Development Office, NIST MEP
MEP Overview

• Webinar serves as a communication vehicle to provide an overview of the funding 

opportunity.

• During the webinar, proprietary technical discussions about specific project ideas 

will not be permitted. 

• NIST/MEP staff will not critique or provide feedback on any project ideas during the 

webinar or at any time before submission of a proposal to MEP.

– We will consider questions of a clarifying nature that are not specific to an individual proposal.

– If you want to submit questions following the webinar, please email them to MEP at 

mepffo@nist.gov.

• Your question and response will become part of the FAQ document available on our competition page of 

our MEP website, http://www.nist.gov/mep/ffo-embeddingmep.cfm

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Information Webinar and Communication Protocols

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020
MEP Overview

• Funding Opportunity Overview and Background

• Federal Award Information

• Eligibility Information

• Application and Submission Information

• Evaluation Criteria

• Review and Selection Process

• Selection Factors

• Anticipated Announcement, Award Date and Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

• Reporting Requirements

• MEP Resources

• Key Take-Aways

• Agency Contacts

• FAQs 

• Staying in touch

Information Webinar Agenda

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MEP Overview

• Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation (RAMI) Legislation – 2014 – The 

National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI)

“The Secretary shall ensure that the National Program Office incorporates the Hollings Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership into Program planning to ensure that the results of the Program reach small and medium-sized entities.”

• FY17 President’s Budget for MEP (+$11.1M)

ü Expand efforts to transfer federally funded technologies

§ better reach smaller manufacturers

§ connect manufacturers with business opportunities

• MEP National Advisory Board Committee on Technology Acceleration

ü 2015 Technology Acceleration Implementation Plan Recommendations

§ MEP should give priority to developing and implementing Technology Acceleration opportunities with 

NIST labs and National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) Institutes over the next year,

while also pursuing the emerging collaboration with DOE labs.

MEP: A National Resource to Help Connect Small 

Manufacturers with NNMI Institutes

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MEP Overview

MEP and The NNMI Institutes

• NNMI Institutes, MEP have mission-centric focus 

on U.S. manufacturers – especially small manufacturers

ü Institutes need to connect with small manufacturers on large 

scale to maximize impact

ü National MEP network provides hands-on assistance to thousands of small U.S. 

manufacturers annually – and has a focus on accelerating technology to small 

U.S. manufacturers

• MEP actively working w/several NNMI Institutes now; seeking to expand 

engagements with Institutes in near future

ü Ongoing MEP Center partnerships with existing Institutes sponsored by the DOD and DOE

ü Anticipate new MEP partnerships with new Institutes coming on line in near future sponsored 

by DOC, DOD, DOE

ü Promoting new MEP partnerships with Institutes through this NIST MEP FFO

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MEP Overview

MEP NNMI ROLE 

• Overarching framework for how MEP Centers and 

NNMI Institutes can work together provided in 

2015 NIST MEP MOU WITH DOD

ü Same framework included in NIST MEP MOU with 

DOE currently in process

MEP Role in NNMI Institutes: 

üIncrease small manufacturer awareness of Institute focus areas, resources

üFacilitate small manufacturer informing Institute research

üFacilitate small manufacturer participation in Institute research

üHelp deploy results of Institute research to small manufacturers

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MEP Overview

This FFO provides NIST MEP funding resources to help facilitate 

expanded collaborations involving the NNMI Institutes and MEP 

Centers

• Purpose

ü To enhance the scale of Institute impacts on small U.S. 

manufacturers by conducting new pilot projects that broaden 

and deepen engagements involving NNMI Institutes and MEP 

Centers

NIST MEP FFO: Embedding MEP in NNMI Institutes

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MEP Overview

Objectives

ü To create approaches to engaging small U.S. manufacturers in the work of NNMI Institutes through 

hands-on assistance mechanisms and services such as those that are currently, or could be, offered 

by MEP Centers

ü To develop and test business models for serving needs of small U.S. manufacturers in technology 

areas of NNMI Institutes by leveraging the resources, assets, and assistance capacities of MEP 

Centers

ü To facilitate knowledge and best practice sharing between NNMI Institutes and MEP Centers – as set 

within the framework of the NIST-DOD MOU

ü To cultivate an enhanced nationwide network of partnerships among NNMI Institutes and MEP 

Centers for the benefit of small U.S. manufacturers.

Proposed approaches must include the embedding of MEP Center representatives in 

residence at participating NNMI Institute(s)

NIST MEP FFO: Embedding MEP in NNMI Institutes

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MEP Overview

Funding Opportunity Overview

• Funding Opportunity Title: Embedding MEP in NNMI Institutes Pilot Projects

• Funding Opportunity Description: 

– NIST invites proposals from current MEP Centers to pilot test approaches to provide needed technology 

acceleration assistance to small and mid-sized U.S. manufacturers (hereinafter referred to as small U.S. 

manufacturers) through the establishment of meaningful and results oriented collaborations between the 

nationwide system of Centers operating as part of the NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) 

Program (hereinafter referred to as NIST MEP), and the Institutes participating in the National Network for 

Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI). 

– The emphasis of these Pilot Projects will be to demonstrate ways to more fully leverage the assets and 

resources of the national MEP Program to provide assistance to small U.S. manufacturers in technology areas 

that are the focus of the NNMI Institutes.

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MEP Overview

Funding Opportunity Overview

Funding Available: 

• NIST anticipates funding approximately (7) cooperative agreement awards, with up to twoyear (2) periods of performance, in accordance with the multi-year funding policy described in 

Section II.3. of this FFO. 

• It is expected that funding for these awards will be between $300,000 and $600,000 per year, 

with total federal funding for the two-year award period being between $600,000 and 

$1,200,000. 

• NIST anticipates approximately $7,000,000 in total federal funding, being to be available for 

awards issued pursuant to this FFO. 

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MEP Overview

Funding Opportunity Overview

• Authority: The statutory authority for the MEP Program is 15 U.S.C. § 278k(f)

• Funding Instrument: Cooperative Agreement

– The nature of NIST’s “substantial involvement” will generally be collaboration between 

MEP and the recipient organization(s).

– 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 http://go.usa.gov/SNJd.

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MEP Overview

• Funding Opportunity Overview

• Federal Award Information

• Eligibility Information

• Application and Submission Information

• Evaluation Criteria

• Review and Selection Process

• Selection Factors

• Anticipated Announcement, Award Date and Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

• Reporting Requirements

• MEP Resources

• Key Take-Aways

• Agency Contacts

• FAQs 

• Staying in touch

Information Webinar Agenda

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MEP Overview

Federal Award Information (1)

• 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 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. 

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MEP Overview

Federal Award Information (2)

Award Kick-Off Meeting

• Recipients will be required to attend a kick-off meeting, which will be held within the first 30 days of the 

start of the project period, to ensure that the recipient has a clear understanding of the program and project 

components. 

– The kick-off meeting will take place at a location determined by NIST MEP. 

– The kick-off meeting will last no longer than one day and must be attended by the project manager and appropriate 

key personnel who will play a significant role in managing and/or executing the award.

– The kick-off meeting for each award should involve appropriate personnel from the lead MEP Center recipient, 

participating Institute(s), other MEP Center(s) participating in the project, and may as necessary include personnel 

from other third party collaborating entities.

• Applicants must include travel and related costs for the kick-off meeting as part of the budget for year one 

(1), and these costs should be reflected in the SF-424A. (See Section IV.2.a.(2). of the FFO.)

– These costs must also be reflected in the budget table and budget narrative for year 1, which is submitted as part of 

the budget tables and budget narratives section of the Technical Proposal. (See Section IV.2.a.(6).(d). of the FFO.) 

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MEP Overview

Federal Award Information (3)

MEP System-Wide Meetings

• NIST/MEP typically organizes system-wide meetings approximately four times a year in an effort to share best 

practices, new and emerging trends, and additional topics of interest. 

– These meetings are rotated throughout the United States and typically involve 2-3 days of resource time and associated travel costs 

for each meeting.

– One key representative from the lead MEP Center and appropriate NNMI Institute(s) should attend these meetings

– Pilot projects will be expected to actively participate during these meetings and freely share lessons learned regarding the 

mechanisms of the pilot approach, and attributes conducive to transferring knowledge from the NNMI Institutes to MEP Centers for

the benefit of small U.S. manufacturers, as well as information about the Institutes’ technology focus areas. 

• Applicants must include travel and related costs for four quarterly MEP system-wide meetings in each of one (1) or two 

(2) project years (4 meetings per year; up to 8 total meetings over up to a two-year award period). These costs must be 

reflected in the SF-424A (see Section IV.2.a.(2). of the FFO). These costs must also be reflected in the budget tables 

and budget narratives for each of the project’s years, which are submitted as part of the Technical Proposal. (See 

Section IV.2.a.(6).(d). of the FFO).

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MEP Overview

• Funding Opportunity Overview

• Federal Award Information

• Eligibility Information

• Application and Submission Information

• Evaluation Criteria

• Review and Selection Process

• Selection Factors

• Anticipated Announcement, Award Date and Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

• Reporting Requirements

• MEP Resources

• Key Take-Aways

• Agency Contacts

• FAQs 

• Staying in touch

Information Webinar Agenda

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MEP Overview

Eligibility Information (1)

• Eligible Applicants. 

– Applicants for this program must be an active MEP Center that is operating pursuant to a current NIST MEP 

cooperative agreement.

– An applicant MEP Center must form a collaboration, teaming arrangement or other appropriate relationship with one 

or more of the current established and operating NNMI Institutes. 

– NIST encourages project proposals involving participation from multiple MEP Centers and multiple NNMI Institutes, as 

well as from other collaborating entities, such as local economic development organizations, universities, community 

colleges, technology incubator programs, and other organizations.

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MEP Overview

Eligibility Information (2)

– Applications submitted in response to this FFO are required to clearly identify the lead MEP Center applicant, as well as 

the NNMI Institute (s), other MEP Centers, and other key organizations participating in the proposed project, including 

the specific teaming arrangements for each participating organization.

– An MEP Center may serve as the lead MEP Center/applicant on only one proposal. 

– There are no restrictions on the number of applications in which MEP Centers or NNMI Institutes can be proposed as 

collaborators.

– Eligibility for this program is contingent upon an applicant being a NIST MEP Center at the time of application, at the 

time of award, and for the entire period of performance for awards issued pursuant to this FFO. 

– NIST reserves the right to take appropriate action, which may include not making an award, or terminating an award or 

a portion thereof, should an MEP Center fail to maintain its eligibility at all required times. 

– NIST further reserves the right to take appropriate action, including terminating an award or a portion thereof, if an 

Institute does not maintain its designation as such during any time during the period of performance for awards issued 

pursuant to this FFO.

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MEP Overview

Eligibility Information (3)

• Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement.

– Non-federal cost share is not required for awards issued pursuant to this FFO. Applicants are 

encouraged to submit proposals with budgets that maximize the application of award funding to 

the performance of project tasking and direct project costs. 

• No Double Charging Against other NIST/MEP or Institute Awards.

– Costs charged against awards issued pursuant to this FFO, whether paid by federal or non-federal 

funds, may not also be charged as costs against any other NIST/MEP or Institute award (i.e., no 

double-billing of costs).

– In addition, NIST/MEP funding provided by an MEP Center to an Institute or to another MEP 

Center may not be used by such Institute or MEP Center as a non-federal cost share contribution 

for an Institute or MEP Center award (i.e., federal funds may not be used as cost share for other 

federal awards).

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MEP Overview

• Funding Opportunity Overview

• Federal Award Information

• Eligibility Information

• Application and Submission Information

• Evaluation Criteria

• Review and Selection Process

• Selection Factors

• Anticipated Announcement, Award Date and Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

• Reporting Requirements

• MEP Resources

• Key Take-Aways

• Agency Contacts

• FAQs 

• Staying in touch

Information Webinar Agenda

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MEP Overview

Application and Submission Information (1)

• Required Forms and Documents:

– Required Forms*:

• SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance

• Must be certified through www.grants.gov by an authorized representative of the applicant organization

• Item 12 must list the FFO Number as 2016-NIST-MEP-ENNMI-01

• Item 18, should list the total budget information for the full duration of the project

• List of certifications and assurances referenced in Item 21 of the SF424 is contained in the SF424B

• SF-424A Budget Information Non-Constructions

• Must reflect anticipated expenses for each year of the project (considering all potential cost increases, including cost of living 

adjustments).

• Must include estimated costs associated with the NIST MEP Kick-Off Conference and System Wide Meetings (See Sections II.4 & II.5 of 

FFO)

• Please carefully follow the directions found at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/form-instructions/sf-424a- instructions.html when filling 

out this form.

• The Grant Program Function or Activity on Line 1 under Column (a) should be entered as Manufacturing Extension Partnership. The 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number on Line 1 under Column (b) should be 11.611.

• SF-424B Assurances Non-construction Programs

• CD-511 Certification Regarding Lobbying

• For the Award Number, enter “2016-NIST-MEP-ENNMI-01”. In the Project Name filed, use the “Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project” from 

field 15 of the SF-424, or an abbreviation thereof.

• SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable)

*Forms are available as part of the Grants.gov application kit

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MEP Overview

Required Forms & Documents Continued....

• Technical Proposal. The Technical Proposal, with a period of performance of up to two (2) years, is a word- processed 

document not exceeding 25 pages that is responsive to the program description (see Section I. of the FFO) and the evaluation 

criteria (see Section V.1. of the FFO). 

– Table of Contents (Does not count towards page limit)

– Executive Summary

– Project Narrative

• Please read all of Section IV.2.a.6.c

• A proposal that fails to meet these requirements will be deemed as unresponsive to this FFO.

Application and Submission Information (2)

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MEP Overview

Required Forms & Documents Continued....

– Budget Tables and Budget Narratives

• In addition to the SF-424A form (see Section IV.2.a.(2). of this FFO), applicants must provide a detailed 

budget table and budget narrative for the proposed period of performance, fully explaining and justifying all 

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

principles.

• In the budget narrative, the recipient should provide adequate information to support the costs identified in 

each category of the budget table. 

• For example, providing the annual salary and the percentage of time dedicated to the project by 

personnel to demonstrate the total cost of that individual; providing the airfare, lodging, per diem, number 

of days and number of travelers for each proposed trip; and identifying anticipated subaward/contract 

amounts, the subawardees/contractors, to the extent 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 Award Kick-Off and 

System-Wide meeting described in Sections II.4. and II.5. of the FFO in the budget tables and budget 

narratives. 

• A suggested budget table and budget narrative template are available on the MEP website, 

http://nist.gov/mep/ffo-embeddingmep.cfm. 

Application and Submission Information (3)

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MEP Overview

Required Forms & Documents Continued....

– Indirect Cost Rate Agreement.

• If indirect costs are included in the proposed budget, provide a copy of the approved negotiated agreement 

if this rate was negotiated with a cognizant Federal audit agency. 

• If the rate was not established by a cognizant Federal audit agency, provide a statement to this effect.

• If the successful applicant includes indirect costs in the budget and has not established an indirect cost 

rate with a cognizant Federal audit agency, the applicant will be required to obtain such a rate in 

accordance with the Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions 

available at: http://go.usa.gov/hKbj.

• Alternatively, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f), applicants that have never received a negotiated 

indirect cost rate may elect to charge indirect costs to an 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 C.F.R. § 200.414(f) should note 

this election as part of the budget portion of the application.

Application and Submission Information (4)

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MEP Overview

Required Forms & Documents Continued....

– Table of Abbreviations and Acronyms. (This does not contribute to the total number of pages.) 

• An alphabetical list of all abbreviations and acronyms, and their meaning, should be included.

– Table of Funded Project Participants and Unfunded Informal Collaborators. (This does not 

contribute to the total number of pages.) 

• Provide a table that identifies all organizations that will participate in and contribute to the project, if funded, 

known at the time of the application submission. 

• The table should consist of an alphabetically ordered list, by organization, of all Funded Project 

Participants and all Unfunded Informal Collaborators.

• The table should include the organization’s name, address, administrative role, scope of work (funded 

participants only) and proposed funding amount (funded participants only). 

– Administrative roles are: applicant, subrecipient, or contractor for funded participants; or 

collaborator if they will not receive funding. 

– Bibliographic List of References. (This does not contribute to the total number of pages.) 

• A complete bibliographic listing of all references used within the application should be included.

Application and Submission Information (5)

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MEP Overview

– Resumes of Key Personnel. (These do not contribute to the total number of pages). 

• One-page resumes of no more than five key personnel from each participant organization may be included; 

these do not count toward the page limit.

• Key personnel resumes should include resumes for any personnel from MEP Centers who will be embedded 

at the NNMI Institutes. 

• Any information beyond one page for each resume and any additional resumes submitted will not be 

considered.

– Required Letters of Commitment. (These do not contribute to the total number of pages).

• Letters that commit specific resources (not funding) to the project in the event that the application is funded 

are required from all of the following that apply:

– Each application must include a Letter of Commitment from an authorized representative of: (i) the 

MEP Center applicant; (ii) each Institute that will be participating in the project; and from (iii) other 

MEP Centers that will be participating in the project. Each letter should describe the submitting 

organization’s commitment to and activities in support of the proposed project. 

– If the application includes subawards, contracts or other payments to known third parties, including 

Institutes and other MEP Centers, a draft copy of each subaward, contract or other funding vehicle 

must be included.

– Letters of Commitment should not be letters submitted by non-proposing entities wishing to vouch for 

the applicant’s (or entities associated with the applicant) knowledge, skills, and abilities or entities to 

conduct the proposed work. These should be in the form of a Letter of Interest (see Section 

IV.3.a.(13) of this FFO).

Application and Submission Information (6)

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MEP Overview

Application and Submission Information (7)

• Data Management Plan (This does not contribute to the total number of pages)

– The DMP is a supplementary document of not more than two pages that must include, at a minimum, a 

summary of proposed activities that are expected to generate data, a summary of the types of data expected to 

be generated by the identified activities, a plan for storage and maintenance of the data expected to be 

generated by the identified activities, and a plan describing whether and how data generated by the identified 

activities will be reviewed and made available to the public. (Refer to Section IV.2.a.14 for additional guidance)

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MEP Overview

Application and Submission Information (8)

• Application Format (Section IV 2(b)):

– Page Limit. The Technical Proposals are limited to Twenty-five (25) pages. Information on pages beyond 

the page limit will not be considered. 

– Page limit includes: Cover page, Technical Proposal (with the exception of the Executive Summary), 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: Table of Contents, Executive Summary, SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance; the SF424A, Budget Information – Non- Construction Programs form; SF-424B, Assurances – Non-Construction 

Programs; SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities; CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying; Table of 

Contents, Budget Tables and Budget Narratives; Indirect Cost Rate Agreement; Table of Abbreviations and 

Acronyms; Table of Funded Project Participants and Unfunded Informal Collaborators; Bibliographic List of 

References Resumes of Key Personnel; Required Letters of Commitment; Letters of Interest; and the Data 

Management Plan.

– 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

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MEP Overview

Application and Submission Information (9)

• Attachment of Required Application Documents

– Items IV.2.a.(6). through IV.2.a.(14). 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. 

• 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 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 urged to use Grants.gov’s Download Submitted Applications feature to check that all required 

attachments were contained in their submission. Go to the Grants.gov Online Users Guide available at the 

Grants.gov site (http://go.usa.gov/cjaEh), choose Applicants, then Applicant Actions, then select the “Check My 

Application Status” option, click on the Download Submitted Applications feature, and follow the directions.

– 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. 

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MEP Overview

Application and Submission Information (10)

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

– Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. 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 C.F.R. § 25.110. 

– When developing your submission timeline, keep in mind that (1) all applicants are required to have a current registration in the 

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

(SAM) (see Section IV.3 and Section IV.7.a.(1)(b) may take between three and five business days or as long as more than two 

weeks, and (3) electronic 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. 

– 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 FFO, 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. 

– Applicants will find instructions on registering with SAM.gov as part of the Grants.gov process at: 

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

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MEP Overview

Application and Submission Information (11)

• Submission Dates and Times. 

– Applicants must submit applications electronically through www.grants.gov.

• A receipt from Grants.gov indicating an application is received does not provide information about whether 

attachments have been received. 

– Electronic applications must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, June 17, 2016. 

• NIST will not accept applications submitted by mail, facsimile, or by email.

• Applications received after the respective deadline will not be reviewed or considered.

– Applicants should be aware, and factor in their application submission planning, that the Grants.gov system is expected to be closed for routine maintenance from 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time, Saturday, May 21, 2016 until 

Monday, May 23, 2016 at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Applications cannot be submitted when Grants.gov is closed.Applications cannot be submitted when Grants.gov is closed. 

– When developing your 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 FFO) may take between three and five business days or as long as more than two weeks; and 

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

• (4) 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.

Please review Section IV.4 regarding Submission Dates and Times

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MEP Overview

Application and Submission Information (12)

• Submission Dates and Times. 

– 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. 

– 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. 

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020 33
MEP Overview

• Funding Opportunity Overview

• Federal Award Information

• Eligibility Information

• Application and Submission Information

• Evaluation Criteria

• Review and Selection Process

• Selection Factors

• Anticipated Announcement, Award Date and Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

• Reporting Requirements

• MEP Resources

• Key Take-Aways

• Agency Contacts

• FAQs 

• Staying in touch

Information Webinar Agenda

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020 34
MEP Overview

Evaluation Review Criteria (1)

The applications will be evaluated based on the evaluation criteria described below (Total Points Available – 100).

a. Alignment with MOU Framework for MEP – NNMI Institute Collaboration (30 points; sub-criteria will receive equal weight)

b. Development of a Sustainable NNMI Institute – MEP Collaboration to Benefit Small U.S. Manufacturers (10 points; sub-criteria will 

receive equal weight)

c. NNMI and MEP Network Building (20 points; sub-criteria will receive equal weight)

d. Key Personnel and Organizational Structure. (20 points; sub-criteria will receive equal weight)

e. Budget. (20 points; sub-criteria will receive equal weight) 

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MEP Overview

Criterion 1: Alignment with MOU Framework for MEP – NNMI Institute Collaboration (30 

points; sub-criteria will receive equal weight) 

i. Reviewers will assess the extent to which the applicant’s proposal aligns with the 4 elements of the NIST – DOD MOU 

(see Section I. of this FFO), which defines the framework for how NNMI Institutes and MEP Centers can work together 

to facilitate engagement of small U.S. manufacturers to:

• Increase small U.S. manufacturer awareness of NNMI Institute focus areas and resources;

• Ensure the involvement of small U.S. manufacturers in the processes and activities associated with 

informing and developing the research agendas of the NNMI Institutes;

• Increase small U.S. manufacturers’ participation in NNMI Institute research; and 

• Ensure the transition of NNMI Institute research results to small U.S. manufacturers for implementation.

Reviewers will evaluate how effective and thorough the proposed approach will be in accomplishing these framework 

elements. The quality and technical merit of the proposed approach will be evaluated, as well as the number of 

framework elements that are addressed. 

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MEP Overview

Criterion 1: Alignment with MOU Framework for MEP – NNMI Institute Collaboration (30 

points; sub-criteria will receive equal weight) CONTINUED....

ii. Reviewers will evaluate the adequacy of the proposed business model and service delivery mechanisms, 

including the respective roles and responsibilities of the proposed team members and their proposed 

relationships to each other, the identified tasks and measureable milestones and assess the likelihood that and 

the extent to which those models and mechanisms will be developed, tested, deployed, and implemented so as 

to best leverage available , add capabilities to the MEP System, and enhance the impact of Institutes’ efforts to 

benefit the technological needs of small manufacturers. The quality and technical merit of the applications will 

also be evaluated based upon the likelihood that and the extent to which the proposed approach will result in 

positive impacts for small U.S. manufacturers in terms of 

• new and retained sales; 

• jobs created or saved; and

• new small U.S. manufacturers’ investments in their businesses and small U.S. manufacturers’ cost 

savings. 

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MEP Overview

Criterion 2: Development of a Sustainable NNMI Institute – MEP Collaboration to Benefit 

Small U.S. Manufacturers (10 points; sub-criteria will receive equal weight) 

i. Reviewers will assess the viability of the proposed business models being developed and tested. Specifically, 

reviewers will evaluate the extent to which the proposed approach will be based upon a revenue model that is 

aligned with, and can persist within, the operating parameters for participating MEP Center(s), NNMI 

Institute(s), and the small U.S. manufacturers to be served. Included here will be an assessment of the 

likelihood that and the extent to which the proposed model will be able to sustain the provision of cutting edge 

innovative manufacturing technological assistance to small U.S. manufacturers beyond the period of 

performance of this announcement’s funding awards.

ii. Reviewers will also assess the likelihood that the proposed approach will attract small U.S. manufacturers on a 

large scale – to potentially be on the order of hundreds or more, annually, per Institute. 

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MEP Overview

Criterion 3: NNMI and MEP Network Building (20 points; sub-criteria will receive equal 

weight)

i. Reviewers will assess the extent to which the approach in the applicant’s proposal cultivates network building 

across the national network of MEP Centers, as well as the national network of NNMI Institutes and other 

organizations and entities involved with U.S. manufacturing. Reviewers will assess the quality, merit, depth, 

and breadth of the network building being proposed by each applicant.

ii. Reviewers will also specifically assess the number of MEP Centers and NNMI Institutes involved in the 

proposed approach for each application, as well as the geographic attributes of the network building that 

occurs (whether it is local, state, regional, national, or a combination). Proposals that are assessed as 

contributing to national network building and national scale benefits for U.S. manufacturing will be evaluated 

higher than those whose impacts are assessed as fewer and more localized. 

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MEP Overview

Criterion 4: Key Personnel and Organizational Structure. (20 points; sub-criteria will 

receive equal weight) 

Reviewers will assess the ability of the key personnel and the applicant’s proposed management structure to successfully conduct the project 

being proposed. It is the intent of NIST MEP and this program that project activities be true and significant collaborations between the 

participating MEP Centers and NNMI Institutes. Reviewers will assess the significance of the effort being proposed in terms of amount of staff 

time being allocated to the embedding of personnel from MEP Centers within NNMI Institutes, in relation to the overall proposed effort. Proposed 

approaches are required to fund the embedding of MEP Center personnel in residence at NNMI Institutes at a total level of effort and time 

commitment equal to or greater than 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff year. 

Reviewers will assess the quality, merit, and extent to which the following is evident when evaluating the qualifications of the applicant and of 

program management:

i. Proposed personnel identified from the MEP Center(s) to be embedded within the participating NNMI Institute(s) have the 

appropriate education, technical background, and experience assisting small U.S. manufacturers, especially in areas relating to 

technology acceleration and working with supply chains, to appropriately represent the involved MEP Center(s) to the involved NNMI 

Institute(s);

ii. Key personnel are identified in the participating NNMI Institute(s), the participating MEP Center(s), and other participating 

organizations to appropriately support the activities of the proposed pilot project, including the embedding of personnel; 

iii. Proposed management structure and organizational roles are clearly defined and aligned to plan, direct, monitor, organize and 

oversee the implementation of the proposed approach to achieve project objectives, and the proposed organizational structure flows 

logically from the specified approach to the project deliverables; and

iv. Proposed organizational structures and participating personnel from the MEP Center(s) and NNMI Institute(s) are ready to begin 

project operations upon receipt of funding award.

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MEP Overview

Criterion 4: Key Personnel and Organizational Structure. (20 points; sub-criteria will 

receive equal weight) 

FTE REQUIREMENT:

• Proposed approaches are required to fund the embedding of MEP Center representatives in residence at NNMI 

Institutes at a total level of effort and time commitment equal to or greater than 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff each 

year. 

• This 1.0 FTE requirement for embedded MEP Center personnel represents the minimum level of effort, and embedding 

of MEP Center personnel at levels of effort and time commitment totaling more than 1.0 FTE each year are 

encouraged.

• This 1.0 FTE requirement may be met via the embedding of multiple MEP staff members in NNMI Institutes, but any 

single MEP Center personnel must be embedded at a level of effort of 0.5 FTE staff year or greater to be counted 

toward the overall annual 1.0 FTE requirement.

• It is required that the embedded MEP Center personnel operate in residence at the participating Institutes. 

• Applicants may also propose approaches that involve the participation of multiple NNMI Institutes, as well as multiple 

MEP Centers. 

• A proposal that fails to meet these requirements will be deemed as unresponsive to this FFO.

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MEP Overview

Criterion 5: Budget. (20 points; sub-criteria will receive equal weight) 

Reviewers will assess the suitability and focus of the applicant’s budget for each year of the proposed Pilot, with a 

performance period of up to two (2) years. It is expected that the amount of project award funding that is applied to 

direct project activity costs, including salaries of embedded personnel, should be maximized. The reviewers will 

consider whether the:

i. Proposed budget projections are reasonable and appropriate for the scale of effort to be undertaken by the 

applicant over each year of the proposed project plan; and

ii. Proposal’s narrative explains the rationale for each of the budgeted items, including assumptions the 

applicant used in budgeting for the overall project, and the proposed budget is aligned to support the 

execution of the proposed project consistent with the objectives of the project, the objectives and 

expectations of this program, and to advance MEP system goals.

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MEP Overview

• Funding Opportunity Overview

• Federal Award Information

• Eligibility Information

• Application and Submission Information

• Evaluation Criteria

• Review and Selection Process

• Selection Factors

• Anticipated Announcement, Award Date and Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

• Reporting Requirements

• MEP Resources

• Key Take-Aways

• Agency Contacts

• FAQs 

• Staying in touch

Information Webinar Agenda

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020 43
MEP Overview

Review and Selection Process (1)

Proposals Received

Preliminary Quality Review 

Evaluation Panel: Full 

Technical Review

Technical Scores provided 

to Subject Matter Expert

Identification of and 

Questions and/or 

Teleconf./Video Conf./Site 

Visits (if necessary)

Ranking Against All 

Evaluation Criteria

Rank Order provided to 

Selecting Official and Final 

Selections made

Negotiations

Cooperative Agreement

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020 44
MEP Overview

Review and Selection Process (2)

• Initial Administrative Review of Applications. 

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

– Evaluation, Review and Ranking 

– A rank order will be prepared based on the average of the reviewers’ scores and 

assigned adjectival ratings in accordance with the following scale: 

– Fundable, Outstanding (90-100);

– Fundable, Very Good (80-89);

– Fundable (70-79); or 

– Unfundable (0-69).

– Selection

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020 45
MEP Overview

• Funding Opportunity Overview

• Federal Award Information

• Eligibility Information

• Application and Submission Information

• Evaluation Criteria

• Review and Selection Process

• Selection Factors

• Anticipated Announcement, Award Date and Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

• Reporting Requirements

• MEP Resources

• Key Take-Aways

• Agency Contacts

• FAQs 

• Staying in touch

Information Webinar Agenda

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020 46
MEP Overview

Selection Factors

Selection Factors. The Selection Factors for this FFO are as follows: 

a. The availability of Federal funds;

b. Relevance of the proposed project to the program goals and policy objectives;

c. Reviewers' evaluations, including technical comments; 

d. Ensuring appropriate geographic diversity in the award of MEP funding, as well diversity in 

awarding MEP funding to multiple MEP Centers and NNMI Institutes;

e. Ensuring appropriate diversity in targeted industry sectors and/or supply chains;

f. The selection factors contained in 15 U.S.C. § 278(k)(f)(5); and 

g. Whether the project duplicates other projects funded by DoC or by other Federal agencies.

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020 47
MEP Overview

• Funding Opportunity Overview

• Federal Award Information

• Eligibility Information

• Application and Submission Information

• Evaluation Criteria

• Review and Selection Process

• Selection Factors

• Anticipated Announcement, Award Date and Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

• Reporting Requirements

• MEP Resources

• Key Take-Aways

• Agency Contacts

• FAQs 

• Staying in touch

Information Webinar Agenda

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MEP Overview

Reporting Requirements

• In lieu of the 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 (December 26, 2014), the following reporting 

requirements shall apply:

– Financial Reports. The Recipient shall submit an SF-425, Federal Financial Report, into the MEP’s Enterprise Information System 

(MEIS) 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 Special 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.

– Performance (Technical) Reports. The Recipient shall submit a Technical Report (completing all required MEIS fields) 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 Special 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 http://www.nist.gov/mep/ffo-embeddingmep.cfm.

– 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 at http://www.nist.gov/mep/ffoembeddingmep.cfm.

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020 49
MEP Overview

• Funding Opportunity Overview

• Federal Award Information

• Eligibility Information

• Application and Submission Information

• Evaluation Criteria

• Review and Selection Process

• Selection Factors

• Anticipated Announcement, Award Date and Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

• Reporting Requirements

• MEP Resources

• Key Take-Aways

• Agency Contacts

• FAQs 

• Staying in touch

Information Webinar Agenda

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020 50
MEP Overview

MEP Resources

• NNMI Institutes, http://www.manufacturing.gov/nnmi-institutes/

• Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Secretary of 

Defense Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy and the 

U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership, May 2015: http://www.nist.gov/mep/about/upload/MOU-NIST-OSD-Signed-Executed2015.pdf

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MEP Overview

Information Webinar Agenda

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020 52

• Funding Opportunity Overview

• Federal Award Information

• Eligibility Information

• Application and Submission Information

• Evaluation Criteria

• Review and Selection Process

• Selection Factors

• Anticipated Announcement, Award Date and Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

• Reporting Requirements

• MEP Resources

• Key Take-Aways

• Agency Contacts

• FAQs 

• Staying in touch
MEP Overview

Key Take-Aways

• Make sure to read entire FFO (multiple times)

• Be fully aware of what is required vs suggested/encouraged

• Be fully aware of what counts towards the page limit of 25 pages vs what does not count towards it

• No Double Charging Against other NIST/MEP or Institute Awards

• Be fully aware of the steps for submitting via grants.gov – DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST 

MINUTE TO SUBMIT!

• Be fully responsive to the requirement set forth in the FFO

• SAM.gov registration has been established and organization has received confirmation of validated 

account (Recommend completing well in advance of submitting application in grants.gov)

• Negotiations take place between NIST and the applicant organization not the subrecipients.

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MEP Overview

Information Webinar Agenda

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020 54

• Funding Opportunity Overview

• Federal Award Information

• Eligibility Information

• Application and Submission Information

• Evaluation Criteria

• Review and Selection Process

• Selection Factors

• Anticipated Announcement, Award Date and Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

• Reporting Requirements

• MEP Resources

• Key Take-Aways

• Agency Contacts

• FAQs 

• Staying in touch
MEP Overview

Agency Contacts

Subject Area Point of Contact

Administrative, budget, cost-sharing, 

eligibility questions and other programmatic 

questions.

Diane Henderson

Manufacturing Extension Partnership

NIST

Phone: 301-975-5105

Fax: 301-963-6556

E-mail: mepffo@nist.gov

Technical Assistance with Grants.gov 

Submissions

Christopher Hunton

Administrative Support & Document Control 

Office

NIST

Phone: 301-975-5718

Fax: 301-975-8884

E-mail: grants@nist.gov

Grant Rules and Regulations Michael Teske

Grants Management Division

NIST

Phone: 301-975-6358

Fax: 301-975-6368

E-mail: michael.teske@nist.gov

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020 55
MEP Overview

Information Webinar Agenda

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020 56

• Funding Opportunity Overview

• Federal Award Information

• Eligibility Information

• Application and Submission Information

• Evaluation Criteria

• Review and Selection Process

• Selection Factors

• Anticipated Announcement, Award Date and Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

• Reporting Requirements

• MEP Resources

• Key Take-Aways

• Agency Contacts

• FAQs 

• Staying in touch
MEP Overview

Have additional questions.....

Please submit all questions in writing to NIST MEP, mepffo@nist.gov

Questions and Answers will be posted regularly on the NIST MEP Public Site, 

http://www.nist.gov/mep/ffo-embeddingmep.cfm

New questions added to the FAQ will be identified with the date in which they 

were added to the document for ease of reference

www.nist.gov/mep mfg@nist.gov (301) 975-5020 57
MEP Overview

Stay Connected

Search NISTMEP or NIST_MEP

VISIT OUR BLOG! 

http://nistmep.blogs.govdelivery.com

Get the latest NISTMEP news at:

www.nist.gov/mep

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