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NIST MEP Center State Competition for 

Arizona and Maryland

Notice of Funding Opportunity

August 1, 2022

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

NIST MEP Center State Competition for

Arizona and Maryland

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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

United States Department of Commerce (DoC)

• Funding Opportunity Title: Award Competition for Hollings Manufacturing 

Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers in the States of Arizona and Maryland with 

District of Columbia

• Announcement Type: Initial

• Funding Opportunity Number: 2022-NIST-MEP-02

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

Partnership

• Dates: Full Applications must be received at Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. 

Eastern Time, October 30, 2022. Applications received after this deadline will not 

be reviewed or considered. 

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

that the Grants.gov system closes periodically for routine maintenance. 

Applicants should visit Grants.gov for information on any scheduled closures. 

NIST expects to complete its review, selection of successful applicants, and 

award processing by April 1, 2023. NIST expects the earliest start date for 

awards under this NOFO to be July 1, 2023.

• Application Submission Address: Applications must be submitted using 

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

e-mail. 

• Funding Opportunity Description: The NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership (MEP), authorized by 15 U.S.C. § 278k, is seeking applications from 

eligible applicants to enter into cooperative agreements to operate MEP Centers

in the States of Arizona and Maryland with the District of Columbia. These MEP 

Centers will provide manufacturing extension services to small and mediumsized manufacturers (SMMs) in the States outlined above. These new MEP 
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NIST MEP Center State Competition for 

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Notice of Funding Opportunity

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Centers will become part of the MEP National NetworkTM1, which consists of 51 

MEP Centers2located in each State and in Puerto Rico, and over 1,400 trusted 

advisors and experts at approximately 450 MEP service locations. By statute, 

when an MEP Center has operated for a period of 10 consecutive years, a 

competition must be conducted to select an eligible entity to operate the Center. 

The MEP Centers in the States of Arizona and Maryland are each nearing 10 

consecutive years of operation. See Section I. of this NOFO for additional 

information regarding the MEP Center program.

• Anticipated Amounts: NIST anticipates funding one (1) MEP Center 

cooperative agreement in each of the following States: Arizona and Maryland To 

include the District of Columbia based on the availability of appropriations. Each 

award will have an initial project performance period of up to five (5) years and 

may be funded at the following anticipated levels:

MEP Center Location 

and Assigned 

Geographical Service 

Area (by State)

Anticipated Federal 

Funding for 

Each Year of the Award

Total Anticipated Federal 

Funding for 

5-Year Award Period

Arizona $1,501,200 $7,506,000

Maryland to include the

District of Columbia

$1,375,686 $6,878,430

Awards issued pursuant to this NOFO may be renewed by NIST on a noncompetitive basis for an additional period of five (5) years at the end of the initial 

project performance period. Renewal funding for MEP Centers is contingent 

upon successful annual reviews, panel and Secretarial evaluations in accordance 

with 15 U.S.C. § 278k(g) and 15 C.F.R. § 290.8 and the availability of 

appropriations. In accordance with the multi-year funding policy described in this 

NOFO, obligated funding amounts may be adjusted higher or lower from year-toyear of an award. See Section II.2. of this NOFO for additional information 

pertaining to the anticipated funding levels for this program.

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

for additional information concerning the funding instrument for this award.

• Eligibility: Per 15 U.S.C. § 278k(a)(5), eligibility is limited to United States-based 

nonprofit institutions, or consortium thereof, institutions of higher education, or 

State, United States territory, local, or tribal governments. As discussed in 

Section I.3. of this NOFO, NIST generally will not fund applications that propose

an organizational or operational structure that, in whole or in part, delegates or 

1 https://www.nist.gov/mep2 https://www.nist.gov/mep/centers
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NIST MEP Center State Competition for 

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Notice of Funding Opportunity

August 1, 2022

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 structure or plan for establishing a board structure within 90 days 

from the award start date (Refer to Section I.2. of this NOFO). Per 15 U.S.C. § 

278k(h)(2), incumbent MEP Centers that have received financial assistance for 

ten (10) consecutive years and that the Secretary determines are in good 

standing are eligible to apply under this NOFO. See Section III.1. of this NOFO 

for additional information regarding the eligibility requirements for the MEP 

Center program.

• Cost Sharing Requirements: The MEP Center program requires non-Federal 

cost share of at least 50 percent of the total annual allowable project costs, 

unless otherwise directed by Congress. See Section III.2. of this NOFO for 

more information on the non-federal cost sharing requirements under the MEP 

Center program.

• Informational Forum: NIST MEP conducted and recorded a virtual information 

forum on November 22, 2021, 1:00 p.m. EST, which is available via 

https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2021/11/nist-mep-fy-2022-virtual-statecenter-competition-information-forum.

During the informational forum, NIST MEP provided general information 

regarding MEP and offered guidance on preparing proposals. Additional 

information provided during these forums included: MEP eligibility and cost 

share requirements, evaluation criteria, selection factors, and application and 

selection timeline. 

• Public Website, 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 must be submitted 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 NIST MEP website at https://www.nist.gov/mep/mep-center-statecompetition-fy-2022.

• Webinar Information Session: NIST will host a virtual webinar to provide 

general information regarding this NOFO, offer general guidance on preparing 

applications, and answer questions. The exact date and time of this webinar will 

be posted on the NIST MEP website at https://www.nist.gov/mep/mep-centerstate-competition-fy-2022.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 webinars or 
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NIST MEP Center State Competition for 

Arizona and Maryland

Notice of Funding Opportunity

August 1, 2022

at any time before submission of a proposal to MEP. There is no cost to attend 

the webinar. Participant registration is not needed. Participation in the webinar is 

not required and will not be considered in the review and selection process.

Table of Contents

I. Program Description .................................................................................................. 4

II. Federal Award Information......................................................................................... 8

III. Eligibility Information ................................................................................................ 10

IV. Application and Submission Information ................................................................. 11

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

VI. Federal Award Administration Information .............................................................. 32

VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts ........................................................................ 37

VIII. Other Information ..................................................................................................... 38

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Program Description

The statutory authority for the NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership 

is 15 U.S.C. § 278k. 

1) Background Information

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST’s) Hollings 

Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program is a nationwide network of 

Centers (referred to hereinafter as the MEP National NetworkTM). MEP Centers 

are located in all 50 States and Puerto Rico and serve as trusted business 

advisors focused on transforming U.S. manufacturers’ ability to compete 

globally, supporting supply chain integration, providing access to technology for 

improved productivity, and supporting a strong manufacturing workforce. The 

MEP National NetworkTM is a diverse network of state, non-profit organizations, 

and public colleges and universities, comprising more than 1,400 manufacturing 

experts offering hands-on technical expertise and assistance services that 

address the critical needs of their local manufacturers that will impact U.S. 

Manufacturing.

MEP Centers work directly with area manufacturers in each state to provide 

expertise and services tailored to manufacturers’ most critical needs, ranging 

from process improvement and workforce development to business practices 

and technology transfer and implementation. Additionally, MEP Centers 

connect manufacturers with government and trade associations, universities and 

research laboratories, and a host of other public and private resources to help 

manufacturers realize individual business goals. To learn more about the MEP 

Program, please go to http://www.nist.gov/mep/. 
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NIST MEP Center State Competition for 

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Notice of Funding Opportunity

August 1, 2022

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

comprehensive, proven solutions to U.S. manufacturers. Through 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. MEP Centers are 

connected to the National Network to learn and share distinctive practices. 

NIST encourages applicants to review the resources available through the MEP 

National NetworkTM, particularly for connecting applicants with potential 

subrecipients, contractors, or other collaborators.

2) Oversight Board or Advisory Committee

In accordance with 15 U.S.C. § 278k(k), MEP Centers are required to establish 

either an Oversight Board or an Advisory Committee. 

a. Oversight Board

Except as provided in Section I.2.b. immediately below, recipients will be 

required to establish and maintain an Oversight Board, which has fiduciary 

responsibility for the governance and operation of the recipient organization.

The Oversight Board must be broadly representative of state service area 

and/or other service area as defined by the Program Office stakeholders with a 

majority of the Oversight Board members drawn 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 serveas 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. Upon request, an applicant shall

provide the NIST Grants Officer with copies of its organizational documents, 

including articles of incorporation or charters, ratified bylaws, and conflict of 

interest policies. The sufficiency of the proposed Oversight or Advisory 

Committee Board will be evaluated against the applicable evaluation criteria. 

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

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 or 

Tribal law or policy prohibits compliance with the Oversight Board requirement, 

may establish an Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee must be 
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broadly representative of state service area stakeholders with the majority of 

its members drawn from small- and medium-sized manufacturing firms and 

provide regular strategic, policy, and programmatic input directly to the 

designated representative of the recipient.

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

Center program activities which 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 nonFederal 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 recipient 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. Upon request, an applicant shall provide the NIST 

Grants Officer copies of the organizational documents for its Advisory 

Committee, including ratified bylaws and conflict-of-interest policies. The 

sufficiency of the proposed Oversight Board or Advisory Committee will be 

evaluated against the applicable evaluation criteria. (See Section V.1.b.ii. of 

this NOFO).

c. New/Proposed Oversight and/or Advisory Committee

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. Upon request, 

an applicant shall provide the NIST Grants Officer copies of the 

organizational documents for its proposed Oversight Board or Advisory 

Committee including draft bylaws and conflict of interest policies. An awardee

will have up to 90 calendar days from the award start date to establish its 

Oversight Board or Advisory Committee, as the case may be. The sufficiency 

of the proposed Oversight Board or Advisory Committee will be evaluated

against the applicable evaluation criteria. (See Section V.1.b.ii. of this

NOFO).
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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 is in conformance with the

requirements set forth in this section.

3) MEP Core Management and Oversight Functions

An MEP Center operating under an MEP cooperative agreement must possess 

and always maintain during the award performance period accountability to 

directly manage and execute all functions, both material and inherent, to the 

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

following: 

i. 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;

ii. Policy implementation, including the responsibility for determining the 

content and implementation of financial and program policies and 

procedures impacting the recipient’s MEP project;

iii. 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

iv. Strategic planning and project execution and management, including 

the responsibility for:

• 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

• 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 C.F.R. § 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 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
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Section V.1.b.ii. of this NOFO).

4) MEP Resources

The following competition-related resources are currently available on the 

MEPwebsite at: https://www.nist.gov/mep/mep-center-state-competition-fy2022. 

• NIST MEP Strategic Plan

• Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Operating Outcome Plan

Guidance(See Appendix 1, page 12)

• Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership General Terms and

Conditions

• NIST MEP Reporting Guidelines

• Required NIST MEP Single Year Budget Workbook Template

• Required Five-Year NIST MEP Budget Summary Table Template

• NIST MEP Cost Share Memo

• Most recent NIST MEP Annual Report

• FY 2021 Oversight Board Standards

The NIST MEP program is an economic development program not a federal 

research and development program. It is not the intent of this program that

awardees will perform systematic research.

II. Federal Award Information

1. Funding Instrument

The funding instrument that will be used is a Cooperative Agreement. Where 

cooperative agreements are used, the nature of NIST’s “substantial 

involvement” will generally include collaboration with the recipient 

organization in developing and implementing the approved scope of work, 

consistent with the definition of cooperative agreement in 2 C.F.R. § 200.1.

2. Funding Availability

NIST anticipates funding one (1) award in each of the following states: 

Arizona and Maryland to include the District of Columbia. Each award will 

have a project performance period of up to five (5) years and will be funded, 

based on the availability of appropriations, at the following anticipated levels:
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NIST MEP Center State Competition for 

Arizona and Maryland

Notice of Funding Opportunity

August 1, 2022

MEP Center Location 

and Assigned 

Geographical Service 

Area (by State)

Anticipated Federal 

Funding for 

Each Year of the Award

Total Anticipated Federal 

Funding for 

5-Year Award Period

Arizona $1,501,200 $7,506,000

Maryland to include with 

the District of Columbia

$1,375,686 $6,878,430

Applicants may propose annual federal funding amounts that are different from 

the amounts in the table above, provided that the total amount of federal funds 

requested by an applicant does not exceed the total amount of funds for the fiveyear award period set forth in the above table.

3. Multi-Year Funding Policy. When a proposal for a multi-year award is 

approved, funding will usually be provided for only the first year of the program. 

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-toyear of the award, contingent upon satisfactory performance, continued 

relevance of the project to the mission and priorities of the program, and the 

availability of funds, including increases or decreases to amounts of appropriated 

funding for NIST MEP. 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 up to an additional 5-year period at the 

end of the initial award period. Renewal funding for MEP Centers is contingent 

upon both successful annual reviews, and Panel and Secretarial evaluations in 

accordance with 15 U.S.C. § 278k(g), as well as the project’s continued 

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

funds.

5. Kick-off Conference. A recipient will be required to attend a kickoff 

conference, which will generally be held within 30 calendar days after the date of 

the award. The purpose of this kickoff conference is to help ensure that the MEP 

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

The kickoff conference may take place at either NIST MEP headquarters in 

Gaithersburg, MD or virtually. The kickoff conference will take approximately 

three (3) days and must be attended by the MEP Center Director and up to two

(2) additional MEP Center employees. Applicants must include travel and related 

expenses for the attending the kickoff as part of the budget for year one (1). 

These costs should be reflected in the SF-424A form. These costs must also be 
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NIST MEP Center State Competition for 

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reflected in the budget table and budget narrative for year one (1), which is 

submitted as part of the budget summary tables and budget narrative section of 

the Technical Proposal. Representatives from key subrecipients and other key 

strategic partners may attend the kickoff conference with the prior written 

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

and/or other key strategy partners attend the kickoff 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 5-year award period). These 

costs must be reflected in the MEP Single Year Budget Workbook and MEP 

Five-Year Budget Summary Table (See Section IV.2.a.(8) of this NOFO).

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

(F&A) costs in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.414. Applicants proposing 

indirect (F&A) costs must follow the application requirements set forth in Section 

IV.2.a.(9). of this NOFO. 

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Per 15 U.S.C. § 278k(a)(5), eligibility is limited to United States-based 

nonprofit institutions, or consortium thereof, institutions of higher education, or 

State, United States territory, local, or tribal governments. Per 15 U.S.C. § 

278k(h)(2), incumbent MEP Centers that have received financial assistance 

for ten (10) consecutive years and that the Secretary determines are in good 

standing are eligible to apply under this NOFO. The eligibility requirements 

set forth 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 C.F.R. part 290, specifically 15 C.F.R. § 290.5(a)(1).

As discussed in Section I.3) 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 structure or plan for establishing 

such a structure within 90 days from the award performance start date (Refer 

to Section I.2.) of this NOFO).
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2. Cost Sharing or Matching

The NIST MEP program requires non-Federal cost share of at least 50 

percent of the total annual allowable project costs, unless otherwise directed 

by Congress. See Sec.1(4) of this NOFO for updated cost share information. 

The NIST MEP statute requires Centers to meet this minimum cost share 

requirement annually. See 15 U.S.C.278k(e)(2). There can be no carry over 

in excess cost share from one year to the next. Program income, as defined 

in 2 C.F.R. § 200.1, generated by an MEP Center may be used by the 

recipient to meet the cost share requirement.

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 

in 2 C.F.R. § 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. of this NOFO.

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

sharing must be allowable/eligible cost under this program and under the 

federal cost principles set forth under 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Subpart E. Nonfederal cost sharing incorporated into the budget is subject to audit in the 

same manner as federal award funds. See 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Subpart F, for 

more information on audits.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

The application package is available at Grants.gov under Funding 

Opportunity Number 2022-NIST-MEP-02.

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

this section of the NOFO shall supersede those given in the MEP regulations 

found at 15 C.F.R. Part 290, specifically 15 C.F.R. § 290.5.

a. Required Forms and Documents. The Application must contain the 

following:

(1) SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. The SF-424 must be 

signed by an authorized representative of the applicant organization. 

For SF-424, Item 4, must indicate in which state the applicant is 
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seeking to establish an MEP Center.

For SF-424, Item 8.d. Zip/Postal Code field, should reflect the Zip code 

+ 4 (#####-####) format. 

For SF-424, Item 12, should list the NOFO number 2022-NIST-MEP02.

For SF-424, Item 18, should list the total budget information for the 

duration of the project. 

For SF-424, Item 19, mark either line 19a. or 19b. on the SF-424 

regarding state review of the application by the Intergovernmental 

Review State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) established pursuant to 

Executive Order (E.O.) 12372. See Section IV.5. of this NOFO for 

information regarding the applicability of E.O. 12372 to this program.

For SF-424, Item 21, the list of certifications and assurances is 

contained in the Federal Financial Assistance Certifications and 

Representations (Certs and Reps) as part of the SAM.gov entity 

registration.

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

The budget should reflect anticipated expenses for the entire project, 

considering all potential cost increases, including cost of living 

adjustments.

a) The applicant should reflect each year of the project, up to the first 

four (4) years, on the SF-424A form that appears as part of the 

mandatory forms in the Grants.gov application package. The 

second SF-424A form must be submitted to cover year five (5) of 

the project, and its submission details are found in in Section 

IV.2.a.(9). of this NOFO.

b) In Section A, the Grant Program Function or Activity on Line 1 

under Column (a) should be entered as Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership or an abbreviation thereof. The Catalog of Federal 

Domestic Assistance Number on Line 1 under Column (b) should 

be entered as “11.611”. The total Federal and non-Federal budget 

amount for the term of the award should be listed in Section A, 

Line 1, Column (e) and Column (f).

c) Section B, Column (1) of the SF-424A should reflect the costs 

(Federal share plus non-Federal share) for each object class 
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category, for the first year of the award. Section B, Column (2) of 

the SF-424A should reflect the costs (Federal share plus nonFederal share) for each object class category, for the second year 

of the award. Section B, Column (3) of the SF-424A should reflect 

the costs (Federal share plus non-Federal share) for each object 

class category, for the third year of the award. Section B, Column 

(4) of the SF-424A should reflect the costs (Federal share plus 

non-Federal share) for each object class category, for the fourth 

year of the award.

d) Section C must account for all non-Federal Resources / Match for 

the entire project. For Column (b) enter resources provided by the 

applicant. If not applicable, leave blank. For Column (c), enter 

resources provided by one or more states. If not applicable, leave 

blank. For Column (d) enter resources provided by the other 

sources (e.g., in-kind contribution, program income). If not 

applicable, leave blank.

e) Section D requires a breakdown of the first year’s Federal and 

Non-Federal share of the budget by quarter. 

f) Section E requires the budget estimate of federal funds needed for 

each year of the project. The budget estimate for the first year of 

the award should be entered in Section E, Line 16, Column (b). 

The budget estimate for the second year of the award should be 

entered in Section E, Line 16, Column (c). The budget estimate for 

the third year of the award should be entered in Section E, Line 

16, Column (d). And the budget estimate for the fourth year of the 

award should be entered in Section E, Line 16, Column (e). 

(3) SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (for 

year five of the project). Applications are for five-year projects. The SF424A form that appears as part of the mandatory forms in the Grants.gov 

application package covers the first four (4) years of the project. The 

second SF-424A form should be submitted to cover year five (5) of the 

project. A fillable SF-424A form can be found at 

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html near the top of 

the screen and labeled “Budget Information – Non-Construction Program 

SF-424A”. Applicants should download the fillable SF-424A form, 

complete the information for year five (5) of the project and submit the 

completed form as an attachment, using the procedure described in 

Section IV.2.b., Attachment of Required Application Documents.

(4) CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying. Enter “2022-NIST-MEP-02”
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in the Award Number field. Enter the title of the application, 

or an abbreviation of that title, in the Project Name field.

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

(6) Technical Proposal. The Technical Proposal is a word-processed 

document of no more than 25 pages that is responsive to the program 

description and the evaluation criteria. The following is a suggested format 

that applicants may use:

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

b) Executive Summary. (Does not count toward the page limit). This 

section should be no longer than two pages, describing the 

proposed project, consistent with the evaluation criteria in Section 

V.1. of this NOFO. Applicants should name the state in which they 

are seeking to establish an MEP Center in the first sentence of the 

Executive Summary. A project description, as described below, 

should follow.

The first paragraph of the Executive Summary should be a project 

description in the following format:

1. Purpose: State the specific purpose of the proposed project in one 

to two sentences.

2. Activities: Describe the major activities to be performed in one to 

three sentences. 

3. Outcomes: State the specific expected outcomes of the proposed 

project in one to three sentences.

4. Beneficiaries: Name or describe the intended beneficiaries of the 

expected outcomes in one to two sentences. 

5. Subrecipients: If applicable, describe the major activities to be 

performed by subrecipients in one to three sentences.

Any acronyms or abbreviations used in this project description must be 

defined.

Please note that 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 15 C.F.R. § 4.9(c) concerning the designation of business 

information by the applicant.
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c) Project Narrative. A description of the proposed approach to 

establish and to operate 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, sufficient to permit evaluation of the 

application, in accordance with the Project Narrative evaluation subcriteria (See Section V.1.a. of this NOFO). If relevant, an applicant 

should provide information that helps the reviewers understand the 

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. 

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 sub-criteria 

(See Sections V.1.b.i. and ii. of this NOFO). The applicant should 

include a description of its proposed organizational structure for 

executing the MEP Center Core Management and Oversight 

Functions. The applicant must provide enough information for NIST 

to determine whether the proposed structure meets the 

requirements of Section I.2. of this NOFO. The applicant should 

also provide a description of its established or proposed MEP 

Center Oversight Board or Advisory Committee, including a listing of 

the members and their organizational affiliation or intended 

members and a discussion of the governing documents (i.e.., 

bylaws, policies 

or procedures, and conflict-of-interest policies) with enough 

information for NIST to determine whether the proposed Oversight 

Board or Advisory Committee meets the requirements of Section I.2.

of this NOFO. If an applicant’s Oversight Board or Advisory 

Committee does not currently meet the requirements set forth in 

Section I.2. 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 into compliance with Section I.2. of the NOFO within 90 

days of award start date.

(7) Resumes of Key Personnel (Does not count toward the page limit). 

Resumes for all key personnel assigned to the project must be provided. 

Resumes must be a maximum of two pages each. Additional pages beyond 
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the two pages per resume will not be considered during the evaluation of the 

application. 

(8) Budget, Narrative and Justification. (Does not count toward the page 

limit). In addition to the SF-424A, the MEP Single Year Budget Workbook 

must be provided for year one (1) of the award and the MEP Five-Year 

Budget Summary Table must be provided for years one (1) through five (5) of 

the award. The MEP Single Year Budget Workbook includes templates for a 

detailed budget (revenue and expenses), budget narrative, and budget 

justification. The MEP Five-Year Budget Summary Table includes a template 

for a budget summary for years one (1) through five (5), in accordance with 

applicable Federal cost principles. The MEP Single Year Budget Workbook 

and MEP Five-Year Budget Summary Table template (OMB Control Number 

0693-0032) are available on the MEP website at: 

https://www.nist.gov/mep/mep-center-state-competition-fy-2022. 

Sample budget summary tables and a sample budget narrative are available 

on the MEP website under “MEP Resources.” See Section I.4 of this NOFO.

The detailed budget should reflect anticipated expenses with corresponding 

narratives, and justifications that support all costs identified in the Single Year 

Budget Workbook. For example, the personnel category includes position 

title, employee name, annual salary and percentage of time dedicated to the 

project, travel includes but is not limited to airfare, lodging, per diem, number 

of travelers and days for each proposed trip, and any anticipated subrecipients, contractors, or third-party contributor costs/contributions with a 

detailed description of the purpose and how it relates to the overall project. 

The proposed costs must be consistent with the project scope. The budget

must include the required minimum 50 percent non-Federal cost share 

described in Section III.2 of this NOFO. The budget must also include 

expenses to attend the required MEP kick-off conference and meetings 

described in Sections II.5. and II.6. of this NOFO. 

The Budget, Narrative, and Justification must clearly identify whether the 

applicant or any of its subrecipients anticipate generating program income 

pursuant to the proposed activities (e.g., client service fees). If program 

income is anticipated under the proposal (including at the subrecipient level), 

the applicant must identify the anticipated amount of program income, 

disclose how program income will be expended in the Form SF-424A and in 

the Budget Narrative and Justification, and will be required to properly report 

all program income generated pursuant to the project in the Form SF-425.

This section of the application will be evaluated in accordance with the 

Budget, Narrative, and Justification evaluation criteria in Section V.1.c. of this
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NOFO. It will also be reviewed to determine if all costs are reasonable, 

allocable, and allowable under 2 C.F.R. Part 200 Subpart E, Cost Principles. 

Information on cost allowability is available in the Uniform Administrative 

Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards 

at 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapterII/part-200/subpart-E), which apply to awards in this program. If the 

applicant is successful, additional MEP Single Year Budget Workbooks 

must be submitted for future years. 

Information needed for each budget category is as follows:

a) Personnel- At a minimum, the budget justification for all personnel should 

include the following: job title, commitment of effort on the proposed project in 

terms of average number of hours per week or percentage of time, salary 

rate, total personnel charges for each identified position on the proposed 

project, description of the role of the individual on the proposed project and 

the work to be performed.

b) Fringe Benefits– Fringe benefits for each position should be identified 

separately from salaries and wages and based on rates determined by 

organizational policy. The items included in the fringe benefit rate (e.g., health 

insurance, FICA, etc.) should not be charged under another cost category.

c) Travel- For all travel costs, the budget justification for travel should 

include the following: destination; names or number of people traveling; dates 

and/or duration; mode of transportation, lodging and subsistence rates; and 

description of how the travel is directly related to the proposed project. For 

travel that is yet to be determined, please provide best estimates based on 

prior experience. If a destination is not known, an approximate amount may 

be used with the assumptions given for the location of the meeting.

d) Equipment- Equipment is defined as an item of property that has an 

acquisition cost of $5,000 or more (unless the organization has established 

lower levels) and an expected service life of more than one year. The budget 

justification should list each piece of equipment, the cost, and a description of 

how it will be used and why it is necessary to the successful completion of the 

proposed project. Please note that any general use equipment (computers, 

etc.) charged directly to the award should be allocated to the award according 

to expected usage on the project. 

e) Supplies– Supplies are defined as all tangible personal property other 

than that described as equipment. Provide a list of each supply, and the 

breakdown of the total costs by quantity or unit of cost. Include the necessity 

of the cost for the completion of the proposed project.
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f) Contractual (i.e., Contracts) – Each contract should be treated as a 

separate item. Identify the cost and describe the services to be provided and 

the necessity contract to the successful performance of the proposed project. 

Contracts are for obtaining goods and services for the Non-Federal Entity’s 

own use and creates a procurement relationship with the contractor. 

g) Construction– Not an allowable cost under this NOFO.

h) Other Direct Costs– For costs that do not easily fit into the other cost 

categories, please list the cost, and the breakdown of the total costs by 

quantity or unit of cost. Include the necessity of the cost for the completion of 

the proposed project. Only allowable costs can be charged to the award. 

Applicants should identify any subawards costs in this category and provide 

the necessity of the subaward to the successful performance of the proposed 

project.

i) Indirect Costs- Commonly referred to as Facilities & Administrative 

Costs, Indirect Costs are defined as costs incurred by the applicant 

organization that cannot otherwise be directly assigned or attributed to a 

specific project. The justification should include a cost calculation that reflects 

the applicable indirect cost rate. For more details, see Section IV.2.a.(9) of 

this NOFO.

(9) 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 Section B.06 of the

Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and 

Conditions, dated November 12, 2020.

Alternatively, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f), applicants that do not 

have a current negotiated (including provisional) indirect cost rate, except for 

those non-Federal entities described in appendix VII, paragraph D.1.b. of 2 

C.F.R. Part 200, may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of 

modified total direct costs (MTDC). 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. 

(10) Letters of Commitment: (Do not count toward page limit). In obtaining

letters of commitment, please note that it is inappropriate for federal 
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employees to critique or provide feedback on project ideas, etc., and it is also 

inappropriate for federal employees to provide letters 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 third-party 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 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 
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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.

(11) Current and Pending Support Form. Any application that includes 

investigators, researchers, and key personnel must identify all sources of 

current and potential funding, including this proposal. Any current project 

support (e.g., Federal, state, local, public or private foundations, etc.) must 

be listed on this form. The proposed project and all other projects or 

activities requiring a portion of time of the Principal Investigator (PI), co-PI,

and key personnel must be included, even if no salary support is received. 

The total award amount for the entire award period covered, including 

indirect costs, must be shown as well as the number of person-months per 

year to be devoted to the project, regardless of the source of support. 

Similar information must be provided for all proposals already submitted or 

that are being submitted concurrently to other potential funders. 

Applicants must complete the Current and Pending Support Form, using 

multiple forms as necessary to account for all activity for each individual 

identified in the PI, co-PI and key personnel roles. A separate form should 

be used for each identified individual. 

Applicants must download the Current and Pending Support Form from the 

NIST website at https://www.nist.gov/oaam/grants-management-
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division/current-and-pending-support and reference the guidance provided 

as it contains information to assist with accurately completing the form.

b. Attachment of Required Documents

Items IV.2.a.(1), IV.2.a.(2) and IV.2.a.(4) above are part of the standard 

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

download application process. 

Items IV.2.a.(3) and Items IV.2.a.(5) through IV.2.a.(11) should be 

attached to field 15 of the SF-424 form by clicking on “Add Attachment”.

Following these directions will create zip files which permit transmittal of 

the documents electronically via Grants.gov. 

Applicants should carefully follow specific Grants.gov instructions at 

www.Grants.gov to ensure the attachments will be accepted by the 

Grants.gov system. A receipt from Grants.gov indicates only that an 

application was transferred to a system. It does not provide details 

concerning whether all attachments (or how many attachments) 

transferred successfully. Applicants will receive a series of e-mail 

messages over a period of up to two business days before learning 

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

Applicants are strongly advised to use the “Download Submitted Forms 

and Applications” option at grants.gov to check that the application’s 

required attachments were contained in their submission.

“Download Submitted Forms and Applications” can be found at:

https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/CheckApplicationStatus/

DownloadSubmittedFormsAndApplications.htm

After submitting the application, check the status of your application here:

CHECK APPLICATION STATUS. If any, or all, of the required 

attachments are absent from the submission, follow the attachment 

directions found above, resubmit the application, and check again for the 

presence of the required attachments.

If the directions found at 

https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=GetStarted%2FGetStar

ted.htm are not effective, please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk 

immediately. If calling from within the United States or from a U.S. 

territory, please call 800-518-4726. If calling from a place outside the 

United States or a U.S. territory, please call 606-545-5035. E-mails should 

be addressed to support@grants.gov. Assistance from the Grants.gov 

Help Desk will be available around the clock every day, with the exception 

of Federal holidays. Help Desk service will resume at 7:00 a.m. Eastern 
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Time the day after Federal holidays.

Applicants can track their submission in the Grants.gov system by 

following the procedures at the Grants.gov site (http://go.usa.gov/cjamz). It 

can take up to two business days for an application to fully move through 

the Grants.gov system to NIST.

NIST uses the Tracking Numbers assigned by Grants.gov and does not 

issue Agency Tracking Numbers.

c. Application Format

(1) Paper, Email, and Facsimile (fax) Submissions. Will not be accepted.

(2) Figures, Graphs, Images, and Pictures. Should be of a size that is easily 

readable or viewable and may be displayed in landscape orientation. Any 

figures, graphs, images, or pictures will count toward the page limits for 

the Project Narrative.

(3) Font. Easy to read font (10-point minimum). Smaller type may be used in 

figures and tables, but must be clearly legible.

(4) Page Limit. The Technical Proposal is limited to twenty-five (25) pages, 

noting the limit of two (2) pages for the Executive Summary. Resumes 

are not included in the page count of the Technical Proposal. However, if 

resumes are included, resumes must be a maximum of two (2) pages 

each.

(5) Page Limit Exclusions:

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance;

SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs for years 1-

4;

SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs for year 5;

CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying;

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

Resumes;

Budget Narrative and Justification;

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement;

Letters of Commitment; and

Current and Pending Support Form.

(6) Page Layout. The Proposal must be in portrait orientation.
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(7) Page size. 21.6 centimeters by 27.9 centimeters (8 1⁄2 inches by 11 

inches).

(8) Page numbering. Number pages sequentially.

(9) Application language. English. All documents must be in English, 

including but not limited to the initial application, any additional 

documents submitted in response to a NIST request, all reports, and any 

correspondence with NIST. 

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

handwritten forms will not be accepted.

d. Application Replacement Pages. Applicants may not submit replacement 

pages and/or missing documents once an application has been submitted. 

Any revisions must be made by submission of a new application that must be 

received by NIST by the submission deadline.

e. Pre-Applications. Pre-applications will not be accepted under this NOFO.

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

Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. Part 25, applicants and recipients are required to: (i) be 

registered in SAM before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique 

entity identifier in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM 

registration with current information at all times during which it has an active 

Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal 

awarding agency, unless otherwise excepted from these requirements pursuant 

to 2 C.F.R. § 25.110. NIST will not make a Federal award to an applicant until the 

applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM 

requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by 

the time that NIST is ready to make a Federal award pursuant to this NOFO, 

NIST may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award 

and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another 

applicant.

4. Submission Dates and Times

Applications must be received at Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern 

Time, October 30, 2022. NIST will consider the date and time recorded by 

Grants.gov as the official submission time. Applications received after this 

deadline will not be reviewed or considered. Paper applications will not be

accepted.

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

that the Grants.gov system closes periodically for routine maintenance. 

Applicants should visit Grants.gov for information on any scheduled closures. 
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When developing the submission timeline, please keep in mind that: (1) all 

applicants are required to have current registrations in the electronic System for 

Award Management (SAM.gov) and Grants.gov; (2) the free annual registration 

process in the SAM.gov generally takes between three and five business days 

but can take more than three weeks; and applicants will receive e-mail 

notifications over a period of up to two business days as the application moves 

through intermediate systems before the applicant learns via a validation or 

rejection notification whether NIST has received the application. (See Grants.gov

for full information on application and notification through Grants.gov.) Please 

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

recipient’s registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is not 

current at the time of the award.

NOTE: Starting Monday, April 4, 2022, the federal government will stop using the 

DUNS number to uniquely identify entities. All entities doing business with the 

federal government will use a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) generated in 

SAM.gov. Applicants must request and be assigned a UEI number prior to 

completing the grant application forms and submitting their application via 

Grants.gov. For more information, please see Planned UEI Updates | GRANTS.GOV. 

The Standard Forms (e.g., SF424, SF424 R&R, etc.) will also be updated on 

April 4, 2022, to allow entities to enter the UEI number. Applicants must ensure 

to use the applicable UEI Forms after April 4, 2022, prior to submitting the 

application in Grants.gov.

5. Intergovernmental Review

Applications submitted by State and local governments are subject to Executive 

Order (E.O.) 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” pursuant 

to which each State designates an entity to coordinate, and review proposed 

Federal financial assistance and direct Federal development. All other applicants 

should consult the Intergovernmental Review State Single Point of Contact 

(SPOC) to determine whether the application is subject to State review pursuant 

to E.O. 12372. The current SPOC List may be found here: 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf 

6. Funding Restrictions

Construction activities are not an allowable cost under this program. In addition, 

a recipient or a subrecipient may not charge profits, fees, or other increments 

above cost to an award issued pursuant to this NOFO. Pre-award costs under 

this NOFO are subject to the prior written approval of the NIST Grant Officer.

7. Other Submission Requirements
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a. Applications must be submitted at Grants.gov. Paper applications will 

not be accepted.

(1) Applicants should carefully follow specific Grants.gov instructions to 

ensure that all attachments will be accepted by the Grants.gov 

system. A receipt from Grants.gov indicating an application is 

received does not provide information about whether attachments 

have been received. For further information or questions regarding 

applying electronically for the 2022-NIST-MEP-02 announcement, 

contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at 800-518-4726.

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

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

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

V. Application Review Information

1. Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation criteria, selection factors, review and selection process provided in 

this section will be used for this competition in lieu of and to the extent they are 

inconsistent with will supersede those provided in the MEP regulations found at

15 C.F.R. Part 290, specifically 15 C.F.R. §§ 290.6 and 290.7.

The evaluation criteria that will be used to review proposals and their assigned 

weights, with a maximum score of 100, are as follows: 

a. Project Narrative. (40 points) Reviewers 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 IV.2.a.6 of 

this NOFO.

Reviewers will consider the following topics when evaluating the Project

Narrative:

i. Center Strategy (20 points)

Reviewers will assess the applicant’s strategy proposed for the Center to 

deliver services that meet manufacturers’ needs, generate client inputs

(e.g., cost savings, increased sales), 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
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services;

• defines a strategy for delivering services that balances market

penetration with impact and revenue generation, addressing the

needsofmanufacturers, with an emphasis on the small and mediumsized 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; 

• supports achievements of the MEP mission and objectives while

also satisfying the interests of other stakeholders, investors, and

partners;

• will identify, reach, and provide proposed services to key market 

segments and individual manufacturers described above;

• will work with a manufacturer’s leadership in strategic discussions 

related to new technologies, new products and new markets; 

• leverages their experience in working with small and mediumsized manufacturers as a basis for future programmatic success; 

and

• 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.

ii. Market Understanding (10 points)

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 approach for 

regularly updating this understanding through the five years. 

Thefollowing 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 or fewer years) 

and/or very small manufacturers as appropriate to the state;

• alignment with state and/or regional initiatives; and
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• 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 how the applicant would leverage new manufacturing technologies, 

techniques, and processes usable by small and medium-sized 

manufacturers.

iii. Performance Measurement and Management (10 points)

Reviewers will assess the extent to which the applicant will use a 

systematic approach to 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

oversightfor meeting program and service delivery objectives.

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

Management; and Oversight Board or Advisory Committee (30 points; Subcriteria 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 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 

the proposed Center to achieve its business objectives;
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• 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 Reviewers will assess the

extent to which the:

• Oversight Board or Advisory Committee and its operations are

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

ofaward, 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 is feasible; and

• Oversight Board or Advisory Committee 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.

c. Budget, Narrative, and Justification. (30 points; Sub-criteria i. and ii. will be 

weighted equally). Reviewers will assess the suitability and focus of the

applicant’s five-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 fiveyear 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-year project plan;

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

fully operational by the 4

th year of the project; and

• 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. Plan for Meeting the Award’s Non-Federal Cost Share Requirements 
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over 5 Years. Reviewers will assess the quality of and extent to which 

the:

• applicant clearly describes the total level of cost share 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 commitment 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 C.F.R. Part 200, Subpart E;

• applicant’s underlying accounting system is established or will be

established to meet applicable Federal costs principles set forth in 2

C.F.R. Part 200, Subpart E; and

• the overall proposed plan is sufficiently robust and diversified so as to

support the long-term sustainability of the Center throughout the five (5) 

years of the project plan.

2. Selection Factors 

The Selection Factors for this competition are:

(1) The availability of Federal funds;

(2) The type and percentage of funding and in-kind commitment from 

other sources such as 3rd party in-kind;

(3) Relevance of the proposed project to MEP program goals and policy 

objectives;

(4) Reviewers’ evaluations and technical comments;

(5) The geographical diversity and extent of the service area; and

(6) Whether the application complements or supports other Administration 

priorities or projects supported by DoC or other Federal agencies such 

as, but not limited to, Manufacturing USA;

(7) Past performance on all Federal awards.

3. Review and Selection Process

Proposals, reports, documents, and other information related to applications 

submitted to NIST and/or relating to financial assistance awards issued by 

NIST will be reviewed and considered by Federal employees, or non-Federal 

personnel who have entered into conflict of interest and confidentiality 

agreements covering such information, when applicable.

a. Initial Administrative Review of Applications.
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Applications received by the deadline will be reviewed to determine 

eligibility, completeness, and responsiveness to this NOFO and to the 

scope of the stated program objectives. Applications determined to be 

ineligible, incomplete, and/or nonresponsive may be eliminated from 

further review. However, NIST, in its sole discretion, may continue the 

review process for an application that is missing non-substantive 

information, the absence of which may easily be rectified during the review 

process.

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

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

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

process below: 

(1) Merit Review. At least three (3) independent, objective reviewers, 

who may be Federal employees or non-Federal personnel, who are 

familiar with the MEP program and have appropriate professional and 

technical expertise relating to the topics covered in this NOFO, will 

form a merit review team to evaluate and score each eligible, 

complete, and responsive application. Merit reviewers must use the 

evaluation criteria identified in Section V.1. of this NOFO to evaluate 

applications. While every application will have a merit review team

with at least three (3) reviewers, applications may have more than 

three (3) reviewers if specialized expertise is needed to evaluate an 

application. During the review process, the reviewers may discuss the 

applications with each other, but scores will be determined on an 

individual basis, not a consensus. 

Applications that are numerically scored an average of 70.00 or higher 

on a scale of 0-100 points will be adjectivally categorized as 

“fundable” and identified as finalists. Applications that are numerically 

scored an average below 70.00 on a scale of 0-100 points will be 

adjectivally categorized as “unfundable” and will not be further 

considered for funding. Applicants identified as finalists will be invited 

to participate with reviewers in a telephone or virtual conference or 

invited to participate in a site visit that will be conducted by the same 

reviewers at the applicant’s location. If there are two or more finalists, 

telephone or virtual conference calls, or site visits will be conducted for 

each finalist. Upon completion of either a telephone or virtual 

conference call or site visit, reviewers will be given the opportunity to 

revise their assigned numeric scores based on the evaluation criteria 

outlined in Section V.1. of this NOFO as a result of information 

obtained during either conference call or site visit. Any scoring 

revisions will be made by reviewers on an individual basis.
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(2) Ranking. Upon receipt of the technical reviewers’ final scores, the 

Merit Review Team Chair will prepare a final ranking recommendation 

to provide to the Selecting Official. The ranking ordering of the 

applications will be based solely on merit reviewers’ scores and 

technical evaluations. 

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

designee, will make final award recommendations to the NIST Grants 

Officer. The Selecting Official shall generally select and recommend 

the most meritorious application[s] for an award based upon the 

adjectival ratings and one or more of the Selection Factors. The 

Selecting Official retains the discretion to select and recommend an 

application out of rank order based on the Selection Factors. 

NIST reserves the right to negotiate the budget costs with any 

applicant selected to receive an award, which may include requesting 

that the applicant removes certain costs. Additionally, NIST may 

request that successful applicants modify objectives or work plans and 

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, which may also include the review of 

publicly available information including but not limited to websites and 

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

applications, or part(s) of any application. The final approval of a 

selected application and issuance of an award will be 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 C.F.R. § 200.206, which may include a 

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

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

ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements 

imposed on non-Federal entities. 

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

expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 

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

information about that applicant in the Federal Awardee Performance and 

Integrity Information System (FAPIIS). An applicant may, at its discretion, 
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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.

4. Anticipated Announcement and Award Date

Review of applications, selection of successful applicants, and award processing 

is expected to be completed by April 2023. The earliest start date for awards 

under this NOFO is expected to be July 2023.

5. Additional Information

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

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

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

research agreement.

b. Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants. Unsuccessful applicants will 

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

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

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

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

applicant in arranging a date and time of the debrief.

c. Retention of Unsuccessful Applications. Unsuccessful applications will 

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

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

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

from the NIST Grants Officer.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

a. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit 

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

Commerce adopted Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
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Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 

200, which apply to awards in this program. Refer to 

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

b. Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and 

Conditions. The Department of Commerce will apply to each award in 

this program, the Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions in 

effect on the date of award, including C.03 related to Intellectual Property 

Rights, which will apply in lieu of 15 C.F.R. § 290.9. The current version, 

dated November 12, 2020, is accessible at Department of Commerce 

Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions. Refer to Section 

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

Regulations, if you need more information.

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, for 

more information.

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

program listed in this NOFO is contingent upon the availability of 

appropriations. NIST or the Department of Commerce will not be 

responsible for application preparation costs, including but not limited to if 

this program fails to receive funding or is cancelled because of agency 

priorities. Publication of this NOFO does not oblige NIST or the 

Department of Commerce to award any specific project or to obligate any 

available funds. 

e. Operating Outcome Plan, Budget and Supporting Documentation.

Following the issuance of an MEP award, recipients will be required to 

submit an Operating Outcome Plan in accordance with the NIST MEP 

Operating Outcome Plan Guidance 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, as well 

subrecipient performance monitoring plans. A copy of the current NIST 

MEP Operating Outcome Plan Guidance (see Appendix 1, page 12) is 

available at: 

https://www.nist.gov/mep/mep-center-state-competition-fy-2022 

f. Collaborations with NIST Employees. If an applicant proposes 

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

of this intention, a description of the collaboration, and prominently identify 
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the NIST employee(s) involved, if known. Any collaboration by a NIST 

employee must be approved by appropriate NIST management and is at 

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

NIST will verify the approval of the proposed collaboration. Any 

unapproved collaboration will be stricken from the application prior to the 

merit review. Any collaboration with an identified NIST employee that is 

approved by appropriate NIST management will not make an application 

more or less favorable in the competitive process.

g. Use of Federal Government-Owned Intellectual Property. If the 

applicant anticipates using any Federal Government-owned intellectual 

property, in the custody of NIST or another Federal agency, to carry out 

the work proposed, the applicant should clearly identify such intellectual 

property in the proposal. This information will be used to ensure that no 

Federal employee involved in the development of the intellectual property 

will participate in the review process for that competition. In addition, if the 

applicant intends to use the Federal Government-owned intellectual 

property, the applicant must comply with all statutes and regulations 

governing the licensing of Federal government patents and inventions, 

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

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

Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions, dated November 12, 2020. 

Questions about these requirements may be directed to the Chief Counsel

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

Any use of Federal Government-owned intellectual property by a recipient 

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

Federal Government and will need to be negotiated on a case-by-case 

basis by the recipient and the Federal agency having custody of the 

intellectual property if a project is deemed meritorious. The applicant 

should indicate within the statement of work whether it already has a 

license to use such intellectual property or whether it intends to seek a 

license from the applicable Federal agency.

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

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

Government may retain its ownership rights in any such invention. 

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

inventions will be determined solely by the Federal Government, through 

NIST as custodian of such inventions, and include the possibility of the 

Federal Government putting the intellectual property into the public 

domain.

3. Reporting
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a. Reporting Requirements. The following reporting requirements described in 

Sections A.01, Reporting Requirements, of the

Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and 

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

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

SF-425, Federal Financial Report 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. These reports will be 

submitted in the MEP Enterprise Information System (MEIS). Reports 

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

financial report is due within 90 days after the end of the project period.

(2) Performance (Technical) Reports. Each award recipient will 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 will be 

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

technical progress report is due within 90 days after the end of the 

project period.

(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 through the MEP Client Impact Survey (OMB 

Control Number 0693-0021). 

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

with the Uniform Administrative Requirements and other terms and 

conditions governing the award, the recipient may need to submit 

property and patent reports.

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

currency of information reported to SAM that is made available in 
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FAPIIS about certain civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings 

involving the recipient.

b. Audit Requirements. The Department of Commerce Financial Assistance 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Commerce Office of Inspector General, or another authorized Federal agency 

may conduct an audit of an award at any time.

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

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

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

under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 

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

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

certain criteria are responsible for reporting executive compensation. 

Applicants must ensure they have the necessary processes and systems in 

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

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

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

d. MEP Center Performance Assessments. Renewal funding for MEP 

Centers is contingent, in part, upon successful annual reviews, panel and 

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

§ 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 
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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 NonFederal Entity in writing of the final recommendations stemming from the 

annual review. To the extent the annual evaluation process described in 

this NOFO is inconsistent with 15 C.F.R. § 290.8, the process described in 

the NOFO will control.

(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 Non-Federal 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.

(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 Non-Federal 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 
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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 Contacts

Questions should be directed to the following:

Subject Area Point of Contact

Programmatic and Technical Questions Rob Ivester

Phone: 301-975-5020

E-mail: rob.ivester@nist.gov with ‘2022-

NIST-MEP-02’ in subject line

Technical Assistance with Grants.gov 

Submissions

grants.gov

Phone: 800-518-4726

E-mail: support@grants.gov 

Grant Rules and Regulations Gilberto Castillo

E-mail: Gilberto.castillo@nist.gov

VIII. Other Information

1. Personal and Business Information

The applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data 

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

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

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

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

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

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

and contractors, and/or by non-Federal personnel, all of whom enter into 
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appropriate conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering the use of 

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

financial assistance award, applicants are expected to support program reviews 

and evaluations by submitting required financial and performance information 

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

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

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

safeguard protected personally identifiable information and other confidential or 

sensitive personal or business information created or obtained in connection with 

a Department of Commerce financial assistance award.

In addition, Department of Commerce regulations implementing the Freedom of 

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

Information. These regulations set forth rules for the Department regarding 

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

FOIA. Applications submitted in response to this Federal Funding Opportunity 

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

information or data that the applicant deems to be confidential commercial 

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

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

Commercial or Financial Information. In accordance with 15 C.F.R. § 4.9, the 

Department of Commerce will protect from disclosure confidential business 

information contained in financial assistance applications and other 

documentation provided by applicants to the extent permitted by law.

2. Public Website 

NIST MEP has a public website, https://www.nist.gov/mep/mep-center-statecompetition-fy-2022 that provides information pertaining to this Funding 

Opportunity3. Any amendments to this NOFO will be announced through 

Grants.gov.

Applicants must submit all questions pertaining to this funding opportunity in 

writing to mepnofo@nist.gov with 2022-NIST-MEP-02 in the subject line. 

3 Refer to Section VII. of this NOFO, Federal Awarding Agency Contacts, Programmatic and Technical 

Questions, if more information is needed.
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3. Webinar Information Session

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

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

general information regarding NIST MEP and offer general guidance on 

preparing proposals and answer questions. There is no cost to attend the 

webinar and participation in the webinar is not required and will not be 

considered in the review and selection process. 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 idea 

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. The exact date and time of this webinar will be posted on 

the NIST MEP website at https://www.nist.gov/mep/mep-center-statecompetition-fy-2022. The webinar will be recorded and a link to the recording will 

be posted on the MEP website. Participation in the webinar is not required in 

order for an organization to submit an application pursuant to this NOFO.

4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Questions from applicants pertaining to eligibility, cost sharing requirements, 

evaluation criteria and selection factors, 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/mep-center-state-competition-fy-2022.

5. Informational Forums

NIST MEP held a virtual information forum on November 22, 2021 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 also provided information about 

applicant eligibility, cost sharing requirements, evaluation criteria, selection 

factors and process, and the general characteristics of a competitive MEP 

proposal during the forums. Details of this forum are posted on the MEP website 

at https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2021/11/nist-mep-fy-2022-virtualstate-center-competition-information-forum.