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Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) State Partnership Support Program

Notice of Funding Opportunity

January 15, 2021

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) 

State Partnership Support Program

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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

United States Department of Commerce (DoC)

• Funding Opportunity Title: Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership 

(MEP) State Partnership Support Program 

• Announcement Type: Initial

• Funding Opportunity Number: 2021-NIST-MEP-STATE-PARTNERSHIP-01

• 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, Wednesday, March 17, 2021. 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 any scheduled closures. 

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

award processing by June 2021. NIST expects the earliest start date for awards 

under this NOFO to be July 2021.

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

Application Documents, with great attention. Applicants should carefully follow 

the instructions and recommendations regarding attachments and use the 

Download Submitted Forms and Applications feature on www.grants.gov to 

check that all required attachments were contained in their submission. 

Applications submitted without the required documents will not pass the Initial 

Administrative Review. 

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 SAM.gov generally takes between three and five business days but 
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Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) State Partnership Support Program

Notice of Funding Opportunity

January 15, 2021

can take more than two weeks; and (3) 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 SAM.gov is not current at the time of the award.

• Application Submission Address: Applications must be submitted using 

Grants.gov.

• Funding Opportunity Description: The NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership (NIST MEP) is seeking applications from eligible applicants to 

provide in-depth collaborative support in developing and advancing collaborative 

relationships between the NIST/MEP, MEP Centers, States and other 

stakeholders. This effort will help the MEP National Network to align programs 

and support systems to improve the competitiveness of the Nation’s 

manufacturers and to support the continuous improvement, growth, 

sustainability, supply chains, and innovation and technology acceleration in 

manufacturing (See Section I. of this NOFO for the full program description).

• Anticipated Amounts: In Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21), NIST anticipates funding 

one (1) multi-year award, with a five-year (5) period of performance and a total 

maximum federal funding amount not to exceed $5,000,000 over the entire fiveyear period of performance. If a proposal for a multiyear award is approved, NIST 

anticipates funding up to $1,200,000 for the first, third, and fifth year of the 

program, which are deemed to the periods of increased activities, and $700,000 

for the second and fourth year for continued base level activities of the program. 

See Section II.3. of this NOFO for detailed information concerning the availability 

of NIST funding and for annual funding limitations 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: Applicants must be a U.S.-based for-profit or not-for-profit institution 

or organization. An eligible applicant may work individually or may include 

proposed subawards to other organizations to carry out the activities described in 

the proposal. 

• Cost Sharing Requirements: Non-federal cost share is not required for 

cooperative agreements issued pursuant to this NOFO.

• Public Website, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Webinar: NIST 

MEP will hold one webinar information session for organizations that are 
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Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) State Partnership Support Program

Notice of Funding Opportunity

January 15, 2021

considering applying for this funding opportunity. This webinar will provide 

general information regarding MEP and offer general guidance on preparing 

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

questions. During the webinar, proprietary detailed or technical discussions 

about specific project ideas will not be permitted. Also, NIST/MEP staff will not 

critique or provide feedback on any specific project ideas during the webinar or 

at any time before submission of a proposal to MEP. However, NIST/MEP staff 

will provide information about eligibility, evaluation criteria and selection factors, 

selection process, program priorities and objectives, and the general 

characteristics of a competitive proposal during this webinar. The webinar will 

be held approximately fifteen (15) to thirty (30) business days after posting of 

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

website at https://www.nist.gov/mep/mep-state-partnership-support-project-fy2021. The webinar will be recorded, and a link to the recording will be posted on 

the MEP website. In addition, the webinar presentation will be available after the 

webinar on the MEP website. Organizations wishing to participate in the 

webinar must register in advance by contacting MEP by email at 

mepnofo@nist.gov. Participation in the webinar is not required in order for an 

organization to submit an application pursuant to this NOFO.

Questions from applicants pertaining to MEP 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. Answers to such written questions submitted to NIST/MEP 

may be made available to the public as part of an FAQ document, which will be 

periodically updated on the MEP website at https://www.nist.gov/mep/mepstate-partnership-support-project-fy-2021.

Table of Contents

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

II. Federal Award Information......................................................................................... 7

III. Eligibility Information .................................................................................................. 9

IV. Application and Submission Information ................................................................. 10

V. Application Review Information ............................................................................... 23

VI. Federal Award Administration Information .............................................................. 28

VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts ........................................................................ 31

VIII. Other Information ..................................................................................................... 32

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Program Description

The statutory authority for the NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership 
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Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) State Partnership Support Program

Notice of Funding Opportunity

January 15, 2021

(MEP) State Partnership Support Project is 15 U.S.C. §§ 272(b)(1), (b)(4), and 

(c)(22). This program is not a Federal scientific research and development 

program, and it is not the intent of this program that the recipient will perform 

systematic scientific research. The use of the term “research” in this NOFO is 

intended to capture the requirement that the recipient investigate, examine and 

analyze the issues described in this NOFO.

1) Background Information 

NIST MEP was founded on the premise that partnerships among NIST MEP and 

other public and private entities increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the

National Network of manufacturing extension services. MEP’s ability to foster, 

develop and leverage these relationships permits MEP Centers to expand the 

reach and value of the program to the manufacturing industry. For over three 

decades, MEP has focused on accelerating the growth of the U.S. manufacturing 

base by improving the competitiveness of U.S. based manufacturers and reducing 

company operating costs, growing company profits, and encouraging technology 

deployment. Our understanding of and ability to align State policy goals and 

objectives with national policy goals, leverages the strength of each 

entity. Additionally, our ability to create partnerships with States can bring to 

manufacturers capabilities that they cannot access alone, providing a wide range 

of options to address challenges and offer practical solutions that get products to 

market faster, enhance operational performance, finance growth, manage risks 

and encourage innovation.

2) Program Overview

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites proposals from 

eligible and qualified organizations to support efforts of the NIST MEP Program, 

including MEP Centers and the entire MEP National NetworkTM, to develop and 

enhance effective collaborative relationships with States and other stakeholders. 

Stakeholders include not only State-based partners but also sub-State partners 

that are based at the county, community, and city levels, as well as regional 

partners that extend beyond State boundary lines. The project activities will 

advance the MEP’s network of relationships with State stakeholders and partners 

to help MEP achieve its mission of improving productivity and technological 

performance in United States manufacturing by helping manufacturers identify and 

adopt new technologies for improved products, processes, business practices and

the development of new products.

Partnerships are critical to the success of MEP. In particular, regional, State and 

local partners:

• Demonstrate leadership to generate action to address regional, State and 
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Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) State Partnership Support Program

Notice of Funding Opportunity

January 15, 2021

local challenges and opportunities;

• Set priorities for economic development and complementary activities (e.g., 

workforce, technology, sustainability, etc.) in their jurisdictions;

• Develop strategies and programs to advance those priorities; and

• Represent opportunities to leverage State and local funds in support of the 

development and growth of small and medium-sized manufacturers.

NIST MEP has long recognized the value of these partnerships and sought to 

nurture and deepen the relationships with State leaders in both state executive

branch agencies and State legislatures. This is a complex challenge, given the 

number of States, the differences in economies, markets, culture, political 

philosophies, spending priorities, the rapidly changing composition of elected 

and appointed officials, shifting trends in public policy priorities, and related 

considerations. Given the unique nature of the MEP National Network, success 

depends on the mutual understanding and alignment of regional, State and local 

policy goals and objectives with national policy to create a partnership that 

leverages the strength of each entity. It is important for all components of the 

MEP National Network to understand overarching State priorities relative to 

manufacturing and the implementation of such priorities at the State, regional 

and local levels. 

3. Program Requirements

The purpose of the MEP State Partnership Support Program is to generate 

strategies, market intelligence, and analytical resources to support the efforts of 

MEP Centers, NIST MEP and the Nation’s manufacturers to leverage all applicable 

resources available at the regional, State, and local levels that support or 

compliment the MEP mission of enhancing the productivity and technological 

performance of U.S. manufacturing. In order to leverage these resources, the 

following activities are required:

• Collecting and analyzing available data at the regional, State, and local 

levels to inform strategies, services, and performance. Data includes: State, 

regional, and local budget and policy priorities; State, regional, and local 

level manufacturing trends; and available State, regional, and local 

programs already existing that support manufacturing;

• Evaluating current practices and trends to inform MEP system program 

initiatives and policy decisions. In order to best leverage opportunities for 

investment or collaboration, it is important to understand the existing 

manufacturing ecosystems at the State, regional, and local levels;

• Developing and expanding the network of State, regional and local leaders 

supporting manufacturers, MEP Centers and the MEP mission;

• Ensuring that MEP Centers are effectively aligned with State, regional, and 

local priorities; and
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Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) State Partnership Support Program

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January 15, 2021

• Increasing State support of the MEP mission and of State and local 

manufacturers.

NIST MEP anticipates that these base-level activities will occur during all five years 

of the cooperative agreement.

In addition to the annual base-level activities under the cooperative agreement, 

NIST MEP plans to work with the recipient to conduct more intensive, targeted 

activities in years one, three and five to proactively engage State, regional and 

local leaders. While the specifics and timing of the targeted activities will be jointly 

determined after award, the applicant should propose approaches that would 

accomplish the following:

• Target a selected number of States and regions with concentrations of 

manufacturers; 

• Directly engage teams of State, regional and local leaders from diverse 

backgrounds to explore and inform their thinking about strategies to support 

and grow manufacturing; 

• Convene forums where State and local leaders can interact with MEP 

Center leaders around strategies to support manufacturing; 

• Provide opportunities for peer-to-peer learning among selected participants; 

and 

• Provide exposure to research and leading thinkers regarding strategies that 

work to support manufacturers in key areas such as accelerating 

companies’ technology adoption, increasing access to new markets, 

fostering innovative approaches; and effective supply chain practices.

Activities during the years of heightened intensity may include a combination of 

convening meetings, conducting targeted investigations and examinations of State, 

regional and local programs benefitting manufacturers, consulting with individuals 

or groups of participants, and other such activities that help to accomplish intended 

outcomes. Up to $1,200,000 of MEP funding will be provided for the years of more 

intensive activities. (See Section II.3. of this NOFO.)

Note that the activities conducted under this cooperative agreement will occur in 

the context of NIST MEP’s Strategic Plan, which includes the following key goals 

and objectives:

• ENHANCE COMPETITIVENESS - Enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. 

manufacturers, with particular focus on small and medium-sized companies;

• SUPPORT PARTNERSHIPS - Support national, state, and regional 

manufacturing, eco-systems and partnerships;
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Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) State Partnership Support Program

Notice of Funding Opportunity

January 15, 2021

• CHAMPION MANUFACTURING - Serve as a voice to and a voice for 

manufacturing and manufacturers in engaging policy makers, stakeholders, 

and clients; and

• DEVELOP CAPABILITIES - Develop MEP’s capabilities as a learning 

organization and high-performance system.

The NIST MEP Strategic Plan can be found at 

http://www.nist.gov/mep/about/strategic-plan.cfm.

II. Federal Award Information

1. Funding Instrument. 

The funding instrument that will be used for the award issued pursuant to 

this NOFO is a cooperative agreement. The nature of NIST’s “substantial 

involvement” will generally include collaboration with the recipient 

organization in developing and implementing the approved scope of work, 

in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.24. 

2. Multi-Year Funding Policy.

When an application for a multi-year award is approved, funding in some 

cases will be provided only for the first year of the project. The recipient will 

be required to submit detailed budgets and budget narratives prior to the

award or release of any continued funding. Continued funding for the

remaining year(s) of the project will be awarded or released by NIST on a

non-competitive basis, and may be adjusted, contingent upon satisfactory 

performance, continued relevance to the mission and priorities of the

program, and the availability of funds. Continuation of an award to extend

the period of performance and/or to increase or decrease funding is at the

sole discretion of NIST.

3. Funding Availability.

In FY21, NIST anticipates funding one (1) award with a project 

performance period of five (5) years and a total maximum federal funding 

amount not to exceed $5,000,000 over the entire five-year period of 

performance. 

In accordance with the Multiyear Funding Policy in Section II.2. of this 

NOFO, NIST MEP funding will be up to $1,200,000 for the first, third, and 

fifth years of the program, which are deemed to the periods of increased 

activities, and $700,000 for the second and fourth years for continued 

base level activities of the program.
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Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) State Partnership Support Program

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January 15, 2021

NIST MEP expects that the base-level activities will occur during all five 

years of the cooperative agreement. In addition, NIST MEP plans to work 

with the recipient to conduct more intensive, targeted activities in years 

one, three and five (to be determined jointly) to proactively engage state 

and local leaders. While the specifics and timing of this year-long program 

will be jointly determined after award, the applicant should propose 

approaches that would accomplish the objectives specified in Section I.

Maximum 

Year 1 

Federal 

Funding

Maximum 

Year 2 

Federal 

Funding

Maximum 

Year 3 

Federal 

Funding

Maximum 

Year 4 

Federal 

Funding

Maximum 

Year 5 

Federal 

Funding

Total 

Maximum 

Federal 

Funding 

for 5 Year 

Award 

Period

$1,200,000 $700,000 $1,200,000 $700,000 $1,200,000 $5,000,000

4. Award Kick-Off Meeting.

The recipient will be required to attend a kick-off meeting, which will be 

held within the first 30 days of the start of the project period, to ensure that 

the recipient has a clear understanding of the program and project 

components. The kick-off conference will take place either at NIST/MEP 

headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD or virtual, during which time NIST will: 

(1) orient recipient personnel to the MEP program and plans for enhanced 

partnership relationships; (2) explain program and financial reporting 

requirements and procedures; and (3) identify available resources that can 

enhance the capabilities of the recipient.

The kick-off meeting will last no longer than one day and must be attended 

by the Project Manager and up to but not more than two additional key 

personnel who would play a significant role in managing the award. 

Applicants must include travel and related costs for the kick-off meeting as 

part of the budget for year one (1), and these costs should be reflected in 

the SF-424A. (See Section IV.2.a.(2). of this NOFO.) These costs must 

also be reflected in the budget table and budget narrative for year 1, which 

is submitted as part of the budget tables and budget narratives section of 

the Technical Proposal. (See Section IV.2.a.(7). of this NOFO.) 

Representatives from key subrecipients and other key strategic partners 

may attend the kick-off meeting with the prior written approval of the 

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

other key strategic partners attend the kick-off meeting should clearly so 

indicate in their budget narrative for year one of the project.
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Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) State Partnership Support Program

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5. MEP Network-Wide Meetings.

NIST MEP typically organizes MEP Network-wide meetings approximately 

four times a year to share best practices, and discuss new and emerging 

trends, and additional topics of interest. These meetings are planned 

throughout the United States and typically involve 2-3 days of resource 

time and associated travel costs for each meeting. The Project Manager 

and two additional key personnel should attend these meetings.

Applicants must include travel and related costs for four quarterly MEP 

system-wide meetings in each of the five (5) project years (4 meetings per 

year; 20 total meetings over five-year award period). These costs must be 

reflected in the SF-424A (see Section IV.2.a.(2). of this NOFO). These 

costs must also be reflected in the budget tables and budget narratives for 

each of the project’s five (5) years, which are submitted as part of the 

Technical Proposal. (See Section IV.2.a.(7). of this NOFO).

6. Indirect (F&A) Costs.

NIST will reimburse applicants for proposed indirect (F&A) costs in 

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

costs must follow the application requirements set forth in Section 

IV.2.a.(8). of this NOFO.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Applicants must be a U.S.-based for-profit or not-for-profit institution or 

organization. An eligible applicant may work individually or may include 

proposed subawards to other organizations to carry out the activities 

described in the proposal. 

 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Non-federal cost share is not required for cooperative agreements issued 

pursuant to this NOFO.

3. Program Income

For purposes of this program, applicants should not budget program 

income to be used as non-federal cost share. Rather, the recipient and 

any subrecipients of an award issued pursuant to this NOFO must expend 

all program income (as defined in 2 C.F.R. § 200.307) generated by the 

project using the "additive method" under 2 C.F.R. § 200.307(e)(2), with 

any excess program income to be disposed of pursuant to the “deductive 

method” under 2 C.F.R. § 200.307(e)(1).
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Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) State Partnership Support Program

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4. Prohibition on Profit and Fees. A profit, fee, or other incremental charge 

above actual cost is not an allowable cost under this program.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

The application package is available at Grants.gov under Funding 

Opportunity Number 2021-NIST-MEP-STATE-PARTNERSHIP-01.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission. Set forth below are the 

required content and form of applications submitted pursuant to this 

NOFO. 

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

following:

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

signed by an authorized representative of the applicant organization. 

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

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

For SF-424, Item 12, should list the NOFO number 2021-NIST-MEPSTATE-PARTNERSHIP-01. 

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

duration of the project. 

The list of certifications and assurances referenced in Item 21 of the 

SF-424 is contained in the SF-424B.

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

 The budget should reflect anticipated expenses for all five (5) years of 

the project, considering all potential cost increases, including cost of 

living adjustments. The budget should also include staff, travel and 

other costs associated with the Award Kick-off Meeting and the 

NIST/MEP System-Wide meetings as described in Sections II.4. and 

II.5., respectively, of this NOFO. The budget also must reflect the 

increased level of effort during Year 3 to support more intensive, 

targeted activities to proactively engage state and local leaders in 

activities that would accomplish the items specified in Section I. (See 

Section II.3. of this NOFO.)
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Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) State Partnership Support Program

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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 should 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. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 

in on Line 1 under Column (b) should be entered as “11.611”. The 

total budget amount for the term of the award should be listed in 

Section A, Line 1, Column (e).

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

first year of the award. Section B, Column (2) of the SF-424A 

should reflect funds for the second year of the award. Section B, 

Column (3) of the SF-424A should reflect funds for the third year of 

the award. Section B, Column (4) of the SF-424A should reflect 

funds for the fourth year of the award.

d) Section C should be blank. Non-Federal cost sharing is not 

required for awards issued pursuant to this NOFO.

e) Section D requires a breakdown of the first year’s budget by 

quarter. 

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

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

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

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

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

the third year of the award should be entered in Section E, Line 16, 

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

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

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

The SF-424B is required for all applicants that have not updated their 

System for Award Management (SAM.gov) entity registration since 

February 2, 2019 to include the Federal financial assistance certifications 

and representations (certs and reps). If an applicant has updated their 

SAM.gov entity registration since February 2, 2019 to include the 

certifications and representations, then the SF-424B is not required. 
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(4) CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying. Enter “2021-NIST-MEPSTATE-PARTNERSHIP-01” 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 five (5) year Technical Proposal is a wordprocessed document not exceeding 25 pages responsive to the program 

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

Section V.1. of this NOFO).

The proposal narrative should contain the following information:

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

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

executive summary should briefly (usually no longer than two 

pages) describe the proposed project, consistent with the 

evaluation criteria (see Section V.1.a. of this NOFO).

Please note, if an applicant’s proposal is selected for funding, NIST 

may use all or a portion of the Executive Summary as part of a 

press release issued by NIST, or for other public information and 

outreach purposes. Applicants are advised not to incorporate 

information that contains business trade secrets or other 

confidential commercial or financial information as part of the 

Executive Summary. See also 15 C.F.R. § 4.9(b) concerning the 

designation of business information by the applicant. (

c. Project Narrative. The project narrative must identify tasks, 

measurable milestones and outcomes in providing on-going 

partnership development and enhancement support for each of the 

five years. The narrative will be evaluated by technical reviewers in 

accordance with the Evaluation Criteria listed in Section V.1. of this 

NOFO. The project narrative must clearly articulate the following:

1) Research/Knowledge Development and Sharing

a. A plan for routinely tracking and analyzing information 

from a wide range of data sources on current state 

budgets, economic development and technology policy 

initiatives and investments, program evaluation practices, 

and other actions or trends that could impact the MEP 

National Network. This plan should also describe how this 

information will be shared with MEP leadership and staff.
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b. A strategy for sharing information with and providing 

technical assistance to the MEP National Network, 

individual Centers, and partners to build system capacity, 

address challenges, and proactively take advantage of 

emerging opportunities.

2) Network Building and Expansion

a. A strategy for fostering collaboration and dialogue among 

NIST MEP, MEP Centers, MEP partners, industry, and the 

public to develop effective working partnerships and 

identify mutually beneficial opportunities for the MEP 

National Network.

b. A description of how States and/or regions will be 

prioritized for attention, developing strategies to address 

opportunities and concerns, recommending effective 

communication strategies, and convening stakeholders as 

needed to facilitate partnership development.

c. A plan to provide nationwide access to State and 

stakeholder relations and support services.

d. An explanation of ideas and approaches to carry out the 

years of more intensive activities envisioned (in Years 1,3, 

and 5 for the purposes of this NOFO).

3) Key Personal and Organization Structure

a. A list of the proposed key personnel that describes, for 

each, their education, experience in working with state 

government representatives and related organizations, 

and access to professional networks to carry out proposed 

activities and support achievement of the MEP National 

Network mission and project objectives. Resumes of Key 

Personnel must be included. Resumes are not included in 

the page count of the Project Narrative. Resumes 

included as part of the application must be a maximum of 

two pages each. Additional pages beyond the two pages 

per resume will not be considered during the evaluation of 

the application.

b. A description of the proposed management structure and 

organizational roles that includes how the project will be 
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planned, directed, monitored, organized and overseen to 

achieve project objectives.

c. A description of the proposed organizational structure that 

includes how the proposed services and project 

deliverables will be provided.

(7) Budget Narrative and Justification. In addition to the SF-424A form (see 

Section IV.2.a.(2). of this NOFO), applicants must provide a detailed 

budget table and budget narrative for each year of operation, fully 

explaining and justifying all proposed project funding (both revenue and 

expenses) in accordance with applicable federal cost principles. This 

budget must reflect the increased level of effort during Years 1, 3 and 5 to 

support convening more intensive, targeted activities to proactively engage 

state and local leaders in activities that would accomplish the items 

specified in Section I.

The written justification should include the necessity and the basis for the 

cost. Proposed funding levels must be consistent with the project scope, 

and only allowable costs should be included in the budget. 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 (http://go.usa.gov/SBYh), which apply to awards in this program. 

The MEP budget table and budget narrative template are available on the 

MEP website, https://www.nist.gov/mep/mep-state-partnership-supportproject-fy-2021. The Budget Narrative does not count against the twentyfive (25) page limit of the Technical Proposal.

This section will be evaluated in accordance with the Budget Narrative

evaluation criteria (See Section V.1.d.i. and Section V.1.d.ii. of this NOFO). 

It will also be reviewed to determine if all costs are reasonable, allocable, 

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

Information needed for each category is as follows:

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

should include the following: job title, commitment of effort on the 

proposed project in terms of average number of hours per week or 

percentage of time, salary rate, total personnel charges for each 

identified position on the 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 
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determined by organizational policy. The items included in the 

fringe benefit rate (e.g., health insurance, parking, etc.) should not 

be charged under another cost category.

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

include the following: destination; names or number of people 

traveling; dates and/or duration; mode of transportation, lodging 

and subsistence rates; and description of how the travel is directly 

related to the proposed 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. Applicants must also include staff, travel and related 

expenses for the required Award Kick-Off and System-Wide 

meeting described in Sections II.4. and II.5. of this NOFO in the 

budget tables and budget narratives. 

d) Equipment- Equipment, the cost, and a description of how it will 

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

the proposed project. Please note that any general use equipment 

(computers, etc.) charged directly to the award should be allocated 

to the award according to expected usage on the project. 

Applicants should provide at least two (2) quotes, if available, for 

equipment costing $25,000 or more. If two (2) quotes are not 

available, please provide a statement as to why two (2) quotes are 

not available. 

e) Supplies– Supplies are defined as All tangible personal property 

other than that described as equipment. Provide a list of each 

supply, and the breakdown of the total costs by quantity or unit of 

cost. Include the necessity of the cost for the completion of the 

proposed project.

f) Contractual (i.e. Contracts)– Each contract or subaward should 

be treated as a separate item. Identify the cost and describe the 

services to be provided and the necessity of the subaward or 

contract to the successful performance of the proposed project. 

Contracts are for obtaining normal goods and services. 

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

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

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

costs by quantity or unit of cost. Include the necessity of the cost 
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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 activities 

and/or product(s) developed.

(8) 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 indirect cost rate may elect to charge 

indirect costs to an award pursuant to a de minimis rate of 10 percent of 

modified total direct costs (MTDC), in which case a negotiated indirect 

cost rate agreement is not required. Applicants proposing a 10 percent de 

minimis rate pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f) should note this election as 

part of the budget portion of the application. 

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

applications with five-year projects). The SF-424A form that appears as 

part of the mandatory forms in the Grants.gov application package covers 

the first four (4) years of the project. For projects covering five years, a

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.

(10) 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,
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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-managementdivision/current-and-pending-support and reference the guidance provided 

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

(11) Resumes of Key Personnel must be included. Resumes are not included 

in the page count of the Project Narrative. Resumes included as part of 

the application must be a maximum of two pages each. Additional pages 

beyond the two pages per resume will not be considered during the 

evaluation of the application.

b. Attachment of Required Documents

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

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

process. 

Items IV.2.a.(6) through IV.2.a.(11) 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.
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Applicants are strongly advised to use Grants.gov’s “Download Submitted 

Forms and Applications” option, found at 

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

nloadSubmittedFormsAndApplications.htm to check that their application’s 

required attachments were contained in their submission.

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%2FGetStarted.

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

calling from within the United States or from a U.S. territory, please call 800-

518-4726. If calling from a place outside the United States or a U.S. territory, 

please call 606-545-5035. E-mails should be addressed to 

support@grants.gov. Assistance from the Grants.gov Help Desk will be 

available around the clock every day, with the exception of Federal holidays. 

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

holidays.

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

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

to two business days for an application to fully move through the Grants.gov 

system to NIST.

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

Agency Tracking Numbers.

c. Application Format

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

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

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

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

the 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.
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(4) Page Limit. The technical proposal is limited to twenty-five (25) pages 

double spaced, noting the limit of two (2) pages for the Executive 

Summary. Resumes are not included in the page count of the Project 

Narrative. 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

SF-424B, Assurances – Non-Construction Programs;

CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying;

SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities;

MEP Budget Tables and Narrative;

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement;

Current and Pending Support Form;

Resumes of Key Personnel (limit 2 pages per resume)

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

budget (if applicable).

(6) Page Layout. The Proposal must be in portrait orientation.

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

inches).

(8) Page numbering. Number pages sequentially.

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

including but not limited to the initial application, any additional 

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

correspondence with NIST. 

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

handwritten forms will not be accepted.

d. Application Replacement Pages. Applicants may not submit replacement pages 

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

must be made by submission of a new application that must be received by NIST 

by the submission deadline.

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

f. Certifications Regarding Federal Felony and Federal Criminal Tax

Convictions, Unpaid Federal Tax Assessments and Delinquent Federal Tax 
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Returns. In accordance with Federal appropriations law, an authorized 

representative of the selected applicant(s) may be required to provide certain preaward certifications regarding federal felony and federal criminal tax convictions, 

unpaid federal tax assessments, and delinquent federal tax returns.

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

Pursuant to 2 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, Wednesday, March 17, 2021. 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 is expected to be closed for routine maintenance at 

the following times. Applications cannot be submitted when Grants.gov is closed:

From 12:01 A.M. Eastern Time

Saturday

To 6:00 A.M. Eastern Time

Monday

[MONTH DAY], YEAR [MONTH DAY], YEAR

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

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

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

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

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

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

intermediate systems before the applicant learns via a validation or rejection 

notification whether NIST has received the application. (See Grants.gov for full 
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January 15, 2021

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.

5. Intergovernmental Review

Applications under this Program are not subject to Executive Order 12372.

6. Funding Restrictions

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

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

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

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

7. Other Submission Requirements

a. Applications must be submitted electronically.

(1) Applications must be submitted at Grants.gov.

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

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

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

received does not provide information about whether attachments 

have been received. For further information or questions regarding 

applying electronically for the 2021-NIST-MEP-STATEPARTNERSHIP-01 announcement, contact the Grants.gov Help

Desk at 800-518-4726.

(b) Applicants are strongly encouraged to start early and not wait until 

the approaching due date before logging on and reviewing the 

instructions for submitting an application through Grants.gov. The 

Grants.gov registration process must be completed before a new 

registrant can apply electronically. The typical registration process 

takes three to five business days. If problems are encountered, the 

registration process can take two weeks or more. Applicants must 

have a valid unique entity identifier number and must maintain a 

current registration in the Federal government’s primary registrant 

database, the System for Award Management 

(https://www.sam.gov/), as explained on the Grants.gov Web site. 

After registering, it may take several days or longer from the initial 

log-on before a new Grants.gov system user can submit an 

application. Only individuals authorized as organization 

representatives will be able to submit the application, and the 

system may need time to process a submitted application. 
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Applicants should save and print the proof of submission they 

receive from Grants.gov. If problems occur while using Grants.gov, 

the applicant is advised to (a) print any error message received and 

(b) call Grants.gov directly for immediate assistance. If calling from 

within the United States or from a U.S. territory, please call 800-

518-4726. If calling from a place other than the United States or a 

U.S. territory, please call 606-545-5035. Assistance from the 

Grants.gov Help Desk will be available around the clock every day, 

except for Federal holidays. Help Desk service will resume at 7:00 

a.m. Eastern Time the day after Federal holidays. For assistance 

using Grants.gov, the applicant may also contact 

support@grants.gov.

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

applicants should refer to the “Applicants” tab in the banner just 

below the top of the Grants.gov home page. Clicking on the 

“Applicants” tab produces two exceptionally useful sources of 

information, Applicant Actions and Applicant Resources, which 

applicants are advised to review.

Applicants will receive a series of e-mail messages over a period of 

up to two business days before learning whether a Federal 

agency’s electronic system has received its application. 

Applicants should pay close attention to the guidance under 

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

to successful submission, including essential details on the naming 

conventions for attachments to applications.

All applicants should be aware that adequate time must be factored 

into applicants’ schedules for delivery of their application. 

Applicants are advised that volume on Grants.gov may be 

extremely heavy leading up to the deadline.

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

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

applicant a confirmation of receipt and an application tracking 

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

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

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

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

the application was rejected with errors and the reasons for the 

rejection, the applicant must log in to Grants.gov, select 

“Applicants” from the top navigation, and select “Track my 
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application” from the drop-down list. If the status is “rejected with 

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

resubmit the application before the deadline. If the applicant does 

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

by Grants.gov.

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

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

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

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

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

V. Application Review Information

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

selection process for this program are set forth below. 

a. Research/Knowledge Development and Sharing (30 points; subcriteria will receive equal weight). Technical reviewers will assess 

the extent to which:

i. The proposed plan for routinely tracking and analyzing information from 

a wide range of data sources on current state budgets, economic 

development and technology policy initiatives and investments, program 

evaluation practices, and other actions or trends that could impact the 

MEP National Network is clear, reasonable and comprehensive, and 

provides for well-defined information-sharing with MEP leadership and 

staff; and

ii. The proposed strategy for sharing information with and providing 

technical assistance to the MEP National Network, individual Centers, 

and partners is clear and complete.

b. Network Building and Expansion (20 points; sub-criteria will receive 

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

i. The proposed strategy for fostering collaboration and dialogue among 

NIST MEP, MEP Centers, MEP partners, industry, and the public is clear 

and likely to develop effective working partnerships and identify mutually 

beneficial opportunities for the MEP National Network;

ii. The proposed approach for prioritizing States and/or regions for 

attention, developing strategies to address opportunities and concerns, 

recommending effective communication strategies, and convening 

stakeholders as needed to facilitate partnership development is 

comprehensive, sound and likely to succeed;
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iii. The proposed plan to provide nationwide access to State and 

stakeholder relations and support services is reasonable and appropriate; 

and

iv. The proposed explanation of ideas and approaches to carry out the years 

of more intensive activities envisioned (in Years 1,3, and 5 for the 

purposes of this NOFO) is innovative and thorough.

c. Key Personnel and Organizational Structure. (30 points; sub-criteria 

will receive equal weight), Technical reviewers will assess the extent 

to which: 

i. The proposed key personnel have demonstrated and appropriate 

education, experience in working with state government representatives 

and related organizations, and access to professional networks to carry 

out proposed activities and support achievement of the MEP National 

Network mission and project objectives;

ii. The proposed management structure and organizational roles are clearly 

defined and aligned to plan, direct, monitor, organize and oversee the 

implementation of the proposed approach to achieve project objectives; 

and

iii. The proposed organizational structure flows logically from the specified

approach to the proposed services and project deliverables.

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

i. The proposed budget projections are reasonable and appropriate for the 

scale of services that are to be delivered by the applicant over the five (5) 

year project plan; and

ii. The proposal’s narrative explains the rationale for each of the budgeted 

items, including assumptions the applicant used in budgeting for the 

overall project, and the proposed budget is aligned to support the 

execution of the proposed project consistent with the objectives of the 

project and to advance MEP National Network goals.

2. Review and Selection Process

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

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

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

personnel who have entered into conflict of interest and confidentiality 

agreements covering such information, when applicable.
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a. Initial Administrative Review of Applications

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. Each application will be reviewed by at least three 

(3) technically qualified individual reviewers who will evaluate each 

application based on the evaluation criteria (see Section V.1. of this 

NOFO). Reviews will be limited to technical and cost matters, 

based on the evaluation criteria. A mix of Federal and non-Federal 

reviewers may be used. The reviewers’ may discuss the 

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

individual basis, not as a consensus, and will be supported by 

written technical comments. The reviewers may ask questions of 

some or all applicants in writing. Reviewers will assign each 

application a score, based on the application’s responsiveness to 

the NOFO evaluation criteria, with a maximum score of 100.

Applicants whose applications receive an average score of 70 or 

higher out of 100 will be deemed finalists. If deemed necessary by 

NIST, all finalists will be invited to participate with reviewers in 

separate conference calls and/or all finalists will be invited to 

participate in an individual applicant conference that will be 

conducted by the same reviewers either at the applicant’s location or 

virtually. Finalists will be reviewed and evaluated, and reviewers 

may revise their assigned numeric scores based on the evaluation 

criteria as a result of the conference call and/or site visit.

(2) Ranking and Subject Matter Expert Review. A rank order will be 

prepared based on the average of the reviewers’ scores and 

assigned adjectival ratings in accordance with the following scale:
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Fundable: (70-100)

Unfundable: (69 and below)

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

employee, will review the evaluators’ written technical comments 

and the ranking of the proposals and may recommend to the 

Selecting Official that awards be made out of rank order based upon 

one or more of the selection factors described in Section V.2. of this 

NOFO. In conducting his/her evaluation, the Subject Matter Expert 

may ask clarifying questions of an applicant. For any application 

designated as fundable by the merit reviewers, the Subject Matter 

Expert, in consultation with the NIST Grants Officer, may initiate preaward negotiations with the applicant. 

(3) Pre-award Negotiations. 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. 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.

(4) Selection. The Selecting Official, which is the MEP Director or 

designee, will make final award recommendations to the NIST 

Grants Officer. The Selecting Official will take into consideration the 

results of the reviewers’ scores and technical assessments, the 

written recommendation from the Subject Matter Expert, the 

relevance of the application to the program objectives described in 

Section I. of this NOFO, and all information obtained from the 

applicants during the application evaluation, and pre-award

negotiation processes.

The Selecting Official will generally select and recommend the most 

meritorious applications for awards based on the technical 

comments, recommendation from the NIST MEP Subject Matter 

Expert, and/or one or more of the selection factors described in 

Section V.5. of this NOFO. The Selecting Official’s recommendation 

to the Grants Officer shall set forth the basis for the selection 

decision.
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NIST reserves the right to reject an application where information is 

uncovered that raises a reasonable doubt as to the responsibility of 

the applicant. NIST may select some, all, or none of the 

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

selected application and issuance of an award will be completed by 

the NIST Grants Officer. The award decisions of the NIST Grants 

Officer are final.

(5) Selection Factors. The Selection Factors for this program are the 

following:

a. Relevance of the proposed project to MEP program goals and 

policy objectives set forth in Section I of this NOFO;

b. The availability of funding;

c. Reviewers’ evaluations, including technical comments; and

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

by other Federal agencies.

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. § 200.205, which may include a 

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

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

ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements 

imposed on non-Federal entities. 

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

expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 

$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, 

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.
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4. Anticipated Announcement and Award Date

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

is expected to be completed by June 2021. The earliest start date for awards 

under this NOFO is expected to be July 2021.

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 

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. The current version, dated November 12, 

2020, is accessible at Department of Commerce Financial Assistance 

Standard Terms and Conditions Dated November 12, 2020. Refer to 

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

Rules and Regulations, if you need more information. 
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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 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. Collaborations with NIST Employees. If an applicant proposes 

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

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

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

employee must be approved by appropriate NIST management and is at 

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

NIST will verify the approval of the proposed collaboration. Any 

unapproved collaboration will be stricken from the application prior to the 

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

approved by appropriate NIST management will not make an application 

more or less favorable in the competitive process.

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

anticipates using any Government-owned intellectual property to carry out 

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

This information will be used to ensure that no Federal employee involved 

in the development of the intellectual property will participate in the review 

process for that competition. In addition, if the applicant intends to use 

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 government-owned intellectual property by a recipient of an 

award under this announcement is at the sole discretion of the Federal 
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Government and will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis if a project is 

deemed meritorious. The applicant should indicate within the statement of 

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

whether it intends to seek one.

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

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

Government may retain its ownership rights in any such invention. 

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

inventions will be determined solely by the Federal Government, and 

include the possibility of the Federal Government putting the intellectual 

property into the public domain.

3. Reporting

a. Reporting Requirements. The following reporting requirements described in 

Sections A.01, Reporting Requirements, of the

Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and 

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

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

SF-425, Federal Financial Report on a semi-annual basis for the 

periods ending March 31 and September 30 of each year. Reports will 

be due within 30 days after the end of the reporting period to the NIST 

Federal Program Officer, MEP Project Manager, Grants Officer and 

Grants Specialist named in the award documents. A final financial 

report is due within 120 days after the end of the project period.

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

to submit a technical progress report to the NIST Federal Program Officer, 

Grants Officer and Grants Specialist named in the award documents on a 

semi-annual basis for the periods ending March 31 and September 30 of 

each year. Reports will be due within 30 days after the end of the 

reporting period. Technical progress reports shall contain information as 

prescribed in 2 C.F.R. § 200.328 (http://go.usa.gov/xkVgP) and 

Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and 

Conditions Section A.01.

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

with the Uniform Administrative Requirements and other terms and 

conditions governing the award, the recipient may need to submit 

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

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

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

agreements, and procurement contracts from all Federal awarding 

agencies exceeds $10,000,000 for any period of time during the period 

of performance of an award made under this NOFO, then the recipient 

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

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

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

certain civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings involving the 

recipient.

b. Audit Requirements. The Department of Commerce Financial Assistance 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Commerce Office of Inspector General, or another authorized Federal agency 

may conduct an audit of an award at any time.

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

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

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

under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 

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

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

certain criteria are responsible for reporting executive compensation. 

Applicants must ensure they have the necessary processes and systems in 

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

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

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

VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
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Questions should be directed to the following:

Subject Area Point of Contact

Programmatic and Technical Questions Michael Wilson

Phone: 301-975-3346

E-mail: mepnofo@nist.gov with ‘2021-

NIST-MEP-STATE-PARTERNSHIP-01’ 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

Phone: 301-975-3726

E-mail: Gilberto.castillo@nist.gov

VIII. Other Information

1. Personal and Business Information

The applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

appropriate conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering the use of 

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

financial assistance award, applicants are expected to support program reviews 

and evaluations by submitting required financial and performance information 

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

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

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

safeguard protected personally identifiable information and other confidential or 

sensitive personal or business information created or obtained in connection with 

a Department of Commerce financial assistance award.

In addition, Department of Commerce regulations implementing the Freedom of 

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

Information. These regulations set forth rules for the Department regarding 

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

FOIA. Applications submitted in response to this Federal Funding Opportunity 

may be subject to requests for release under the Act. If an application contains 
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information or data that the applicant deems to be confidential commercial 

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

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

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

Department of Commerce will protect from disclosure confidential business 

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-statepartnership-support-project-fy-2021, that provides information pertaining to this 

Funding Opportunity1. Any amendments to this NOFO will be announced through 

Grants.gov.

3. Frequency Asked Questions (FAQ). Questions from applicants pertaining to 

eligibility, 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 questions pertaining to this funding 

opportunity in writing to mepnofo@nist.gov] with 2021-NIST-MEP-STATEPARTNERSHIP-01 in the subject line. Questions submitted may be posted as 

part of an FAQ document, which will be periodically updated on the MEP website 

at https://www.nist.gov/mep/mep-state-partnership-support-project-fy-2021.

4. Webinar Information Session: 

NIST MEP will hold one or more webinar information sessions for organizations 

that are considering applying for this funding opportunity. These webinars will 

provide general information regarding MEP and offer general guidance on 

preparing proposals. NIST/MEP staff will be available at the webinars to answer 

general questions. During the webinars, 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 at any 

time before submission of a proposal to MEP. However, NIST/MEP staff will 

provide information about the MEP eligibility, evaluation criteria and selection 

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

proposal during this webinar. The webinars will be held approximately fifteen (15) 

to thirty (30) business days after posting of this NOFO. The exact dates and 

times of the webinars will be posted on the MEP website at 

https://www.nist.gov/mep/mep-state-partnership-support-project-fy-2021. 

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

Questions, if more information is needed.
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The webinars will be recorded, and a link to the recordings will be posted on the 

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

webinars on the MEP website. Organizations wishing to participate in one or 

more of the webinars must register in advance by contacting MEP by email at 

mepnofo@nist.gov. Participation in the webinars is not required in order for an 

organization to submit an application pursuant to this NOFO.