M A N U F A C T U R I N G E X T E N S I O N P A R T N E R S H I P 

Informa(onal Webinar – February 17, 2011

Federal Funding Opportunity: 2011‐NIST‐MEP‐ 

STATE‐PARTNERSHIPS

Na@onal Ins@tute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 

Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) 

Mark Troppe, NIST MEP 

NIST MEP 
Informa@on Webinar and 

Communica@on Protocols 

• Webinar serves as a communica@on vehicle to 

provide an overview of the funding opportunity. 

• No ques@ons will be taken as part of this webinar. 

• All ques@ons should be presented in wri@ng and 

submiRed to Tony Gomez at NIST MEP, 

anthony.gomez@nist.gov

– Provides for transparency and ensures all answers 

are documented. 

– Assures ques@ons and answers are handled 

consistently. 

• Ques@ons and Answers will be posted regularly 

on the NIST MEP Public Site, www.nist.gov/mep

 NIST MEP 2 
Informa@on Webinar Agenda 

• Funding Opportunity Overview 

• Eligibility and Cost Share 

• Applica@on/Proposal Submission 

• Applica@on Package Details 

• Review Process 

• Selec@on Factors 

• Important Dates 

• Award Administra@on Informa@on 

• NIST Points of Contact 

 NIST MEP 3 
Funding Opportunity Overview 

• Funding Opportunity Number:  2011‐NIST‐MEP‐

STATE‐PARTNERSHIPS 

• Catalog of Federal Domes@c Assistance (CFDA):  

11.609 

• Authority: 

15 CFR 272(b)(1), (b)(4), and (c)(17).
Funding Opportunity Overview 

• Funding Instrument:  Coopera@ve Agreement

• Cost Share:  No cost share required for this funding opportunity. 

• Funding Available:  Single award, up to $1,500,000 for the first year.  

Future year award amount is not expected to exceed $1 million per year 

for up to four addi@onal years.   

• Period of Performance:  

– Annual award that is renewable for a period not to exceed  five (5) years total 

– Based on availability of future year funding and performance 

• Expected Start Date of Project is within 30 days of award no@ce.
Funding Opportunity Overview 

• In this opportunity, NIST invites proposals from eligible 

organiza@ons to provide in‐depth collabora@ve support in 

developing stakeholder rela@onships that are cri@cal to the 

success of the MEP program, based on exper@se and 

knowledge of state technology agendas.
Funding Opportunity Overview 

• MEP Success Depends on 

– Understanding and alignment of state policy goals and objec@ves with 

na@onal policy to create a partnership that leverages the strength of 

each en@ty.  

– Understanding the priori@es of state officials, as well as agency 

missions, resources, capabili@es, and agendas. 

– Developing the capacity to align these agendas with MEP priori@es 

suppor@ng con@nuous improvement, growth, sustainability, supply 

chains, innova@on and technology accelera@on in manufacturing. 

• Proposals must show ability to provide na@onwide coverage 

in two key areas:  
1. Network Building and Expansion 

• The Recipient will collaborate with NIST MEP, MEP centers, and partners to 

facilitate the development of effec@ve working rela@onships for MEP Federal and 

Center officials among a wide range of stakeholders.  Stakeholders include state 

agency leaders, policy makers, prac@@oners involved in technology and workforce‐

based economic development planning and program implementa@on, and others 

as suggested by the Recipient.  The Recipient, the MEP system, and NIST MEP will 

share informa@on about the needs and agendas of state stakeholders, risks and 

opportuni@es, using their in‐depth understanding of budget data, current trends, 

emerging issues.  The Recipient will propose ideas that help to implement 

ini@a@ves for encouraging a dialogue among interested par@es, including states, 

MEP Centers, partner organiza@ons, and industry, about how the MEP partner 

network and MEP next genera@on ini@a@ves best fit into state strategies and 

priori@es, and how manufacturers and the public benefit from manufacturing 

extension ac@vi@es. The Recipient will work with en@@es in the MEP system to help 

priori@ze states for aRen@on, develop strategies to address opportuni@es and 

concerns, recommend effec@ve communica@on strategies, and convene mee@ngs 

of the MEP Centers, partners and stakeholders as needed to facilitate the 

partnership development.  The Recipient will demonstrate the ability to provide 

na@onwide access to state rela@ons support services.   
2. Research/knowledge  

development and sharing

• The Recipient will collaborate with NIST MEP, MEP 

centers, and partners to compile and analyze 

informa@on available about current state budgets, 

economic development and technology policy 

ini@a@ves, program evalua@on prac@ces, and the 

nature of the partnership between states, MEP 

Centers, industry and NIST.  To help the partners in the 

MEP system sustain and improve state rela@onships, 

the Recipient will collaborate with the MEP system to 

track state ac@vi@es, share insights and available 

research, provide technical assistance to resolve 

problems that arise, and undertake related ac@vi@es to 

facilitate the desired partnerships. 
Eligibility and Cost Share 

• The award recipient must be a U.S.‐based not‐for‐

profit ins@tu@on or organiza@on or an en@ty or 

agency of state or local government.  For the 

purpose of this solicita@on, state and local 

agencies and non‐profit organiza@ons including 

universi@es, community colleges, and 

independent nonprofit organiza@ons, are eligible.  

Eligible applicants may be consor@a of state and 

local agencies and/or non‐profit ins@tu@ons.   

• A non‐federal cost share contribu@on from the 

applicant is not required. 
Application/Proposal Submission 

• Dates:

– All applica@ons must be received or postmarked on March 11, 2011                   

by 5:00 pm EST.   

– Late proposals will not be reviewed.  

• Proposal Submission: 

– Electronic submission:  Applicants should follow applica@on instruc@ons  

provided at: www.Grants.gov

‐ Paper submission: NIST requires an original and two (2) copies be sent to: 

Na@onal Ins@tute of Standards and Technology 

Manufacturing Extension Partnership 

c/o Tony Gomez 

100 Bureau Drive, MS 4800 

Gaithersburg, MD 20899‐4800
Application Package Details 

Complete applica@ons/proposals must, at a minimum, 

include the following forms and documents: 

Required Forms*: 

• SF‐424,  Applica@on for Federal Assistance 

• SF‐424A Budget Informa@on Non‐Construc@ons 

• SF‐424B Assurances Non‐construc@on 

• CD‐511 Cer@fica@on Regarding Lobbying 

• SF‐LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Ac@vi@es (if applicable) 

*Forms are available as part of the Grants.gov applica@on kit
Applica@on Package Details 

Proposal Requirements ‐‐

In addi@on to the required forms the proposal must include: 

• An execu@ve summary of the proposed approach, consistent with the Evalua@on 

Criteria stated in this no@ce. 

• A descrip@on of the proposed approach, sufficient to permit evalua@on of the 

proposal, in accordance with the proposal Evalua@on Criteria stated in this no@ce. 

• A detailed budget for the proposed project that breaks out all expenses for year 1 

of opera@on. 

• A con@nua@on budget for poten@al years 2 through 5.  If the project is con@nued, 

this informa@on can be updated each year. 

• A descrip@on of the qualifica@ons and proposed opera@onal or management 

ac@vi@es of key personnel who will be assigned to work on the proposed project, 

including examples of past experience working with state government 

representa@ves and related organiza@ons. 

• A statement of work that discusses the specific tasks proposed to be carried out, 

including a schedule of measurable events and milestones. 
Applica@on Package Details 

• Proposal Format: 

– The proposal must not exceed 25 typewriRen pages in 

length for the basic proposal document. 

– The mandatory forms are not included in the page count.   

– The proposal must contain both technical and cost 

informa@on.   

– The proposal page count shall include every page including 

pages that contain words, table of contents, execu@ve 

summary, management informa@on and qualifica@ons, 

resumes, figures, tables, and pictures.  
Review Process 

• Proposal Qualifica@on 

– All proposals will be reviewed by NIST to assure compliance with the proposal 

content as described in the no@ce.  Proposals that sa@sfy the requirements will be 

designated as qualified proposals.  Non‐qualified proposals will not be evaluated 

and applicants will be no@fied of disqualifica@on.   

• Proposal Review 

– NIST will appoint an evalua@on panel comprised of at least three individuals to 

review and evaluate all complete proposals in accordance with the evalua@on 

criteria set forth in the FFO.  Each member of the panel will review all qualified 

proposals against the evalua@on criteria.  Based upon this review, each reviewer 

will assign a numeric score for each qualified proposal based on the evalua@on 

criteria. 

• Award Determina@on 

– The Director of the NIST MEP Program shall make funding recommenda@ons to the 

NIST Grants Officer based on the rank order of applicants and the selec@on factors 

described above.   
Selec@on Factors 

• The following criteria will be u@lized by a 

review panel comprised of at least three 

individuals to evaluate and rate the proposals.  

Each proposal should address all three 

evalua@on criteria.  Proposals will be 

evaluated and rated on the basis of the 

following criteria listed in descending order of 

importance. 
Review Criterion #1 

• Quality of proposed approach and demonstrated ability to 

deliver on proposed ac6vi6es. (50 points)  

• Applicants will need to describe how they will meet the 

intended outcomes for this work and advance MEP 

program goals.  Applicants should also describe their 

experience and exper@se, analy@cal ability, and networks 

that will enable them to carry out their proposed strategies.  

Factors that may be considered include: relevance of 

proposed ac@vi@es to achieving program goals, 

demonstrated understanding of key issues facing state 

leaders relevant to the proposed project; crea@vity in 

proposed strategies to achieve intended outcomes, 

including na@onwide coverage; and access to informa@on, 

data, and market intelligence to inform strategies.  
Review Criterion #2 

• Management and organiza6onal experience and plans. (35 points)  

• Applicants should specify plans for effec@ve organiza@on, staffing, 

and management of the ac@vi@es to be delivered under this award 

to advance MEP program goals. Factors that may be considered 

include: appropriateness and authority of the governing or 

managing organiza@on to design and implement the proposed 

ac@vi@es; qualifica@ons of the project team and its leadership to 

conduct the proposed ac@vity; soundness of staffing plans, 

including recruitment, selec@on, training, and con@nuing 

professional development; well‐defined roles and responsibili@es 

among lead organiza@on and any sub‐recipients or partners; and 

appropriateness of the organiza@onal approach for carrying out the 

proposed ac@vity. 
Review Criterion #3 

• Financial plan. (15 points)  

• Applicants should show the relevance and cost 

effec@veness of the financial plan for mee@ng the 

objec@ves of the project and to advance MEP 

program goals.  Factors that may be considered 

include: reasonableness of the budget, both in 

income and expenses; strength of commitment to 

this work; and effec@veness of management 

plans for control of budget. 
Important Dates 

• All applica@ons must be received or 

postmarked no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern 

Time on March 11, 2011. This deadline applies 

to any mode of proposal submission, including 

courier, express mailing, and electronic.  

• NIST plans to make awards by June 1, 2011. 
Award Administra@on Informa@on 

• An(cipated announcement and Award date ‐           

By June 1, 2011 

• Award No(ces – The successful finalist will receive a 

coopera@ve agreement award document from the NIST 

Grants Officer. 

• Funding Availability and Limita(on of Liability ‐  The funding 

periods and funding amounts referenced in this no@ce and 

request for proposals are subject to the availability of funds 

and DOC and NIST priori@es  at the @me of award.  
NIST Contact Informa@on

Please submit ques@ons in wri@ng: 

 Subject Area Point of Contact

Administra@ve, budget, eligibility 

ques@ons, and other programma@c 

ques@ons

Anthony Gomez

Phone: 301‐975‐8139

Fax: 301‐963‐6556

E‐mail: tgomez@nist.gov

Electronic Proposal submission Christopher Hunton 

Phone: 301–975–5718 

Fax: 301–840‐5976 

E‐mail: christopher.hunton@nist.gov

Grant rules and regula@ons  Judy Murphy 

Grants & Agreements Management  

Division 

Phone: 301‐975‐5603 

Fax: 301‐926‐6458 

E‐mail: judy.murphy@nist.gov