The NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), authorized by 15 U.S.C. § 278k, is seeking applications from eligible applicants to enter into cooperative agreements to operate MEP Centers in the States of Kentucky, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and South Dakota. These MEP Centers will provide manufacturing extension services to small and medium-sized (SMM) manufacturers in the States outlined above. These new MEP Centers will become part of the MEP National Network™[1], which consists of 51 MEP Centers[2] located in each State and in Puerto Rico, and over 1,400 trusted advisors and experts at more than 385 MEP service locations.  When an MEP Center has operated for a period of 10 consecutive years, a competition must be conducted to select an eligible entity to operate the Center. The MEP Centers in the States of Kentucky, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and South Dakota are each nearing 10 consecutive years of operation. See Section I. of this NOFO for additional information regarding the MEP Center program.

[1]  https://www.nist.gov/mep

[2] https://www.nist.gov/mep/centers