70NANB22H106

Purpose: The award recipient would be granted funding through a cooperative agreement to operate a Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The purpose of this award is to provide manufacturing extension services to primarily small and medium-sized manufacturers in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Activities to be performed: Through its collaborations at the federal, state, and local levels, the center plans to enhance manufacturing in Kentucky by focusing on business growth, expansion, competitiveness, and sustainability of small and medium-sized manufacturers. The center will address manufacturing supply chain and technology adoption issues in Kentucky by making it easier for manufacturers to implement 21st-century manufacturing technologies, techniques, and solutions. It will also align resources to increase market penetration and sustainable manufacturing, as well as cultivate a network of suppliers in Kentucky to increase supply chain resilience and quick adoption of manufacturing solutions. Additionally, the center will address manufacturing workforce issues with its subrecipients, leveraging their academic resources and support to bring workforce solutions to small and medium-sized manufacturers.

Expected outcomes: The objective of the MEP program is to enhance competitiveness, productivity, and technological performance in United States manufacturing. The center will enhance manufacturing in Kentucky by empowering manufacturers to implement new technologies and to align resources through coalitions and partnerships to lead to a more resilient supply chain. It will also provide manufacturers with workforce and operational solutions.

Intended beneficiaries: The intended beneficiaries of this award are primarily small and medium-sized manufacturers in Kentucky. Indirect beneficiaries extend beyond Kentucky, as the center will become part of the MEP National Network, which includes 51 MEP centers located in each state and in Puerto Rico.

Subrecipient activities: The recipient plans to subaward funds to Murray State University (Western Kentucky) and Somerset Community College (Eastern Kentucky) to increase outreach across the state. The subrecipients have existing relationships with local and regional small and medium-sized manufacturers and will leverage the existing partnerships to promote the center's activities and capabilities. Somerset Community College will co-deliver training to manufacturing employees, and Murray State University will co-sponsor extension-related engagements.

University Of Louisville

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 WHICH CONSISTS OF 51 MEP CENTERS LOCATED IN EACH STATE AND IN PUERTO RICO, AND OVER 1,400 TRUSTED ADVISORS AND EXPERTS AT MORE THAN 385 MEP SERVICE LOCATIONS.

11.611 - Manufacturing Extension Partnership

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) [DOC]

Louisville, Kentucky 40202-1961 United States

Single Zip Code

Award Competition for Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers in the States of Kentucky, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and South Dakota (2022-NIST-MEP-01)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 3546% from $277,475 to $10,116,863.