On July 22, 2026 NIST released a Notice of Funding Opportunity totaling roughly $46.5M to establish Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers in 14 states and territories (including CA, GA, MA, MO, OH, PA and Puerto Rico), with California's award the largest at about $15.6M. Selected applicants must secure at least 50% nonfederal cost-share; proposals are due August 21, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
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NIST opens ~$46.5M competition for 14 state MEP manufacturing centers
Why this matters for founders
Hardware and manufacturing founders can partner with (or tap services from) a local MEP center to adopt robotics, AI and automation cheaply; eligible orgs in the 14 states should attend the July 28 webinar and apply on Grants.gov before the Aug 21 deadline.
Source: NIST
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