NIST MEP Disaster Assessment Program

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking applications for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Disaster Assessment Program. This program is open to current recipients of MEP Center cooperative agreements. The aim of the program is to conduct evaluations on small to medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) within regions that have been classified as disaster zones by FEMA.

The purpose of these evaluations is to understand the potential impact disasters may have had on the SMM's operations. MEP Centers that secure funding from this program will be expected to further support the impacted manufacturers by helping them to access federal, state, and local resources that can aid in their recovery process. This can also include assisting in the creation of a risk mitigation plan to better prepare for any future disasters.

In addition, the award recipients will need to share the findings of their projects with the broader SMM community, NIST, and the MEP National Network™. This is in an effort to facilitate the sharing of information regarding disaster preparedness, the lessons learned, and best practices, thereby helping enhance future disaster resilience planning strategies.

Further details about this program, the funding opportunity, and the application process are provided under Section I in the full announcement text of this Notice of Funding Opportunity.