The National Institute of Standards and Technology has earmarked $50M in coronavirus-recovery grants for small and medium-sized manufacturers that are part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership network.
MEP centers throughout the U.S. and in Puerto Rico can apply for a portion of the funds authorized under CARES Act by submitting applications on grants.gov, NIST said Monday.
The funding opportunity is meant to help manufacturing firms access government resources, file insurance claims, Small Business Administration loans and recover from business interruptions amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Potential recipients can also use the money to establish peer-to-peer manufacturing groups, address operational requirements and look for manufacturers that can supply medical products.
“The MEP centers have the expertise to help client companies make the products needed to fight this pandemic, and to help manufacturers across the supply chain to weather this storm,” said Walter Copan, director of NIST and undersecretary for standards and technology at the Department of Commerce.
NIST is scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday to conduct webinars on the application process.