Manufacturing USA Institute Competition: Technology Transition Roadmaps

Agency: National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce.

Action: Notice of Intent (NOI).

Summary: The Office of Advanced Manufacturing (OAM) at NIST intends to announce a competition for eligible Manufacturing USA Institutes to develop actionable roadmaps for transitioning technologies to market. The competition aims to identify capabilities and resources needed to de‑risk scale‑up of advanced manufacturing technologies from pilot to full commercial integration, and to enable applicants to work with stakeholders for industry uptake of institute‑developed technology platforms.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: All inquiries may be directed to Ms. Cheryl Leonard via email to ManufacturingUSA@nist.gov or by phone at (301) 975-4350, with a subject line stating: “Technology Transition Roadmaps.” NIST will respond to questions received with answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) posted on the NIST competition website at https://www.nist.gov/oam/funding-opportunities.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Purpose

This notice serves to announce that the U.S. Department of Commerce, through NIST, intends to open a competition to develop industry‑focused, actionable technology transition roadmaps to move from pilot‑scale to commercial‑scale manufacturing.

The competition will seek to enable eligible Manufacturing USA institutes to identify existing gaps and solutions needed to encourage private‑sector investments for scaling institute‑developed manufacturing technologies for commercial adoption. NIST intends that the applications must identify specific market drivers, demand signals, or critical manufacturing needs with potential to strengthen the global competitiveness of the U.S. industrial base. NIST anticipates that potential applicants will detail how scaling and commercializing technology developed by the Manufacturing USA institute will achieve meaningful and quantifiable impacts on domestic manufacturing efficiency and productivity. NIST expects that the competition will ask applicants to outline essential infrastructure, resources, capabilities, and partnerships necessary for institutes to act as effective navigators for scale‑up and deployment of advanced manufacturing innovations, accelerating impacts. NIST intends that this competition will encourage applicants to envision how NIST laboratories and programs can work with institutes to demonstrate and validate new technologies, create effective commercialization pathways, and assist vendors, suppliers, and manufacturers of all sizes in implementing advanced manufacturing at scale.

Award Amount

NIST intends to provide federal funding of up to $10,000,000. Multiple awards are expected, with each award not exceeding $550,000 for a period of 18‑months through a cooperative agreement. No cost‑share requirement is anticipated for this competition.

Eligibility

Eligibility for this competition is limited to existing Manufacturing USA institutes.

The competition is expected to be announced in Summer 2026, with a formal announcement on Grants.gov and the NIST Office of Advanced Manufacturing website (www.nist.gov/oam). NIST expects to post and update answers to frequently asked questions in support of this NOI and the future competition. Interested applicants should monitor https://NIST.gov/oam for updates.

Background

Program Background

The Manufacturing USA program exists to secure U.S. global leadership in advanced manufacturing (https://www.manufacturingusa.com/). The nine Federal agencies participating in Manufacturing USA bring a whole‑of‑government approach to innovation, one that springboards U.S.-based inventions to the forefront of advanced manufacturing technologies, created and utilized by a skilled American workforce.

Each Manufacturing USA institute is a public‑private partnership that brings together manufacturers of all sizes, universities and community colleges, Federal agencies, and state organizations to accelerate innovation by investing in industrially relevant pre‑competitive advanced manufacturing technologies to advance specific technology sectors and develop the current and future workforce in those technologies. Manufacturing USA institutes are tasked to mature advanced manufacturing technologies from laboratory prototypes to industrial readiness, focusing on major industry challenges that can be addressed collaboratively, but are generally beyond the reach of individual organizations. Institutes bridge the gap between basic research and commercial product development, provide shared assets allowing access to cutting‑edge capabilities and equipment, and create accessible training resources to ensure that students and workers have the skills needed for careers in advanced manufacturing. Each Manufacturing USA institute also serves as a regional hub of manufacturing innovation, providing the infrastructure to reinforce the competitiveness of the U.S. industrial base and strengthen our national and economic security.

Competition Information

Once the competition has been announced, further information may be found at https://www.nist.gov/oam/funding-opportunities/.

Disclaimers

This NOI does not constitute a solicitation. No applications may be submitted in response to this NOI. NIST will post a future announcement on Grants.gov that will provide the full requirements for applying for an assistance award. When published, information within the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will supersede in its entirety any information provided by this NOI. Any inconsistency between information within this NOI and the expected NOFO announcing NIST's Technology Transition Roadmaps competition shall be resolved in favor of the NOFO.

The roadmaps that will result from this competition are intended to identify actionable mechanisms to drive the adoption of advanced manufacturing innovation. Applicants should not expect any follow‑up funding from NIST as a result of outcomes from this competition.

Authority

The statutory authorities for the Technology Transition Roadmaps competition are 15 U.S.C. 278s(g) (Manufacturing USA), 15 U.S.C. 272(b) (Functions of Secretary and Institute), and 42 U.S.C. 18972 (Promoting domestic production of technologies developed under the Manufacturing USA Program).

Alicia Chambers, NIST Executive Secretariat.

[FR Doc. 2026-10515 Filed 5-26-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-13-P

Document Details

• Agencies: Department of Commerce; National Institute of Standards and Technology
• Agency/Docket Number: Docket Number: 260507-0127
• Document Citation: 91 FR 31431
• Document Number: 2026-10515
• Document Type: Notice
• Pages: 31431-31432 (2 pages)
• Publication Date: 05/27/2026

Links

• Shorter document URL: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-10515
• NIST competition website (FAQs): https://www.nist.gov/oam/funding-opportunities
• Manufacturing USA program: https://www.manufacturingusa.com/
• NIST Office of Advanced Manufacturing: https://NIST.gov/oam
• Further competition information: https://www.nist.gov/oam/funding-opportunities/