Federal Announcements

June 1, 2024 marks the one-year anniversary of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Supply Chain Optimization and Intelligence Network (SCOIN), a two-year pilot program to kick-start supply chain efforts across the country. Authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, NIST MEP awarded a total of $20 million for SCOIN to MEP Centers in each state and Puerto Rico.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology has awarded more than $1.2 million to 12 small businesses in eight states under the Small Business Innovation Research Program. The awards will fund research and development of new products relating to cybersecurity, quantum computing, health care, semiconductor manufacturing and other critical areas.

The U.S. Department of Energy finalized its guidance interpreting the statutory definition of “foreign entity of concern” (FEOC) in Section 40207 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The FEOC interpretive guidance is designed to limit the participation of FEOCs in domestic battery supply chains and bolster the growth of domestic and friend-shored battery materials processing and manufacturing.

The U.S. National Science Foundation launched a $9.5 million research funding opportunity in partnership with BASF, Dow, IBM, PepsiCo Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co. Sustainable Polymers Enabled by Emerging Data Analytics is part of NSF's Molecular Foundations for Sustainability program and seeks to accelerate the discovery and manufacture of superior and sustainable polymers to enhance national competitiveness and tackle global challenges such as plastic waste.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $2.1 million grant to the Coahoma County Board of Supervisors in Clarksdale, Mississippi, for roadway and water infrastructure improvements to support manufacturing and job growth. This grant will support the local boat manufacturing sector, creating jobs and opportunities in the region.

The Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $1.7 million grant to the Searcy County Government, Arkansas, to support manufacturing business growth. This grant will renovate a building in Marshall, Arkansas to support the establishment of a frozen foods manufacturing facility, creating jobs, and growing the local economy.

The U.S. Census Bureau today announced the winners of the second phase of the StatVentures Supply Chain Challenge. This challenge invited participants to propose new ways to provide more timely, granular and robust supply chain data. Winning teams submitted implementation roadmaps explaining how their idea would work to capture new or improved supply chain data on manufacturing, imports and exports, transportation and delivery of goods, and other key components of global supply chains.

The U.S. Department of Energy finalized Congressionally-mandated energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers to increase the resiliency and efficiency of America’s power grid, support good-paying, high-quality manufacturing jobs, and accelerate the deployment of affordable, reliable, and clean electricity around the nation.

The U.S. Department of Energy, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Labor, today announced the release of the Battery Workforce Initiative’s National Guideline Standards for registered apprenticeships for battery machine operators.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a plan that will boost biomass supply chain resiliency for domestic biobased product manufacturing, while also advancing environmental sustainability and market opportunities for small and mid-sized producers.