University-Based Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (ITAC)

Information

Description

The Federal Government has been funding the University-Based Industrial Training and Assessment Center (ITAC) program since 1976. The goal of this ITAC program is twofold: first, to help U.S. manufacturing competitiveness by providing assessments and recommendations to improve operations for small and medium-sized manufacturers/enterprises (SMEs), and second, to address a shortage of engineering professionals with applied energy and manufacturing-related skills by training engineering students through hands-on involvement in these assessments. To date, and under the direction of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) the University-Based ITAC program has provided more than 23,000 assessments and over 169,000 recommendations to enhance competitiveness of SME operations. On average, an ITAC assessment leads an SME to implement changes that reduce its energy use and/or improve productivity by 5-7%.

The University-Based ITAC program has long been characterized by its ability to adapt to changing needs of its clients and to incorporate advancing technologies and emerging policy priorities. In particular, the U.S. is currently facing a major workforce availability and readiness issue for addressing critical minerals and materials (CMM) supply chains. To meet surging demand and reduce dependency on foreign CMM, the U.S. will need more new and upskilled workers, from technicians and trades to advanced-degree specialists, and it will need them across the entire CMM supply chain.

Domestic mining operations face increasing pressure to reduce energy intensity, improve water efficiency and stewardship, enhance mineral recovery and process efficiency, address maintenance backlogs and aging infrastructure, and close workforce and technology capability gaps. At the same time, the mining workforce pipeline requires hands-on, systems level training that connects engineering fundamentals to real industrial constraints. DOE intends to leverage the extensive experience gained through operating the traditional ITAC program by expanding into the mining and mineral processing sectors, including, but not limited to CMMs.

Objective

The current 36 ITACs located across the country are completing their most recent five-year projects at the end of 2026. Through this Opportunity, DOE anticipates selecting the universities who will operate two types of ITACs for the next five-years – the traditional manufacturing ITACs (Track 1) and a new variant that focuses on mining and mineral processing operations (Track 2).

DOE’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) intends to provide opportunities for applicants across a range of four-year educational institutions that provide engineering degrees. Specifically, U.S. colleges or universities that have at least one of their four-year undergraduate programs accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission or the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The applicants must be located within the engineering department that holds the accreditation and must be physically located in the U.S. Applicants can apply to either or both of the following two tracks.

Track 1: Manufacturing ITACs

The universities selected to operate Manufacturing ITACs under this Opportunity are expected to continue the traditional activity of providing technical assistance in the form of assessments to SMEs – currently defined as operating within Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes 21 thru 39, having gross annual sales below $250M, fewer than 500 employees, and annual energy bills between $100,000 and $3.5M. The critical elements of the traditional University-Based ITACs are as follows:

Train both new and existing students annually in the principles of energy engineering, productivity improvement, and resource management.
ITACs train the future energy and manufacturing workforce by providing hands-on experience for engineering students who will conduct assessments at SMEs. The assessments result in energy and water savings, waste reduction and productivity improvements for SMEs, as well as identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities and opportunities for smart manufacturing, resiliency planning, and deployment of artificial intelligence solutions. ITACs may also provide a limited number of special assessments (i.e., falling outside the SME criteria specified above) that DOE approves in the best interest of enhancing the student experience as well as resulting in energy savings and other benefits for the recipient of the assessment.
Issue certificates of achievement to at least half of the number of incoming students annually.
DOE issues Certificates of Achievement to students that meet minimum criteria for successful participation in the program. The certification criteria were established by ITAC Directors, reviewed by ITAC Lead Students, and approved by senior DOE leadership.
Following the on-site assessments, conduct timely follow-on reporting, tracking, implementation, and management improvement activities.
Within 60 days of the completion of the assessment, ITACs issue a comprehensive assessment report to the SME detailing opportunities for energy-related and other savings, recommended productivity improvements, and other best practices – including estimated implementation costs and simple payback periods. Within 9 to 12 months after the assessment, ITACs confirm the implementation status of all these assessment recommendations with each SME.
Describe and engage regional industrial base.
‍To understand context and to maximize the impact of the ITAC program, ITACs will identify who they will engage within their regional SME population to promote the expertise of their students and the availability of the assessments that they will provide.
Promote ITAC services and complementary ITAC programs.
ITACs will identify how they will advocate for the complementary ITAC Implementation Grants program. Domestic manufacturing can be assisted significantly not only through ITAC assessments, but also through the additional step of applying for capital to implement the recommendations that arise from these assessments.
Develop and communicate resources that advance the mission of the ITAC program and support other SMEs.
Despite the nationwide coverage of the network, ITACs can only provide direct technical assistance to a portion of the SME universe. Therefore, ITACs will contribute at least one readily replicable case study, success story, and/or energy engineering systems research project that can be deployed across the relevant manufacturing sectors.
Conduct special projects that further enhance student workforce development or other center performance activities.
As part of their specialized energy engineering experience, undergraduate and graduate students can pursue assessment-inspired research projects that are consistent with approved SOPO activities.
Provide other high-quality, value-added services to SMEs.
These would include implementation/deployment projects or feasibility studies/analysis related to artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing solutions deployed in a retrofit context, energy management, critical materials processing, or other emerging issues.

Track 2: Mining and Mineral Processing ITACs

The universities selected to operate these more specialized ITACs will focus on providing technical assistance to SMEs within SIC Codes 10 - 14, 32, and 33 (i.e., mining and mineral processing), having gross annual sales below $250M, and fewer than 500 employees.

Although the basic structure and operation of these ITACs are consistent with the traditional manufacturing ITACs, the clients to be served, the technical challenges they face, and the time required to evaluate and recommend potentials solutions to these challenges will likely increase the time required for technical assistance, as well as expand the academic disciplines of the participating students. The critical elements of the mining and mineral processing ITACs are as follows:

Train both new and existing students annually in the principles of mineral recovery and processing, operational excellence, energy and water resource management, maintenance and reliability, worker health and safety, and technology analysis.
ITACs will train the future mining and mineral processing workforce by providing hands-on experience for students who will conduct assessments at relevant SMEs. Students will also explore opportunities for resiliency planning and deployment of artificial intelligence solutions. ITACs may also provide a limited number of special assessments (i.e., falling outside the criteria specified above) that DOE approves in the best interest of enhancing the student experience as well as resulting in other benefits for the recipient of the assessment.
Issue certificates of achievement to at least half of the number of incoming students annually.
DOE issues Certificates of Achievement to students that meet minimum criteria for successful participation in the program. The certification criteria will be established by ITAC Directors and approved by senior DOE leadership.
Following the on-site assessments, conduct timely follow-on reporting, tracking, implementation, and management improvement activities.
Within 120 days of the completion of the assessment, ITACs issue a comprehensive assessment report to the SME detailing opportunities for operational improvement, resource management, and other best practices – including estimated implementation costs and simple payback periods. Within 12 to 18 months after the assessment, ITACs confirm the implementation status of all these assessment recommendations with each SME.
Describe and engage regional mining and mineral processing base.
‍To understand context and in order to maximize the impact of the ITAC program, ITACs will identify who they will engage within their regional mining and mineral processing population to promote the expertise of their students and the availability of the technical assistance that they will provide.
Promote ITAC services and complementary ITAC programs.
ITACs will identify how they will advocate for the complementary ITAC Implementation Grants program. Domestic mining and mineral processing operations can be assisted significantly not only through ITAC assessments/technical assistance, but also through the additional step of applying for capital to implement the recommendations that arise from these activities.
Develop and communicate resources that advance the mission of the ITAC program and support other SMEs.
Despite the nationwide coverage of the network, ITACs can only provide direct technical assistance to a portion of the SME universe. Therefore, ITACs will contribute at least one readily replicable case study, success story, and/or mining and mineral processing research project that can be deployed across the relevant sectors.
Conduct special projects that further enhance student workforce development or other center performance activities.
As part of their specialized mining and mineral processing engineering experience, undergraduate and graduate students can pursue assessment-inspired research projects that are consistent with approved SOPO activities.
Provide other high-quality, value-added services to SMEs.
These would include implementation/deployment projects or feasibility studies/analysis related to artificial intelligence solutions, energy management, critical materials processing, or other emerging issues.

Important Dates

Submission Deadline(s)

Submission Window: October 2, 2026 - October 30, 2026

Both Track 1 and Track 2 applications are due no later than October 30, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET

DOE Announcement

The University-Based ITAC Opportunity launched on October 2, 2026. Please see the announcement article for more information.

Informational Webinar(s)

Informational Webinars: DOE will present and summarize the details of Track 1 and Track 2 University-Based ITAC Opportunity. Potential applicants will gain a better understanding of the Opportunity's scope, scale, and intent and have the opportunity to ask questions of DOE staff.

Register for the Informational Webinar on October 13, 2026 from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
- Focuses predominantly on explaining the Opportunity with some time for questions at the end.

For an optimal experience, we recommend `downloading the Microsoft Teams software` to your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Process Details

Timeline(s)

Phase 1 - University-Based ITAC Track 1 and Track 2 Submissions Open (October 2, 2026 - October 30, 2026)

Informational Webinar(s): DOE will present and summarize the details of Track 1 and Track 2 ITAC Opportunity. Potential applicants will gain a better understanding of the Opportunity's scope, scale, and intent and have the opportunity to ask questions of DOE staff.
- Register for the Informational Webinar on October 13th from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
DOE Selection (Winter 2026): DOE will review submissions based on the selection criteria and will notify selected entities for next steps.

Link(s) to Apply

Submission Window: October 2, 2026 - October 30, 2026‍

Both Track 1 and Track 2 applications are due no later than October 30, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET

Eligibility & Review Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Every applicant and sub-applicant(s) must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Must be domestic entities. To qualify as a domestic entity, the entity must be organized, chartered, or incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a particular state or territory of the United States; have majority domestic ownership and control; and have a physical place of business in the United States.
In good standing for Federal program participation. Entities banned from doing business with the United States government such as entities debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participating in Federal programs are not eligible. Additionally, nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995, are not eligible to apply for funding.

Please note that federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) are eligible as sub-applicants, but will be funded outside of the PIA if selected.

Review Criteria for University-Based Track 1: Manufacturing ITACs

Applications for University-Based ITAC Track 1 will be evaluated against the technical review criteria shown below. All sub-criteria are of equal weight.

Criterion 1: Project Management Approach (30%)