Submission Window: January 15, 2025 - April 21, 2025 (3:00 PM ET)

Click Here to Start Your Application

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Objective Strategic Session (OSS) webinar: Join ENERGYWERX and the SMLP team for an in-depth informational webinar about the State Manufacturing Leadership Program (SMLP) on [TBD]. This session will provide valuable insights into the program’s objectives, benefits, and how potential applicants can leverage it to drive growth, innovation, and sustainability in their operations.

We encourage you to register in advance to secure your spot and ensure you don’t miss out on this informative session.

• Registration link for IW/OSS Session on [TBD]
• You may ask question(s) in Slido. ENWX will coordinate the answer(s) and post the response(s) in the Slido thread
  • ‍Click Here to Submit Your Questions

Office Hours (OH) Q&A Webinar: DOE will be hosting two Office Hours (OH) Q&A Webinar on [TBD]. These sessions are aimed to provide potential applicants with detailed information about the State Manufacturing Leadership Program (SMLP). During these sessions, participants will have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the program's scope, objectives, and the overall intent of the funding opportunity.

These sessions will also offer an interactive forum for attendees to ask specific questions, clarify any uncertainties, and receive guidance on how to navigate the application process. Whether you are exploring this opportunity for the first time or looking for further clarification on program requirements, the office hours sessions will provide the necessary insights to ensure your application is ready for submission.

ENWX will be employing the CAPTCHA-enabled feature on our meetings, and webinar participants may receive a CAPTCHA challenge in order to join the Sessions. 

For a best webinar experience, we recommend downloading the Microsoft Teams software to your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Complete submission and upload here: Click Here to Submit (Submissions are due April 21, 2025 by 3:00 PM ET)

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DOE is seeking applications for projects under this opportunity from state entities, state-funded universities, and state funded community and technical colleges to establish new or expand existing programs that (1) provide assistance to SMMs to implement smart manufacturing technologies and practices and (2) facilitate access to high-performance computing (HPC) resources for SMMs.

Please review the Solicitation Overview for more detailed information about this opportunity and eligibility and review criteria.

Every prime recipient and any sub-recipient(s) must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Must be domestic entities
• Must be in good standing for Federal program participation

Prime Recipients (applicants) are limited to:

• State entities;
• State-funded university; or
• State-funded community or technical college

Applications for projects under this opportunity must include support to SMMs that are focused within the following five key areas:

• Outreach: Promoting the benefits of smart manufacturing technologies among SMMs based on national and regional economic development and supply chain priorities;
• Training and Workforce Development: Educating the current and future workforce on smart manufacturing technologies, to include through apprenticeship, internship, certification, or degree programs.
• Facility, Product, or Process Assessments: Evaluating SMM facilities for potential smart manufacturing technology improvements or leveraging HPC resources to identify product or process improvements.
• Roadmapping: Building executable plans to implement smart manufacturing improvements for SMMs.
• Direct Technology Implementation: Identifying and/or directly providing financial assistance to facilitate SMMs’ access to and/or implementation of smart manufacturing and high-performance computing resources and technologies.

Applicants are bound by the cost share proposed in their applications if selected for award negotiations. The cost share must be at least 23.1% of the total project costs.^1,2,3 The cost share must come from non-federal sources unless otherwise allowed by law.

• For example: For a project seeking the maximum $2 million federal award size, the minimum non-federal funds would need to be $600,781 (rounded up to the nearest dollar) in order to meet the 23.1% cost share requirement for this opportunity.

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¹Total project costs are the sum of the government share, including FFRDC costs if applicable, and the recipient share of project costs.

²BIL Section 40534(3) requires that an entity receiving financial assistance under that section contribute matching funds in an amount equal to not less than 30 percent of the financial assistance (cost match). For consistency with other Doe programs, this 30 percent cost match was converted to a 23.1 cost share, rounded up to the nearest decimal.

³Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub.L. 109-58, sec. 988. Also see 2 CFR 200.306 and 2 CFR 910.130 for additional cost sharing requirements

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Applications will be evaluated using the technical review criteria shown below. All sub-criteria are of equal weight.

Technical Merit, Innovation, and Impact

• Project Design:  The project model as designed is a reasonable approach to address and fulfill the objectives of the opportunity, with a focus on the five key areas listed above
• Project Engagement Strategy: The project has a clear engagement plan to reach SMMs and is partnering, whether targeting SMMs across the state/region broadly or focusing on specific industries, geographies, or demographics.
• Project Impact: The project will have a tangible, quantifiable impact on expanding access to smart manufacturing technologies and practices and HPC resources for SMMs, such as:
  • Number of incumbent or new workforce trained
  • Number of degrees or other credentials conferred
  • Number of facility assessments, Roadmapping, or other technical assistance provided
  • Quantity and type of direct implementation assistance provided
  • Quantity of emissions reduced

Project Workplan and Budget

• Project Workplan:  The tasks and descriptions are clear, detailed, timely, and reasonable, resulting in a high likelihood that the proposed project will succeed
• Project Budget: The budget is reasonable and realistic, meets the program’s cost share requirements, and – with alternative funding sources – has the potential to sustain the project beyond the federal funding

Technical Qualifications and Resources

• Key Project Team: The project manager(s) and other key project team members have the appropriate experience in areas such as smart manufacturing technologies, technical assistance for SMMs, training and workforce development to make the project successful
• Project Partners: The project is leveraging valuable national, state, regional, or local organizations that will result in a more robust and integrated ecosystem to support SMMs in vicinity of the project
• Project Facilities, Equipment, and Resources: The project’s facilities, equipment, and other resources are sufficient to support the work