(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a program of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has awarded roughly $400,000 to each of its MEP National Network Centers in every state and Puerto Rico. More than $20 million of total funding will be used to develop programs to make domestic supply chains more resilient and efficient.

The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 authorized a pilot program of awards, one which would allow MEP centers to provide services focused on resiliency of domestic supply chains, workforce development, and adoption of advanced technology upgrades at small and medium-sized manufacturers.

The new awards will support the creation of a database called the national Supply Chain Optimization and Intelligence Network (SCOIN). It will focus on providing supplier scouting services, establishing new service offerings to improve existing supply chain networks, filling gaps in the supply chain by connecting original equipment manufacturers with small and medium-sized manufacturers, and creating a complete map of U.S. supplier capability and capacity.

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