Manufacturing Extension Partnership; Infrastructure Development Projects

The purpose of this rule is to provide for the introduction of effective training, tools, practices, techniques and analyses, and information systems into the national manufacturing extension system and to codify the process by which NIST will solicit and select applications for cooperative agreements and financial assistance on projects for providing improved training, tools, practices, techniques and analyses, and information systems to the national manufacturing extension system. The intended effect is to increase the effectiveness of the extension system by providing improved infrastructure capability to promote the competitiveness of smaller U.S. manufacturers.