MEP generating substantial economic and financial returns, study finds

A recent economic-impact study by Summit Consulting and the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research analyzed the overall effect of projects undertaken by the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) on the U.S. economy in FY 2019 and found that the investment of federal dollars into the MEP Centers yields, in the most conservative model, a return on investment of 13.4:1 (from the $140 million federal investment). The study also found that total employment in the U.S. was nearly 217,000 higher because of MEP Center projects. 

MEP Centers deliver technical assistance to primarily small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses to help them improve their productivity and competitiveness. Each year, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) MEP program surveys their clients using an independent third-party vendor (Fors Marsh Group) to gather information and data on the impact of the services provided to estimate the effect on the economy. The study for FY 2019 showed slightly lower aggregate impacts compared to FY 2018, likely reflected in the mix of industries served and how MEP Center projects affected new and retained jobs and sales, the report indicated. Each fiscal year, the benefits to clients change, as do the estimates of impacts.

The full report is available here.