As those involved with the longstanding, internationally recognized program know, an air of uncertainty has enveloped NIST’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) for the past two years. With the release of the new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for MEP Centers (see SSTI’s write‑up here), it appears that perhaps many of those troubles may be in the past. Even so, the uncertainty has prompted many manufacturers, small businesses, and MEP centers to explore alternate funding sources, partnerships, and forms of assistance beyond NIST. (Historically, federal appropriations have covered half of a center’s costs, with the remainder matched by state or local governments, private partners, or client fees.)
Many states have long supported their share of MEP funding through legislative appropriations or through in‑kind contributions from state economic development agencies, public universities, and community colleges. Several states—highlighted below—also offer broader manufacturing and small business support through initiatives and investments that operate independently of, or in coordination with, the MEP program.
The grant programs summarized below illustrate how select states are continuing to invest in manufacturers and manufacturing capacity.
Connecticut has established the Manufacturing Innovation Fund (MIF) Program (MIF) to support the growth, innovation, and progress of the advanced manufacturing sector. The fund is administered by the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) to provide grants and support an array of initiatives. According to its 2025 Annual Report, $130,000,000 has been added to the fund between its inception in 2014 and 2025. The latest news from this program is an announcement from DECD on March 9, 2026, that the fund will invest $4.8 million over two years to expand robotics and advanced manufacturing education in schools across the state.
Hawaiʻi offers the Manufacturing Assistance Program (MAP), a state-funded grant that awards Hawaii-based manufacturers up to a 20% reimbursement on qualified expenses, such as equipment upgrades to boost productivity. Businesses must be registered in Hawaii, have a Dun & Bradstreet number, and be tax compliant. MAP is administered by the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC), which received $1 million in FY 2025-2026 and in FY 2026-2027 for the program. According to a press release from Gov. Josh Green, in FY 2026, MAP received $1.7 million in funding requests and awarded $865,660 to 26 companies, including seven first-time MAP recipients; these awards leveraged more than $10 million in qualified manufacturing investments statewide.
Iowa offers the Manufacturing 4.0 Technology Investment Program. The program provides grants to assist small- and mid-sized enterprises in the state with adopting and integrating smart technologies into their existing operations. FY 2027 funding of $1 million for the Manufacturing 4.0 Technology Investment Program is allocated to the Skilled Worker and Job Creation Fund (SWJCF).
In Maryland, the Maryland Manufacturing 4.0 Program provides grants to small and mid-sized Maryland manufacturers to invest in Industry 4.0-related technologies, machinery and robotics, and digital business practices to remain competitive and drive growth. Twenty percent of the funds will be reserved for small manufacturers with 3-50 employees.The application portal opened on August 3 and will close on August 31.
In New Jersey, the Next New Jersey Manufacturing Program, to which the state has allocated $500 million, offers eligible manufacturing applicants a tax credit of up to $150 million, based on their proposed new jobs and capital investment. Qualified business facilities are primarily (>50%) engaged in manufacturing. The most recent awardee was BeOneMedicines US Manufacturing Co., Inc. BeOne’s $300 million capital investment is expected to result in 120 new full-time jobs, as reported by the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA). NJBIA also reported that the New Jersey Economic Development Authority approved the first tax credit under the Next New Jersey Manufacturing Program for Starman New Photonics, a manufacturer of domestic supply of high-speed optical transceivers essential for the AI industry, in June. “With a $150 million investment, Starman will be renovating a 100,000-square-foot facility in Warren and is expected to create 250 new jobs,” according to the NBIA article. Another program in New Jersey that provided support for smaller manufacturing businesses, the New Jersey Manufacturing Voucher Program, was not funded in FY 2027; the NJBIA article mentioned above suggests that the money instead went to fund the NJMEP program, which also received federal funding in March.
Pennsylvania’s Manufacturing PA Innovation Program leverages the science and engineering talent and discovery capacity of all Pennsylvania’s institutions of higher education. PMIP grant funds are used for student research, research-related expenses, and the sole applicant under this program is Carnegie Mellon University. A recent article published by Drexel News highlights this program in detail, showing the breadth of projects on one campus in which students are assisting manufacturers with research into areas such as glass for solar panels, lightweight aggregate materials for sound barriers, and nanomaterials for clean hydrogen production. Funding depends on budget recommendations and constraints set in the adopted annual budget for the commonwealth; the program was funded at $13 million in both FYs 2026 and 2027.
This page was prepared by SSTI using Federal funds under award ED22HDQ3070129 from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.