America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) announced a new open project call funded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program (OSD ManTech) worth a total of $6.6M. The project call, Improvements in Manufacturing Productivity via Additive Capabilities and Techno-Economic Analysis 2.0 (IMPACT 2.0), consists of two areas of focus and aims to demonstrate lead time, productivity, and yield improvements for casting and forging (C&F) manufacturing operations using additive manufacturing (AM) technologies. Seven awards are anticipated with the maximum request for funding varying depending upon the specific topic area. The proposal (RFP) is separated into two documents, Part A and Part B. Proposers should reference the specific RFP for additional details.
Improvements in Manufacturing Productivity via Additive Capabilities and Techno-Economic Analysis 2.0 (IMPACT 2.0)
Part A: 4 Topic Areas worth $5.1M:
(Four awards anticipated)
- Topic 1 ($2.0M) – Mature and Promote Methods to Add Functional Surfaces and Complex Geometric Features to Forgings
- Topic 2 ($1.5M) – Disseminate Leading Practices and Promote the Adoption of 3D-Printed Sand Molds/Cores
- Topic 3 ($1.1M) – Techno-Economic Analysis Tool for Selection of Metal Part Manufacturing Processes
- Topic 4 ($500K) – Ensure Operational Recovery of Industrial Production
(Topic-specific sub-recipient agreement included in RFP)
Part B: Rapid Casting Demonstration Challenge worth $1.5M
(Three awards anticipated)
- This is a 2-step proposal process
- Step 1: Project Concept
- Step 2: Full Proposal
(Topic-specific sub-recipient agreement included in RFP)
Process
Multiple proposal submissions are permitted; however, each proposal must only address one topic area. The deadline for the complete project proposal as outlined in the RFP is due by 5 p.m. Eastern as follows:
- Part A (Topics 1-4) – June 14, 2024
- Part B (Step 1) – May 10, 2024
- Part B (Step 2) – June 24, 2024
Resources
- Industry Day Kickoff (registration required)
- April 11, 2024, at TRX
- Kick-Off Webinar Slidedeck – from April 11
- Project Call Q&A
- Project Call Concept Packet (Used in Part B – Phase 1)
- NEW! Proposal Submission Process
- Subrecipient Agreement
- NCDMM NDA Agreement
- DoD Integrated Roadmap
- America Makes CORE (Digital Storefront)
- Frequently Asked Questions
Please note the new submission process. All proposals must be submitted electronically via the “Submit Proposal Here” button. All submissions will be acknowledged upon receipt with an electronic email confirmation from NCDMM within 24 hours. If a confirmation is not received within 24 hours, please email projectcall@americamakes.us.
NCDMM is not responsible for system malfunctions or undeliverable submissions. It is the proposer’s responsibility to ensure that the submission has been received.
Membership Eligibility
- The lead proposer on PART A must be a current America Makes member. Team members receiving federal funding in response to PART A (Topic Areas 1-4) must be an America Makes member paid in full by May 29, 2024.
- For PART B/Step 1, the lead proposer is not required to be an America Makes member. For PART B/Step 2, the lead proposer must be a current America Makes. Team members receiving federal funding in response to PART B (Demonstration Challenge) must be an America Makes member paid in full by June 12, 2024.
- Paid in full means the organization must fulfill its annual dues via (1) cash payment, (2) have accumulated at a minimum of $15,000 in cost share or (3) a combination of cost share and cash totaling $15,000. Information on how to join America Makes is available on the membership page.
- Membership Request Form
- Membership Project Call Q&A
- Need additional information or clarification? Contact Zane Ross, Engagement Manager.
Dates/Deadlines:
Project Call Announcement and Posting
4/11/2024
Project Call Kickoff (Spring TRX event – Registration Required)
4/11/2024
Questions from Proposers about Scope or Approach Due
4/22/2024
Responses to Proposers about Scope or Approach Due
Questions/responses will be shared with all proposers on americamakes.us
4/26/2024
Part B/Step 1 Project Concept Paper Due
5/10/2024
No later than 5pm EST
Anticipated Decision and Selection for Part B/Step 1 White Papers/Project Concepts
5/29/2024
Proposal Lead to Complete Fully Executed Membership Agreement
Part A (Topics 1-4) – 5/29/2024
Part B (DEMO CHALLENGE) – 6/12/2024
Fully Executed NDA with NCDMM (only if proposal contains proprietary information)
Part A (Topics 1-4) – 5/29/2024
Part B (DEMO CHALLENGE) – 6/12/2024
Full Proposal Submission Due Date
Part B/Step 2 is by invitation only.
Part A (Topics 1-4) – 6/14/2024
Part B (DEMO CHALLENGE) – 6/28/2024
No later than 5pm EST
Anticipated Decision/Notification of Project Teams (Part A & B)
7/24/2024
Anticipated Date to have all Projects on Contract (Part A & B)
9/24/2024
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- The lead proposer on PART A must be a current America Makes member. Team members receiving federal funding in response to PART A (Topic Areas 1-4) must be an America Makes member paid in full by May 29, 2024.
- For PART B/Step 1, the lead proposer is not required to be an America Makes member. For PART B/Step 2, the lead proposer must be a current America Makes . Team members receiving federal funding in response to PART B (Demonstration Challenge) must be an America Makes member paid in full by June 12, 2024.
- Paid in full means the organization must fulfill its annual dues via (1) cash payment, (2) have accumulated at a minimum of $15,000 in cost share or (3) a combination of cost share and cash totaling $15,000. Information on how to join America Makes is available on the membership page.
- The lead proposer shall be registered in U.S. System for Award Management (SAM) and have a Cage Code and a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number before submitting a proposal.
Yes, teams may submit more than one Project Proposal. However, each proposal is limited to addressing one topic area only.
Questions should be emailed to projectcall@americamakes.us. Questions will be posted to the America Makes website according to the schedule. Questions asked AFTER the scheduled Q&A session will NOT be addressed.
Information on how to join America Makes is available at www.americamakes.us/membership. While partners to the lead proposer are not required to be America Makes members, obtaining membership is encouraged. (Note: The foreign membership approval process requires a minimum of three weeks to complete). Any foreign persons conducting work on the project shall be declared within the Project Team Appendix. Any project activities outside the U.S. or by non-U.S. persons must be reported and approved by the America Makes Program Management Office. No work can be completed outside of the United States without this approval. Any use of assets (equipment or personnel) based outside the United States must be clearly identified in your proposal. Please provide the description, location, and utilization (number of hours or percentage of total effort) for any such assets. The lead/team is responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable export control laws and regulations.
Proposals are reviewed by evaluators independent of teams submitting proposals and operate under a confidentiality agreement. Proposers are encouraged to seek legal counsel prior to submitting any response to this Project Call where there is a question regarding the possibility of future patent applications or the patentability of proposal concepts.
The owning organization should list anything that they are leveraging that is not going to be made available to the membership at the completion of the project. This could be a patent number or a description of the background IP that is being leveraged.
Background IP should be declared in Exhibit I. All (foreground) IP produced on the project is subject to the terms of the membership agreement (please review details in RFP).
A valid DD2345 is not required for any topic within this project call.
