Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program

**FY2021 DMCSP UPDATE - The Federal Funding Opportunity for the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program is now closed (as of June 15, 2021, at 8PM EDT / 5PM PDT).

Submitted proposals will be screened, evaluated, scored, and ranked for presentation to the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Sustainment) for decision and designation as a Defense Manufacturing Community.    

Based on designation as a Defense Manufacturing Community, successful consortia will be invited to submit a grant application in August. The Director, Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation will appoint project managers to advise and assist invitees in their preparation of a grant application. 

The DMCSP is designed to support long-term community investments that strengthen national security innovation and expand the capabilities of the defense industrial ecosystem.

During open competition periods, the general application process is as follows:

1. Your consortium must apply for and receive designation as a Defense Manufacturing Community.
2. Upon receiving the above designation, you will be invited to submit a grant application for funding.

For updates about DMCSP, sign up here.

On September 17, 2020, the Department of Defense announced the award of six (6) grants totaling $25,000,000. These awards followed a competitive selection process culminating in the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment’s designation of six Defense Manufacturing Communities on August 16, 2020, and for the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation to invite grant applications to strengthen the national security innovation base. The awards derive from Fiscal Year 2020 appropriated funding and leverage an additional $12.6 million in non-Federal funding for a total investment of $37.6 million to enhance critical skills, research and development, and small business support in order to strengthen the national security innovation and manufacturing base.

The grant awards were as follows:

1. The Artificial Intelligence in Metals and Manufacturing Consortium
State: PA/WV/OH
Artificial Intelligence for Additive Manufacturing                  

$5,000,000 to Catalyst Connection to undertake a $6,250,000 project to strengthen defense manufacturing capabilities through an industrial production ecosystem that melds advanced metals and materials with artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, and robotics. The Artificial Intelligence in Metals and Manufacturing Consortium will involve 30 entities across the Pennsylvania-West Virginia-Ohio region and build on existing manufacturing collaborations in order to upskill the regional workforce, familiarize manufacturers with new technologies, and spur innovation in these specialized sectors.

2. Ohio Defense Manufacturing Community
State: OH
Ground and Air Vehicle Parts/Assemblies

$5,000,000 to the Ohio Development Services Agency to undertake a $6,250,000 project through the Ohio Defense Manufacturing Community to offer Industry 4.0 technical assistance and workforce training for small- and mid-sized defense manufacturers, with a focus on the aerospace and ground vehicle sectors. This project will include leveraging the state’s existing Manufacturing Extension Partnerships and establishing new collaborations with educational facilities statewide in developing the Industry 4.0 workforce of the future.

3. Utah Defense Manufacturing Community
State: UT
Aerospace, Composites

$5,000,000 to the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development to undertake a $11,005,000 project to enhance the capabilities of the regional defense industrial ecosystem, with a focus on carbon composites and advanced materials. The project will include several initiatives to strengthen workforce development across the Utah Defense Manufacturing Community, including developing defense manufacturing apprenticeship programs and retraining workers displaced as a result of COVID-19.

4. California Advanced Defense Ecosystems & National Consortia Effort
State: CA
Microelectronics, Space, 5G

$4,900,000 to the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research to undertake a $6,173,962 project to facilitate the California Advanced Defense Ecosystems & National Consortia Effort and enhance defense manufacturing in the state, particularly in the areas of microelectronics, 5G, and space. This effort will assist small- and mid-sized manufacturers develop a workforce capable of assessing opportunities and threats in these converging technology platforms.

5. Alabama Defense Advanced Manufacturing Community
State: AL
Modernization of Vehicles, Aviation and Missiles

$3,700,000 to the University of Alabama in Huntsville to undertake a $6,171,074 project to facilitate visibility, workforce training, and adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies in the region, with a focus on aviation, missiles, and ground vehicle systems. The Alabama Defense Advanced Manufacturing Community includes 22 counties in collaboration with several military installations with operations utilizing advanced manufacturing technologies, including Redstone Arsenal, Anniston Army Depot, Fort Rucker, and Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base.

6. The Connecticut Defense Manufacturing Community Consortium (CDMCC
State: CT
Submarines, Vertical Lift

$1,400,000 to the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development to undertake a $1,750,000 project to enhance in-state defense prime vertical supply chains and bring Model Based Definition technology to each, in an effort to transform the supply chain from a 2-dimensional design and manufacturing platform to a 3-dimensional platform. The technology and processes developed through the Digital Model Initiative will provide a foundation for subsequent digital transformation initiatives in the defense manufacturing supply base.

For more information about the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program, please contact:

Michael P. Gilroy
Program Director, Industry Resilience and Defense Manufacturing Community Support Programs
Michael.p.gilroy3.civ@mail.mil
(916) 557-7382