President Donald Trump’s administration plans to restore funding to the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, a public-private partnership that supports small and medium-sized businesses.
Pulling $13M in Funding
The Department of Commerce intended to halt about $13 million in funding for 10 MEP centers in Kansas, Hawaii, Mississippi, Delaware, Maine, Iowa, Nevada, Wyoming, North Dakota, and New Mexico. However, U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan., announced that the funds willcontinue“through the end of the fiscal year.”
An Uncertain Future
Although the funding will remain for the short term, potential cuts outlined in the Trump administration’s proposed 2026 budget create uncertainty for the MEP national network’s 51 centers. David said that her proposed Defend American Manufacturing Act would require the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a Commerce Department agency that oversees the MEP program, to renew and award contracts annually, creating long-term stability for the hubs.
MEP’s Contributions
President Ronald Reagan authorized the MEP program in 1988. According to the NIST, the program has contributed approximately $152 billion in new sales, $34 billion in cost savings, and the creation and retention of nearly 1.7 million jobs.
A report from Summit Consulting and the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research noted that the program generated a financial return of more than 17:1 on the $175 million in federal funds it received in fiscal year 2023.
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