Manufacturing Extension Partnerships Face Uncertain Future As Trump Pulls Funding

President Donald Trump’s administration will not renew contracts offering federal support for 10 Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) programs, pulling millions of dollars in funding that small- and mid-sized manufacturers had used to support their operations.

And, the April 1 decision is likely the first step in cutting funding to the entire national MEP network as the 10 states cut had contracts that expired at the end of March. MEP contracts in the remaining states expire in July 2025, October 2025, January 2026 and March 2026. So, within a year, the entire network could be defunded. Though operated by state agencies (often universities), the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) manages the nationwide program.

The first state MEPs hit were in: