Funding will help develop impactful initiatives and coordinate the ongoing expansion of the support provided by DOE to small- and medium-sized manufacturers.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) has selected HARC for a $2.7 million grant* to support the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) network by serving as a mission integrator to build a clearinghouse to support centers and assist small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs).
The IAC Program funds institutions of higher education, community colleges, trade schools, and union training programs to identify opportunities that optimize energy efficiency and environmental performance at manufacturing and other industrial facilities.
As the mission integrator, HARC will work closely with the technical field managers to increase coordination between IACs and similar programs, mentoring and training staff, and expanding outreach with SMMs. As part of this process, HARC will lead the development of a two-sided platform to connect SMMs with DOE resources and technical subject matter experts, as well as facilitate connections between elements of the IAC network through events and outreach.
This funding is made possible through President Biden’s Investing America Agenda to help advance a clean energy and manufacturing workforce that represents the diversity of America, and a reinvigorated manufacturing base prepared to lead the global energy transition.
The DOE’s MESC announced $16 million to support an expanded workforce development plan. Two other organizations, Michigan State University and Rutgers Center for Energy Systems, were also awarded funding to serve as technical field managers for IACs at community colleges, trade schools, union training programs, and Institutes of Higher Education.
These opportunities are managed by ENERGYWERX in partnership with DOE, a collaboration made possible through an innovative Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) set up by the DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions (OTT). This agreement enables ENERGYWERX to broaden DOE’s engagement with innovative organizations and non-traditional partners, facilitating the rapid development, scaling, and deployment of clean energy solutions.
To read the DOE’s funding announcement, click here.
To learn more about the DOE’s MESC, click here.
*Award amounts and scope are subject to change during pending negotiations.
