42 U.S.C. § 18814 — State manufacturing leadership

(a) Financial assistance authorized. The Secretary may give States competitive financial assistance to set up programs that model how to support smart manufacturing technologies. (b) Applications. (1) A State wanting this assistance must submit an application with whatever information the Secretary requires. (2) The Secretary judges applications on merit, using criteria that include: (A) technical merit, innovation, and impact; (B) the research approach, work plan, and deliverables; (C) academic and private-sector partners; and (D) other sources of funding the State has lined up. (c) Requirements. (1) An award lasts no more than 3 years. (2) An award is no more than $2,000,000. (3) A State getting an award must contribute matching funds equal to at least 30 percent of the award amount. (d) Use of funds. A State may use the money to: (1) help small and medium manufacturers access high-performance computing; and (2) help those manufacturers adopt smart manufacturing technologies and practices. (e) Evaluation. The Secretary must evaluate each award twice a year to: (1) measure the impact and effectiveness of the funded programs; and (2) advise States on how to run their program better. (f) Authorization of appropriations. Congress authorized $50,000,000 total for fiscal years 2022 through 2026.