Empower to Grow Manufacturing Grant

E2G Manufacturing Grant

Supports manufacturing workforce growth by funding practical in-person training and technical assistance for smaller manufacturing businesses.

The FY2026 Empower to Grow (E2G) Manufacturing Grant, posted on Grants.gov as NOFO 362182, is part of the Small Business Administration's Made in America Manufacturing Initiative. It funds organizations to provide innovative, hands-on, in-person manufacturing training and technical assistance to eligible small manufacturing business concerns across the United States. The program deadline is June 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET, with applications submitted through Grants.gov. SBA hosted informational webinars on May 11, May 27, and June 3, 2026; a recording of the May 11 webinar is available on YouTube.

Eligible applicants include for-profit entities, nonprofits, trade associations, and educational institutions — the grant funds training providers, not the small manufacturers directly. To be eligible, the applying organization must have operated continuously for at least three years and must demonstrate prior experience delivering hands-on technical assistance or training to manufacturing businesses at a regional or national scale. Applicants must also show capacity to provide manufacturing-focused, hands-on instruction to small business concerns. Award amounts are not published on the SBA program page and must be confirmed in Grants.gov NOFO 362182. Contact for questions: e2g@sba.gov.

Competitive applications will document a track record of delivering in-person manufacturing training and articulate a clear plan for reaching small manufacturers under the program period. Organizations should distinguish their methodology and geographic or sector reach, since the program emphasizes innovation in training delivery and direct hands-on engagement rather than purely advisory or online services. Awardees effectively serve as intermediaries: SBA funds the training organization, which then delivers services to small manufacturers who are the end beneficiaries of the grant.