IMCP Overview
The Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) is a government-wide initiative to help communities cultivate an environment for businesses implemented in 2013 to create well-paying manufacturing jobs in regions across the country and thereby accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing.
This is the first time I’ve seen various regional economic development organizations set aside their competitive difference to work toward a true 'regional' perspective for economic growth of out manufacturing industry.
- John Dewey, Alamo Manufacturing Partnership
The IMCP is designed to reward communities that demonstrate best practices in attracting and expanding manufacturing by bringing together key local stakeholders and using long-term planning that integrates targeted public and private investments across a community’s industrial ecosystem to create broad-based prosperity.
IMCP Benefits
Up to 12 communities will be designated as Manufacturing Communities for a period of two years. After two years, communities will be invited to apply to renew their designation as Manufacturing Communities; they will be evaluated based on: (a) performance against the terms of the designation and post-designation awards received (if any); and (b) progress against project-specific metrics as proposed by communities in their applications, designed to also help communities track their own progress.
IMCP Designation
To earn the initial designation, communities had to demonstrate the strength of an existing manufacturing industry in their region/community and develop strategies to make investments in six areas: (1) workforce and training; (2) research and innovation; (3) infrastructure and site development; (4) supply chain support; (5)trade and international investment; and (6) operational improvement and capital access.
Federal Government Partners
IMCP Participating Agencies have agreed to provide preferential consideration, and/or consideration in the determination of application merit, and/or grant supplemental awards (totaling approximately $1.3 billion) for Manufacturing Communities for the following 18 economic development programs:
- Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)
- Delta Regional Authority (DRA)
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Department of Transportation (DOT)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Small Business Administration (SBA)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
- Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST)