America Makes and NCDMM launch $35M defence AM project calls
America Makes, Youngstown, Ohio, and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) announced two new project calls worth over $35 million. Both are funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Manufacturing Technology Office (OSD ManTech).
DoD OIB Modernization Challenge
The 2026 Department of Defense (DoD) Organic Industrial Base (OIB) Modernization Challenge, released in cooperation with fellow Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MII), focuses on advancing Additive Manufacturing and related technologies to support defence manufacturing modernisation. Typical awards will range from $10-15 million, though larger concepts up to $25 million will be considered with appropriate justification.
The project targets Additive Manufacturing and advanced manufacturing challenges across the OIB, including digital operations technology, AI robotic process planning, in-situ quality checks, reducing exposure to hazards, lowering operational costs, pilot lines for emerging military products, and mobile/large surface automation.
“Modernising the organic industrial base is a readiness imperative,” said John Martin, Additive Manufacturing Research Director at America Makes. “Through this project, we’re hardwiring shop floor improvements and Additive Manufacturing into daily production to drive measurable reductions in cost per pound of material, while boosting throughput, quality, and resilience. By making AM a core requirement for submissions, we turn fragmented innovation into award-winning capabilities that scale across depots and arsenals.”
Article: Inside Nikon’s metal AM strategy
Part 2: Scaling industrial production in Long Beach
| Read now |
Proposed efforts are expected to deliver actionable insights that reduce technical and industrial risk while enabling realistic transition pathways. Collectively, the outcomes are intended to provide mutual value to the DoD and OIB.
The 2026 DoD OIB Modernization Challenge encompasses nine topic areas, including:
- Topic 1: Digital Operations Technology
- Topic 2: Real-Time Manufacturing Sensors for Robotics
- Topic 3: AI Robotic Process Planning
- Topic 4: In-Situ Quality Checks
- Topic 5: Reduced Operator Exposure
- Topic 6: Reduced Cost of Operations
- Topic 7: Pilot Line of Non-Traditional OIB Products
- Topic 8: Mobile and Large Surface Automation
- Topic 9: Other AM Technology or Process
Full details are available here.
Proposal submissions for the DoD OIB Modernization Challenge are due April 2 by 5 pm ET.
Joint Additive Qualification for Sustainment – Supplier Qualification
The second project call, Joint Additive Qualification for Sustainment – Supplier Qualification (JAQS-SQ) – Groups 2 & 3, is worth $10.5 million in funding and focuses on unified requirements and training for the qualification of Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Additive Manufacturing and Directed Energy Deposition (DED) suppliers for the metal AM industrial base. Up to thirty awards are anticipated in total.
This project builds on the original JAQS‑SQ effort to strengthen manufacturing readiness and expand the capabilities of the DIB by standardising Additive Manufacturing training and audits, aligning suppliers with acquisition requirements, accelerating the onboarding of non-traditional vendors, and ensuring consistent, qualified production. The training curriculum will be developed in partnership with Wichita State University – National Institute for Aviation Research (WSU‑NIAR).
Specifically designed for production and engineering operations managers, this practical training will teach leaders how to implement process control documents and qualification principles effectively. Once suppliers have completed training and integrated the guidance, an audit will be conducted to verify the capability of operating as a qualified AM manufacturer for the DoD. This includes demonstrating the ability to execute a performance qualification as defined in the curriculum and required by the audit.
“The Defense Industrial Base needs more qualified additive manufacturing suppliers, and JAQS is scaling to deliver them,” stated Ben DiMarco, Technology Transition Director at America Makes. “Preparing these suppliers now strengthens the U.S. Defense Industrial Base and builds the advanced manufacturing capacity our warfighters will depend on for decades. A year from now, we expect more than thirty qualified suppliers. The AM community, especially parts producers, should lean in.”
Full details are available here.
Proposal submissions for the JAQS-SQ project are due April 29 by 5 pm ET.
