America Makes Announces Two Project Calls

America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) announced two new project calls worth over $35M. Both are funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Manufacturing Technology Office (OSD ManTech).

The 2026 Department of Defense (DoD) Organic Industrial Base (OIB) Modernization Challenge, released in cooperation with Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MII), focuses on advancing additive manufacturing (AM) and related technologies to support defense manufacturing modernization. 

The project targets AM and advanced manufacturing challenges across the OIB, including digital operations technology, AI robotic process planning, in-situ quality checks and more. 

“Modernizing the organic industrial base is a readiness imperative,” says John Martin, additive manufacturing research director at America Makes. “Through this project, we’re hardwiring shopfloor 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.”

Proposed efforts are expected to deliver actionable insights that reduce technical and industrial risk while enabling realistic transition pathways, America Makes reports. 

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

The second project call, Joint Additive Qualification for Sustainment – Supplier Qualification (JAQS-SQ) – Groups 2 & 3, is worth $10.5M in funding and focuses on unified requirements and training for the qualification of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) AM and directed energy deposition (DED) suppliers for the metal AM industrial base. 

This project builds on the original JAQS‑SQ effort to strengthen manufacturing readiness and expand the capabilities of the DIB by standardizing AM training and audits. 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. 

“The Defense Industrial Base needs more qualified additive manufacturing suppliers — and JAQS is scaling to deliver them,” says 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 30 qualified suppliers. The AM community, especially parts producers, should lean in.”

Project call timeline:

• Launch: Thursday, March 5
• Kickoff Webinars: 
  • March 10 for DoD OIB Modernization Challenge (Registration Required HERE)
  • March 12 for JAQS-SQ – Groups 2& 3 (Registration Required HERE)
• Submission Deadline: April 2 by 5 p.m. ET for DoD OIB Modernization Challenge; and April 29 by 5 p.m. ET for JAQS-SQ – Groups 2 & 3. Proposers for the 2026 DoD OIB Modernization Challenge are advised to reference the RFP for full details HERE. Proposers for JAQS-SQ – Groups 2 & 3 are advised to reference the RFP for full details HERE

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.