America Makes, the U.S. national additive manufacturing innovation institute, and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) have announced two new project calls totaling more than $35 million in funding. Released on March 5, 2026, the Manufacturing Technology Office (OSD ManTech) within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering’s Manufacturing Technology Office (OSD ManTech) and aim to strengthen the U.S. Defense Industrial Base (DIB) through additive manufacturing and advanced manufacturing technologies.
The first initiative, the 2026 Department of Defense (DoD) Organic Industrial Base (OIB) Modernization Challenge, focuses on advancing additive manufacturing and related technologies to modernize defense manufacturing operations. Typical awards are expected to range between $10 million and $15 million, with larger proposals of up to $25 million considered with sufficient justification.
According to the organizers, the challenge targets key manufacturing gaps across the OIB, including digital operations technology, AI-enabled robotic process planning, real-time process monitoring, in-situ quality inspection, and automation systems designed to reduce operator exposure to hazards. Additional areas include reducing operational costs, establishing pilot lines for emerging military products, and developing mobile or large-surface automation solutions.
Modernizing defense manufacturing operations
“Modernizing the organic industrial base is a readiness imperative,” said 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 projects are expected to deliver actionable insights that reduce technical and industrial risk while enabling practical transition pathways for adoption within defense manufacturing operations.
The OIB Modernization Challenge includes nine technical topic areas: digital operations technology, real-time manufacturing sensors for robotics, AI robotic process planning, in-situ quality checks, reduced operator exposure, reduced cost of operations, pilot lines for non-traditional OIB products, mobile and large-surface automation, and other additive manufacturing technologies or processes.
The second initiative, Joint Additive Qualification for Sustainment – Supplier Qualification (JAQS-SQ) Groups 2 and 3, provides $10.5 million in funding to support the qualification of additive manufacturing suppliers. The program focuses on developing unified requirements and training for suppliers operating laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and directed energy deposition (DED) systems.
Up to 30 awards are expected through the JAQS-SQ call. The program builds on earlier efforts to standardize additive manufacturing training and auditing procedures while accelerating the onboarding of non-traditional vendors into defense manufacturing supply networks.
Training for the program will be developed in collaboration with Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (WSU-NIAR). The curriculum is intended for production and engineering operations managers and will focus on implementing process control documentation and qualification procedures for additive manufacturing systems.
After completing the training and implementing the required guidance, participating suppliers will undergo an audit to verify their capability to operate as qualified AM manufacturers for the Department of Defense. The audit process includes demonstrating the ability to execute a performance qualification defined within the training program.
“The Defense Industrial Base needs more qualified additive manufacturing suppliers, and JAQS is scaling to deliver them,” said 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.”
Submissions for the DoD OIB Modernization Challenge are due by April 2 at 5 p.m. ET, while proposals for JAQS-SQ Groups 2 and 3 must be submitted by April 29 at 5 p.m. ET. Kickoff webinars for the two calls are scheduled for March 10 and March 12, respectively.
3D printing suppliers for the DoD
Efforts to expand the pool of qualified additive manufacturing suppliers have become a priority for the U.S. Department of Defense as it works to integrate advanced manufacturing technologies into its industrial base.
America Makes has developed standardized training, qualification pathways, and supplier assessment frameworks for additive manufacturing suppliers in the U.S. Defense Industrial Base. These programs aim to address a key barrier to wider adoption in defense production: ensuring suppliers can meet the strict process control, auditing, and certification requirements for military manufacturing and sustainment operations.
At the same time, additive manufacturing has increasingly been positioned as a tool for modernizing the U.S. defense manufacturing ecosystem. Recent project calls and research programs supported by America Makes and federal agencies have targeted AM materials development, manufacturing automation, and digital production technologies for defense applications.
Such initiatives form part of broader efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities, reduce supply chain risks, and improve the flexibility of production across depots, arsenals, and the wider Defense Industrial Base.
3D Printing Industry is inviting speakers for its 2026 Additive Manufacturing Applications (AMA) series, covering Energy, Healthcare, Automotive and Mobility, Aerospace, Space and Defense, and Software. Each online event focuses on real production deployments, qualification, and supply chain integration. Practitioners interested in contributing can complete the call for speakers form here.
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Feature image shows the America Makes facility in Youngstown, Ohio. Photo via America Makes.
