Opportunities

The Product Accelerator for Functional Fabrics (PAFF) program is designed to help US companies close the gap(s) in their advanced functional fabric product, technology and process development. To improve the time to market of products in their development pipeline, industry members will be able to access AFFOA’s specialized capabilities and expertise to supplement the company’s investment into their product development. Critically, the cost of AFFOA labor for this effort will be covered by AFFOA’s Government funds, not by the company.  

The PAFF program is specifically meant for companies with a product near commercialization or a process with a targeted improvement need that can be introduced to the market in 12 – 24 months.  The period of performance for this project will be <12 months.

PAFF 1.0 Awardees:

Read more about the PAFF 1.0 awardees

Proposals for the PAFF program will be evaluated on the following criteria:  

Additional criteria include:

 – Technology Readiness Level (TRL)/Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) of existing technology or process 

 – Minimum 1:1 Cost share (in-kind investment into the project by the company demonstrated) 

– Domestic manufacturing impact

– Pathway to commercialization

The company’s commitment to financial ROI to AFFOA will also be considered in awardee selection and negotiated on a case-by-case basis once a company is chosen for consideration. Proposed ROI can include, but is not limited to, royalties for product(s) built with AFFOA’s support, IP licensing revenue, and/or commitments to future project funding.  

Access to Expertise and Equipment:

The PAFF program will support access to AFFOA’s specialized equipment, staff expertise and capabilities for your commercialization efforts, including: 

 – Textile and electronic product design  

 – Thermally drawn fiber* 

 – Textile yarn and fabric formation   

 – Electronics development, including access to a Universal Development Platform and Closed Loop Heating Platform 

 – Prototype manufacturing and access to Material Libraries 

 – Component & product testing and failure analysis 

 – Process development engineering 

AFFOA recorded a webinar to help interested organizations better understand the program, how the application program works, and how to take advantage of it to speed up time to market. 

PAFF 2.0 Resources

Product Accelerator for Advanced Functional Fabrics 2.0 Webinar

AFFOA held a webinar explaining the details of the PAFF 2.0 Program. Request access to the recording: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Z9PZMQM

PAFF 2.0 Webinar Slides

The slides from the PAFF 2.0 webinar contain great information about the program and how you can utilize it. Access the slides from the PAFF 2.0 Webinar: http://affoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Webinar_PAFF2_Slides_07312024.pdf

PAFF 2.0 Guidebook

The PAFF 2.0 Guidebook contains all the details, deadlines, and instructions on how to apply. Download it here: http://affoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AFFOA-PAFF-Guidebook_V2_final_06302024.pdf 

PAFF Proposal Summary Template

For internal and external communication purposes, each Proposer must provide a single slide following the PAFF Program Proposal Summary Slide Template in addition to the pre-proposal. 

PAFF 2.0 Frequently Asked Questions

We have gathered the most frequent questions about the PAFF program, which can be downloaded here: http://affoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PAFF2_FAQ_08132024.pdf 

Questions:

If you have questions regarding this program,  please use this form. 

Important Due Dates:  

Pre-proposals should be submitted via email to proposals@affoa.org by 5:00 PM PST on October 9, 2024.   

Full proposals should be submitted via email to proposals@affoa.org by 5:00 PM PST on December 4, 2024.   

About AFFOA:   

AFFOA is a non-profit, public-private partnership and one of the DoD-funded Manufacturing USA Innovation Institutes headquartered in Cambridge, MA. AFFOA’s mission is to “Rekindle the domestic textiles industry by leading a nationwide enterprise for advanced fiber & fabric technology development and manufacturing, enabling revolutionary system capabilities for national security and commercial markets.”     

AFFOA’s strength is its ability to engage with the United States advanced fabrics community to meet their needs and build a robust and collaborative ecosystem.  More information on membership to the Fabric Innovation Network can be found on AFFOA’s website (www.affoa.org).       

Please note that AFFOA Membership is not required to submit a proposal for this program. However, it will be required if you are chosen to participate in the PAFF program. If you are interested in becoming a member of AFFOA’s network or learning more, please reach out via this form: https://affoa.org/membership/how-to-become-a-member/#memberform 

*No new concept development will be funded; capability is provided for products demonstrating manufacturing readiness level >4. 

Response Deadline: 10/9/2024 

Response Deadline: 10.09.2024

• Topic #: Product Development
• Link:

AFFOA is issuing a solicitation in collaboration with the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2) to provide manufacturing equipment grants to Massachusetts-based AFFOA member businesses, and manufacturers. Through this grant, AFFOA is looking to help MA-based manufacturers, start-ups, and businesses scale-up their equipment needs to achieve domestic, manufacturing scale.   

The targets for this equipment call are companies looking to ramp up production capability for advanced fiber, fabric, and/or textile products in Manufacturing Readiness Levels 4-7. High-tech, traditional, or start-up manufacturing firms with capabilities in manufacturing technology for fiber, fabric, or textile-related products or prototypes are therefore encouraged to apply.  

We will be holding an informational webinar on Monday, August 16th from 1PM-2PM EST to brief interested parties. This webinar will feature a presentation on the M2I2 program by Farhad Vazehgoo, Acting Director of Advanced Manufacturing Programs, as well as more information on the funding opportunity. 

Register Here 

Additional Information 

• Request for Consultation:  Interested members are encouraged to seek a consultation prior to application submission. 

Please request a consult here

Response Deadline: 08.26.2021

• Link: