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Supplier Scouting  Matching Services

(Re)Build supply chains or find new customers

Polaris MEP helps Rhode Island’s manufacturing businesses become stronger and more resilient by helping them transform their supply chains.

Whether you need to locate a hard-to-source material or are looking for growth, our local, regional and national connections can help.

Featured Solutions

Link with a NEW Supply Chain

Is your company the right fit for one of the most recent “Supplier Scouting” opportunities posted through the MEP National Network?

Click here to see a listing of recent RFPs.

Build Back Better

Access the MEP National “Supplier Scouting” platform to

  • Find more resilient, reliable partners
  • Reduce total cost of ownership
  • Identify suppliers for new products or specs

Click here to post a request.

Respond to Tech Scouting Opportunities

401 Tech Bridge, which like Polaris MEP is a business unit of the URI Research Foundation, is an interface between the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) and Rhode Island’s manufacturing innovators.

Click to see a list of open Tech Scouting opportunities.

WHAT IS

MEP National Network (MEPNN) Supplier Matching/Scouting?

The formal MEP “Supplier Scouting” program connects companies to domestic manufacturers to build their supply chain. It also connects Rhode Island manufacturers to other companies that need your parts and components.

Supply matchmaking promotes domestic manufacturing and reshoring. The MEP network has manufacturing experts deeply embedded in every state. Through Supplier Scouting, the network becomes a powerful and positive change agent on behalf of local companies.

Supplier Matching and Sourcing

Helping RI Manufacturers with Hard-To-Source Supply Chain Needs

Click on an arrow to find the answers to common questions about NIST MEP Supplier Scouting.

HOW Does This Service Produce Results?

  1. Start with a short questionnaire that captures basic information about your hard-to-source need.
  2. The request is sent to MEP centers in all 50 states plus Puerto Rico.
  3. Receive a formal report with information on prospective suppliers who meet your specs.

Polaris MEP’s team is skilled at assessing supplier certifications and aligning capabilities with manufacturer needs. The prospective suppliers will have been vetted to ensure they meet your requirements and have the capacity to provide the material.

WHEN Should I Use This Service?

DO use Supplier Scouting if:

  • You want help finding backup and secondary suppliers as part of a disaster recovery or risk mitigation plan
  • You have a hard-to-source material
  • You want to reduce cost or find more reliable partners
  • You want to find potential new customers, including US government procurement buyers driven through Buy American initiatives

DON’T use Supplier Scouting when:

  • You need your stock in less than 30 days. The process is a thoughtful matchmaking service that typically takes between 30 and 45 days.
  • You’re looking for commercial/off-the-shelf goods.

WHAT Else Can Help Me Strengthen My Supply Chain?

Polaris MEP offers a free Supply Chain Assessment for Rhode Island manufacturers. The resulting “Supply Chain Health Report” will identify gaps and offer recommendations related to a variety of critical areas, including:

  • Supplier management
  • Risk management
  • Forecasting & Inventory Management
  • Regulatory Compliance & Sustainability
  • Foreign Sourcing

Click here to learn more and begin scheduling your free Supply Chain Assessment.

Where Do I Get Started?
“How To” guide for Supplier Scouting requests
Supplier Scouting Sourcing Request Form
  1. Download the “how to” guide to Supplier Scouting requests.
  2. Download a blank, editable Supplier Scouting PDF.
  3. Follow directions to fill out as much information as you can.
  4. Return the form to Polaris MEP.

Questions? Email Supply Chain Solutions Program Manager, Kayla Viveiros, at kviveiros@polarismep.org.

Growth Opportunities

US Manufacturers Seeking Domestic Suppliers

To be considered as a supplier for any of the opportunities below, click HERE  to send an email to Supply Chain Manager Kayla Viveiros. Note the Opportunity Number in your message and you’ll receive a synopsis by email.

If the you believe the opportunity looks right for your company, we’ll submit you as a possible match to the MEPNN Supplier Scouting system.

Please note that final selections are up to the company which posted the RFP. (We can’t guarantee a match but as Wayne Gretzky said, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.)

Updated: March 5, 2025

  • Opportunity 2025-064: Indicator Wall Posts, submitted by Jacobs Solutions, closes March 29
  • Opportunity 2025-063: Non-Rising Stem (NRS) Gate Valve, submitted by Jacobs Solutions, closes March 29
  • Opportunity 2025-062: Indicating-Type Butterfly Valve, submitted by Jacobs Solutions, closes March 29
  • Opportunity 2025-061: Iron Outside Screw & Yoke (OS&Y) Gate Valve, submitted by Jacobs Solutions, closes March 29
  • Opportunity 2025-060: Iron Butterfly Valve, submitted by Jacobs Solutions, closes March 29
  • Opportunity 2025-059: Ball Valves, submitted by Jacobs Solutions, closes March 29
  • Opportunity 2025-058: Indicating Post Valve Assembly, submitted by Jacobs Solutions, closes March 29
  • Opportunity 2025-057: Food Macerator, submitted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, closes March 19
  • Opportunity 2025-056: Axial Flow Control Valve, submitted by Jacobs Solutions, closes March 19
  • Opportunity 2025-055: Nozzle Check Valves, submitted by Jacobs Engineering, closes March 13
  • Opportunity 2025-054: Quadrant Strain Clamps, submitted by Midwest Energy, closes March 28
  • Opportunity 2025-053: Spring Clip Washers, submitted by Midwest Energy, closes March 28
  • Opportunity 2025-052: Multi-Brush Cosmetic Kit, submitted by Arizona MEP, closes March 26
  • Opportunity 2025-051: Cast Iron Pillar, submitted by Polaris MEP (Rhode Island MEP), closes March 28
  • Opportunity 2025-050: Check Valves, submitted by Jacobs Solutions, closes March 28
  • Opportunity 2025-049: Enclosed Circuit Breaker, submitted by Alabama Technology Network (Alabama MEP), closes March 7
  • Opportunity 2025-048: BABA – Restroom Accessories, submitted by Manufacturer’s Edge (Colorado MEP), closes March 27
  • Opportunity 2025-047: Flexible Magnetic Sheet, submitted by Maryland MEP, closes March 22
  • Opportunity 2025-046: Water Based Colloid Concentration, submitted by FloridaMakes (Florida MEP), closes April 21
  • Opportunity 2025-045: Golf Club Heads, submitted by Manufacturer’s Edge, closes March 22
  • Opportunity 2025-044: Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors, submitted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, closes March 15
  • Opportunity 2025-043: Polymer Recycling Services, submitted by Impact Washington (Washington MEP), closes March 14
  • Opportunity 2025-042: Hoist Gear Motor, submitted by state of Washington, closes March 14
  • Opportunity 2025-040: Wire Form, submitted by Tennessee MEP, closes March 29
  • Opportunity 2025-039: Circuit Breakers, submitted by U.S. Department of Energy, closes March 7
  • Opportunity 2025-035: Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Systems, submitted by Westbrook Development Corp., closes March 7
  • Opportunity 2025-019: Liquid Adhesive, submitted by MEP of Louisiana, closes March 16
  • Opportunity 2025-018: Precision Film Imprinter, submitted by Ohio MEP, closes March 16
  • Opportunity 2025-017: Precision Imprinting Mold Supplier, submitted by Ohio MEP, closes March 16

Opportunity 2024-385: OEM for Outdoor Furniture Brand, submitted by GreenBridge Furnishings, closes Dec. 11

 

Click here to get the FAQs about MEPNN Supplier Scouting, including how to post your own supply need to this national matching service.

For more information on any of the supplier scouting opportunities listed here, contact kviveiros@polarismep.org.