The U.S. Department of Energy opened applications on 2 October for universities to operate the next five-year cycle of its Industrial Training and Assessment Center program. Applications are due on 30 October 2026. DOE said the 36 active centers are scheduled to finish their current five-year projects at the end of this year, making the solicitation a competition for the following cycle. The centers provide technical assessments to small and medium-sized manufacturers while giving engineering students practical experience. The notice does not name selected universities or report awards for the new cycle.

DOE described two tracks. Track 1 continues the established manufacturing-center model; Track 2 is a new version focused on mining and mineral-processing operations. University applicants would operate the centers for the next five years under the program. The announcement does not publish a total funding ceiling, award amount per center or a final list of sites. It says applications close on 30 October and directs applicants to the EnergyWerx application page for details. The dates and scope therefore describe an open solicitation, not a completed selection or a center already operating under the new term.

The program’s assessments are in-depth evaluations conducted by engineering faculty and students from participating universities. DOE says they identify an average of $150,000 in annual savings opportunities per facility and that the program has produced more than $1 billion in total savings since 1976. Those are historical program-level figures and identified opportunities, not a promise that every participating plant will realize that amount. DOE also reports that more than 2,400 students receive on-the-job experience each year and that the program has issued over 169,000 recommendations to manufacturers.

The solicitation combines industrial efficiency work with workforce development. A university’s role includes helping manufacturers identify operational improvements while exposing students to applied engineering assessments. The new minerals track expands the program’s stated focus beyond conventional factory operations, although DOE’s short announcement does not detail the technical criteria or geographic allocation for that track. The application deadline is the immediate milestone. After applications close, the department’s selection process will determine which universities receive the five-year operating roles; the press release itself is not evidence that future savings, student outcomes or mineral-sector projects have already occurred.