Indiana Manufacturing Readiness Grant: 2026 Status

Manufacturing Readiness Grant status in October 2026

Grantsights checked 2 official program pages on October 18, 2026, and neither shows an open round. Here's where the program stands, piece by piece:

The Conexus notice told applicants that, if the program kept its support in the next budget, they should apply in early Q3 2025. That next budget is the one that dropped the line item. According to the IBJ report republished by Inside Indiana Business, IEDC spokesperson Erin Sweitzer said lawmakers put some of the agency's money "in a broader bucket" instead of program line items, and that commerce leadership was deciding how to categorize it around Gov. Mike Braun's four priorities: workforce training, support for existing businesses, Main Street entrepreneurship and regional planning.

So the honest answer is that MRG is dormant, not formally ended. Indiana writes its two-year budget in odd-year sessions, and money in that budget becomes available July 1, so a restored line item would most likely show up in the 2027 session. Until Conexus posts a new application window, don't build a purchase timeline around this grant.

How the Manufacturing Readiness Grant worked when it was open

MRG started in July 2020 with $4 million and grew to $20 million a year, according to IBJ's October 2024 report. IEDC launched it as one of three parts of the $10 million Economic Activity Stabilization and Enhancement (EASE) program, created during the COVID-19 pandemic to push technology adoption in Indiana manufacturing. The General Assembly later extended it with its own appropriation.

Grantsights analysis of Conexus Indiana's posted totals ($79.8 million across 772 grants) puts the average award near $103,000, at the low end of the typical range staff described. The same page reports $1.11 billion in supported project budgets, which is about $13.90 of total project spending for every grant dollar. IBJ's 2024 article gave a similar figure: about $13 in capital spending per grant dollar.

That ratio matters for planning. A grant of $100,000 usually sat inside a project budget well over $1 million, so MRG worked as a nudge on a large purchase rather than as the main source of money.

What MRG paid for: qualifying smart manufacturing projects

According to IBJ's 2024 reporting, 35% of recipient investments went to production automation, 22% to advanced robotics, 8% to 3D printing and 5% to artificial intelligence. Conexus's FAQ sets a high bar for what counts. Projects had to directly change manufacturing processes, buy commercial-ready equipment from established vendors, and go beyond ordinary upgrades.

Technologies Conexus names as strong fits include:

• Industrial internet of things (IIoT) and sensor systems
• Collaborative robots (cobots) and autonomous robotics or vehicles
• Additive manufacturing (3D printing)
• Big data, analytics, machine learning and AI
• Digital twins and advanced modeling
• Augmented, virtual or mixed reality
• Cloud computing, cybersecurity and advanced communications such as 5G

What didn't count: Conexus says standard automation, more capacity, tighter tolerances, better fabrication techniques or other incremental improvements common in your sector weren't enough. A new CNC machine that does the same job faster was a weak fit. A cobot that feeds that CNC machine and reports cycle data was a strong one.

Real Manufacturing Readiness Grant recipients

Conexus publishes a recipient map and case studies, and IBJ has profiled several companies. Three examples with official or news sources:

• Poolguard, North Vernon. For example, Poolguard received a $56,250 Manufacturing Readiness Grant and used it to move a tedious manual job to surface-mount technology after pandemic demand for its pool alarms jumped, according to Conexus's case study.
• Standard Integrated Solutions, Winamac. The company bought its first cobot to load and unload parts from its CNC press brakes, removing a bottleneck in its air bending process, per Conexus.
• Hoosier Crane, Elkhart. One company in Elkhart with about 110 employees, Hoosier Crane, used an MRG award to help buy a robotic plasma cutter for a facility expansion, IBJ reported in October 2024.

Conexus's map also lists recipients such as Market Square Popcorn Company in Hamilton County, Frankfort Plastics in Clinton County and Kirby Risk Corporation in Tippecanoe County. The mix shows the program wasn't limited to large plants: Conexus staff told IBJ that firms with 10 to 15 people were investing in robotic welding with MRG help.

What Conexus's MRG page doesn't tell you

The page still reads like a temporary pause, with an April 2025 notice and an interest form. Here's what it leaves out.

The dedicated money is gone. Nothing on the Conexus page mentions that the 2025-27 budget removed MRG's $20 million-a-year line item. The same budget also cut the Skills Enhancement Fund's $11.5 million-a-year line and other programs, according to Inside Indiana Business, while IEDC's general business promotion line rose by $20 million to $37 million a year. Whether any of that pool goes to MRG is an IEDC decision, not a scheduled round.

Third-party grant listings are wrong. Several grant aggregator sites still list MRG as open or rolling. They copy old program text. The official Conexus page is the only status that counts, and it hasn't reopened.

Buying first kills eligibility. The FAQ is clear that the grant can't reimburse spending incurred or committed before the application date. A common mistake is signing a purchase order or paying a deposit while waiting for a round to open. If you think MRG may return, get quotes but don't commit until you can apply.

"But for" is the core test. Conexus says the grant should pay for an investment that wouldn't happen without it, or would happen much smaller or later. An application that reads like the company would buy the robot anyway is a red flag for reviewers, and projects that can start right after an award were preferred.

Ready-to-go projects scored better than big ideas. Reviewers wanted commercial-ready equipment from established vendors. Custom, unproven systems were harder to fund than off-the-shelf cobots or sensor packages with a vendor quote attached.

Indiana grants manufacturers can apply for now (October 2026)

Grantsights checked 4 open or recurring Indiana programs on October 18, 2026. None replaces MRG's equipment funding, but each pays for something manufacturers buy alongside new technology.

Employer Training Grant: the best fit for a technology project

If a new robot or sensor system means retraining operators, the ETG is the strongest open option. According to DWD's FY26 Round 1 fact sheet, it reimburses up to $5,000 per employee for credential-bearing training or registered apprenticeship and up to $1,000 per employee for specialized company training, capped at $50,000 per employer per year. New hires must earn at least $19 an hour, existing employees must get at least a 5% raise when training ends, and trainees must stay six months. It's a training grant, so it won't buy the cobot, but it can cover a meaningful share of the people side of the project.

IN-STEP, SBIR match and INTAP

IN-STEP pays 80% of approved costs, up to $15,000 a year, for export activities such as trade shows, and IEDC's page says funding covers activities between June 30 and December 31, 2026. Applicants need at least one target international market and a detailed scope and budget. IEDC's SBIR/STTR match adds 50 cents per federal dollar for companies that already won a federal award. INTAP, run by the Indiana SBDC, pays up to $15,000 to an Indiana vendor for growth projects, but its rules exclude buying equipment, so use it for integration software or prototyping rather than machines. Its 2026 projects run July 1 to December 31, 2026, and the SBDC strongly suggests a 50% match.

Non-grant help for Indiana manufacturers

Purdue MEP has helped about 8,000 Indiana manufacturers, according to its site, but it's a service, not a grant program. Here's how the other main routes compare:

The Indiana small business grants guide covers the state's loan programs, including the SSBCI-backed Legend Fund, and the Indiana grants guide covers money for nonprofits, schools and local governments.

What to do if you were planning an MRG project

Most manufacturers face a 3-step decision: wait, split the project, or finance it. Here's how to choose:

1. Fill out the Conexus interest form now. Conexus says it'll notify anyone on the list when applications reopen. It costs nothing and doesn't commit you.
2. Don't sign anything you'd want MRG to pay for. If there's a real chance the program returns in 2027, keep the equipment purchase uncommitted. If you can't wait, buy it and stop counting on MRG for that project.
3. Fund the people side now. Apply for the ETG for operator training tied to the new equipment. That's money you can get this year.
4. Call Purdue MEP and your Indiana SBDC. Both track state funding changes and can tell you if IEDC opens a technology program under a new name.
5. Compare federal and neighboring-state routes. Our grants for manufacturing businesses guide lists federal programs and state programs elsewhere. Firms with plants in other states can check the Ohio small business grants guide, the Michigan small business grants guide or the Illinois small business grants guide.

If MRG doesn't come back, a better route for most small manufacturers is a mix: an ETG award for training, an equipment loan through a bank or CDFI, and, for exporters, IN-STEP. The small business grants by state hub compares what each state offers.

Manufacturing Readiness Grant red flags and scams

The FTC's government grant scams page (opens in a new tab) warns against anyone charging a fee to get you a grant, and MRG is a common target for this pitch because aggregator sites still show it as open. Three red flags:

• A consultant promising to file an MRG application today. There's no portal open to file in. Applications go through Conexus's own portal, only when a round is active.
• A vendor offering a "grant-ready" quote with a deposit due now. Paying a deposit before applying makes that spending ineligible under the Conexus FAQ.
• A listing that gives a 2026 deadline. Conexus hasn't posted one. Check the official page before you trust any date.

To see federal, state and local programs that fit your plant, location and project, search the Grantsights grant database or run the free eligibility checker.

Sources

• Conexus Indiana: Manufacturing Readiness Grants (opens in a new tab) (status notice, impact totals, FAQ, case studies, recipient map)
• Indiana Economic Development Corporation: Economic Activity Stabilization and Enhancement (EASE) (opens in a new tab); Skills Enhancement Fund (opens in a new tab); Grants and Incentives (opens in a new tab); IN-STEP (opens in a new tab); SBIR/STTR matching (opens in a new tab)
• Indiana Department of Workforce Development: Employer Training Grant (opens in a new tab); ETG FY26 Round 1 fact sheet (opens in a new tab)
• Indiana SBDC: Indiana Technical Assistance Program (INTAP) (opens in a new tab)
• Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership: mep.purdue.edu (opens in a new tab)
• Inside Indiana Business (IBJ): Funding for workforce training, manufacturing readiness and flight incentives in limbo (opens in a new tab), May 16, 2025; Bridging the gap: Manufacturing Readiness Grants boost Indiana enterprises (opens in a new tab), October 14, 2024
• FTC: Government grant scams (opens in a new tab)