The Digital Bridge: Workforce Training Technology Technical Assistance Program helps small and medium manufacturers (SMMs) in Southwestern Pennsylvania improve through process improvement, standard work, and smart manufacturing technologies.
Administered by Catalyst Connection with funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), this program provides matching funds and hands-on technical assistance to support practical, implementation-focused projects.
Program Overview
This program supports manufacturers with:
- Technical Assistance focused on standard work, process improvement, and workforce enablement
- Digitized work instruction platforms, supported by vetted third-party technology providers
- Training and implementation support to accelerate adoption
- A mini-grant reimbursement program
Eligible manufacturers must be located in one of 11 counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania and operate within manufacturing or supporting industry NAICS codes.
Eligible Uses of Funding
Technical Assistance funds may be used to support direct, project-related consulting costs, contracted services, supplies, and one-time implementation costs related to integrating and expanding smart manufacturing technologies and workforce practices. Eligible activities focus on reducing variability, minimizing human error, preserving institutional knowledge, improving training effectiveness and efficiency, and accelerating Industry 4.0 adoption. Program activities (technical assistance and mini-grants) are intended to support manufacturer efforts to adopt or move towards adoption of technology enabled workforce practices such as digitized work instructions, AI enabled training tools, and related technologies.
Eligible Areas of Support
Within the eligible uses of funding described above, technical Assistance funding supports practical, implementation-focused projects in the following areas:
- Process Improvement & Standard Work – Defining and documenting standardized processes to reduce variability, improve quality, and support continuous improvement.
- Digital Work Instructions & SOP Digitization – Converting paper-based or informal procedures into structured, digital work instructions accessible on the shop floor.
- Workforce OJT Enablement & Training Assets – Developing on-the-job training (OJT) frameworks and digital training content to accelerate onboarding and upskilling.
- Augmented Reality (AR) – Using visual, in-context guidance to support training, assembly, maintenance, or inspection tasks.
- Big Data, AI & Analytics – Applying dashboards and analytics to manufacturing and workforce data to support decision-making and process improvement.
Funding Details
- Up to 80% reimbursement of eligible project costs
- Maximum award: $10,000 per project
- 20% minimum cost share required from the applicant
- Projects are first-come, first-served until funds are exhausted
- Projects must be completed within 7 months of approval and no later than July 31, 2026
Technology Providers
The program connects manufacturers with experienced technology providers that support:
- Digital work instructions
- Standard work enablement
- AI enabled Knowledge capture and retention
- Frontline guidance at the point of work
- Operational data capture
Technology providers are engaged as part of time-bound Technical Assistance projects, coordinated by Catalyst Connection.
How to Get Started
- Connect with Catalyst Connection to schedule a discovery conversation
- Identify a focused use case aligned with eligible activities
- Prepare and submit a mini-grant application
- Apply and begin implementation once approved
Applicants may also attend Digital Discovery webinars, with previous sessions available.