; (5) convene workshops and other forums to improve alignment among participants in the regional manufacturing economy; and (6) strengthen ties and relationships within the cluster and assess the impact of the cluster on the region. (d) Program phases (1) Phase 1 (A) In general For the first phase of the program (referred to in this section as Phase 1 ), the head of each covered agency shall select eligible manufacturing clusters for an award described in subparagraph (C) for the purpose of assisting such eligible manufacturing clusters in the development of a detailed implementation plan for each proposal submitted under subparagraph (B). (B) Application An eligible manufacturing cluster applying for Phase 1 shall submit an application containing a description of— (i) the members of the cluster; (ii) the needs of the local, regional, and national manufacturing economy and workforce that the cluster intends to address; (iii) a proposal for activities described in subsection (c) to address such needs; and (iv) a plan for transition of manufacturing cluster activities to the private sector. (C) Award The head of each covered agency may provide an eligible manufacturing cluster selected for an award under Phase 1 mentoring, training, and courses to cover topics including— (i) problem selection and curation; (ii) iterative refinement based on feedback from potential beneficiaries to ensure plans are tailored to regional needs or problem; (iii) development of effective teams; (iv) validation of the repeatability and scalability of the plan