Request for Proposal: Inexpensive, but effective, Battle Armor design.
Requirements: Effective combat power against both capital weapons (Tanks, 'mechs, and emplacements) and infantry/guerilla forces.
Must. Be. Cheap. this armor is to be a mass-production item for mass-issue to large formations as an enhancement for line infantry and mechanized formations expected to deploy to a variety of hostile potential environments. The primary purpose is to act as a heavy-weapons enhancement to Mechanized infantry or as infantry support for Battlemech and Armored units in open field warfare. The purchasing government(s) have strict budgetary limitations for equipment, but lavish budgetary excess for training and recruitment of personnel. (basically, it's possible that we can recruit more suit-troops than we can, at present, equip.)
The lowest C-bill cost to BV(2) ratio wins this outright.