And how you can prepare to capture the opportunities it presents.
The CHIPS for America Act is poised to provide significant opportunities for semiconductor organizations. Competition for funds will be fierce, but there are steps semiconductor organizations can take now to prepare.
Where Funding Will Be Allocated
The Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Act intends to address the chip shortage by offering about $52 billion in subsidies and incentives to expand domestic semiconductor production. The bulk of the funding is $39 billion in grants and loans to encourage the construction or expansion of semiconductor fabrication, packaging or R&D facilities.
Another $11 billion is allocated in grants for semiconductor-related R&D programs, including a National Semiconductor Technology Center, National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program, Manufacturing USA Semiconductor Institute within the National Institute for Standards & Technology (NIST), and Microelectronics R&D within NIST.
The remainder of the funding allocated thus far also includes:
- $2 billion in grants for the Department of Defense to develop a Microelectronics Commons
- $1.5 billion in grants for a Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
- $200 million in grants for a semiconductor workforce and education initiative
Private firms and public institutions involved in the construction, expansion and modernization of fabrication plants will be eligible for a federal grant not to exceed $3 billion per project, without a waiver.
How Semiconductor Organizations Can Prepare
Semiconductor organizations should study the contents of the programs and be prepared to act as soon as the application process opens, which according to the Department of Commerce will begin in late February 2023. Once the application is released, all companies will be required to submit a Statement of Interest before applying. In addition, the process will likely require a combination of company financial, corporate and legal entity information as well as a detailed proposal for the project for which they’re applying for funding.
Companies must also obtain agreements for state and local incentives that need to be included in their federal applications. Companies should pull together key corporate and project information and communicate with state and local officials promptly, as these funds will be competitive.
Written by Tom Stringer and Hitesh Shah. Copyright © 2023 BDO USA, LLP. All rights reserved. www.bdo.com
