On Tuesday, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) issued the First Notice Of Funding Opportunity (First NOFO) under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (CHIPS Act), P.L. 117-167. As we have covered, the CHIPS Act provides for federal funding and assistance for the U.S. semiconductor industry, including building and operating new semiconductor factories, and
On February 28, 2023, the Commerce Department released the first Notice of Funding Opportunity (“First NOFO”) under the recently enacted CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS Act), P.L. 117-167. The First NOFO seeks applications for assistance—including direct funding, loans, and loan guarantees—for projects to construct, expand, or modernize commercial semiconductor facilities.
In addition, the Commerce Department’s CHIPS Program Office announced that it will issue two additional NOFOs this year—a second NOFO for semiconductor materials and manufacturing equipment facilities in the spring of 2023, and a third NOFO for research and development facilities in the fall of 2023.
The First NOFO is focused on the fabrication of leading-edge, current-generation, and mature-node semiconductors and includes both front-end wafer fabrication and back-end assembly, testing, and packaging. According to the CHIPS Program Office’s webinar on February 28, the Commerce Department has begun accepting statements of interest for all potential applicants. It will begin accepting full applications on a rolling basis beginning March 31, 2023 for leading-edge manufacturing facilities, and June 26, 2023 for current-generation, mature-node, or back-end manufacturing facilities. Continue Reading Commerce Department Opens First Round of CHIPS Act Funding for Semiconductor Manufacturers