Federal Announcements

The Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce and Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC) have signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) to provide up to $325 million in proposed direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act to solidify U.S. leadership in semiconductor-grade polysilicon production. The proposed funding would support the construction of a new manufacturing facility on HSC’s existing campus in Hemlock, Michigan.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce and Wolfspeed, Inc. have signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) to provide up to $750 million in proposed direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. The proposed funding would support the construction of a new silicon carbide wafer manufacturing facility in Siler City, North Carolina, helping to secure a reliable domestic supply of the semiconductors.

President Joe Biden proclaimed tomorrow, Oct. 4, 2024, National Manufacturing Day. “I thank our manufacturing workers for all that they do to strengthen our Nation, encourage all Americans to look for ways to get involved in their communities, and call on everyone to join me in participating in National Manufacturing Day and, most importantly, buying American.”

The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to announce an open competition demonstrating how AI can assist in developing new sustainable semiconductor materials and processes that meet industry needs and can be designed and adopted within five years. CHIPS for America anticipates up to $100 million in funding to award recipients that develop university-led, industry-informed, collaborations about artificial intelligence-powered autonomous experimentation (AI/AE).

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has made a cooperative agreement award to operate a Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center in Florida. The MEP Center will be operated by the awardee, FloridaMakes, Inc. The total anticipated funding over five years is $5,319,200.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced its first award under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities of up to $123 million in direct funding to Polar Semiconductor (Polar).

The U.S. National Science Foundation, in partnership with Ericsson, Intel Corporation, Micron Technology and Samsung, announced $42.4 million in grants for its Future of Semiconductors competition. The investment will fuel research and education across various semiconductor technologies, advancing U.S. leadership in semiconductor research and innovation and addressing challenges, including emerging computing tasks and applications, energy efficiency, performance, manufacturing and supply chains.

The Biden-Harris Administration has awarded Intel Corporation up to $3 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act for a capability known as the “Secure Enclave.” The funding will support the manufacturing of microelectronics and ensure access to a domestic supply chain of advanced semiconductors for national security. The award will be executed by the Department of Defense (DoD) per an agreement between the Department of Commerce and the DoD.

The Department of Defense today announced 12 additional awards to bioindustrial firms via the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP). This announcement brings the DBIMP to 25 awards to date totaling $42 million.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced an additional $9 million investment in the Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (ITAC) Implementation Grants program. This funding would support 47 small- and medium-sized manufacturers across the country to implement a wide variety of energy and efficiency projects, including installing onsite solar and heat pumps, improving lighting and heating, and electrifying industrial equipment and fleets.