1

CHIPS for America Guide November 17, 2023

Funding Opportunity – Facilities for Semiconductor Materials and 

Manufacturing Equipment

GUIDE: Instruction Guide for Concept Plan Forms and Narratives

Introduction

This document provides instructions and guidance for those filling out a concept plan as part of the CHIPS Incentive 

Program Notice of Funding Opportunity for Facilities for Semiconductor Materials and Manufacturing Equipment.

A concept plan is required for all applicants applying for semiconductor materials facilities and semiconductor 

manufacturing equipment facilities for which the capital investment falls below $300 million. If your project is for 

capital investment at or above $300 million, refer to the first NOFO. Concept plans will be accepted between 

December 1, 2023, and February 1, 2024. For applications that are invited to advance to the full application phase, 

the CHIPS Program Office will communicate full application submission dates to applicants individually upon 

notifying them of their advancement.

Each member of a consortium that seeks CHIPS Incentives for a project to construct, expand, or modernize a facility 

eligible for funding must submit a separate concept plan and, if invited to the second phase, a separate full 

application.

Please refer to the CHIPS Incentives Program—Facilities for Semiconductor Materials and Manufacturing 

Equipment Notice of Funding Opportunity (CHIPS-SMME NOFO) Section IV.G., the Fact Sheet, the FAQs, and other 

guidance materials on the CHIPS website, or email apply@chips.gov with additional questions.

The concept plan serves as an opportunity for applicants to explain how their proposed project addresses core 

program priorities. Throughout the review process, the Department may request additional information and/or

revisions regarding this submission.
CHIPS for America Guide

2

Table of Contents

Introduction........................................................................................................................................1

1. Application Pipeline Selection................................................................................................3

2. Acknowledgement [Web Form].............................................................................................4

3. Cover Page and Applicant Profile [Web Form].......................................................................5

4. Sources and Uses of Funds [Web Form] ................................................................................7

4.i. Uses of Funds Form .................................................................................................................................................7

4.ii. Sources of Funds Form ...........................................................................................................................................8

5. Concept Plan Projection Information [Web Form]...............................................................10

5.i. Consortium and Partner Information....................................................................................................................10

5.ii. Project Information ..............................................................................................................................................11

5.iii. Facility Information..............................................................................................................................................11

5.iv. Facility Outputs....................................................................................................................................................12

6. Narrative Uploads.........................................................................................................................13

6.i. Consortium Narrative ............................................................................................................................................13

6.ii. Concept Plan Narrative.........................................................................................................................................14

7. Confirm Ability to Submit a Full Application [Web Form].....................................................15

8. Attestation and Submission [Web Form].............................................................................16
CHIPS for America Guide

3

1. Application Pipeline Selection

Instructions: In the CHIPS Application web portal, you must complete the application pipeline selection section 

before you can access the concept plan application.

• Application Pipeline Selection: For the concept plan submission for CHIPS-SMME (Semiconductor 

Materials and Manufacturing Equipment) NOFO, you must select “NOFO 2: Small-Scale Supply Chain 

Facilities (<$300M Capital Expenditures)”.

o If your project is at or over $300M in Total Capital Expenditures: You are considered “NOFO 1: 

Large-Scale Supply Chain Facilities (≥$300M Capital Expenditures)”. If this is the case, you cannot 

apply for the CHIPS-SMME NOFO. Please refer to the CHIPS Incentive Program––Commercial 

Fabrication Facilities Notice of Funding Opportunity and the CHIPS website for instructions and 

guidance.

• Total Capital Expenditures: Refers to expenses incurred in the construction or improvement of physical 

assets, such as the costs of land, building and construction, equipment and installation, physical 

improvements, and working capital during the construction phase.
CHIPS for America Guide

4

2. Acknowledgement [Web Form]

Instructions: In the web portal, you must complete the acknowledgement section of the concept plan before you 

can access the rest of the concept plan application. By completing this section, you acknowledge that:

“Any communication, data, or other information stored or transmitted on this system may be accessed and used by 

federal employees, consultants and contractors in accordance with Section IV.C. of the CHIPS Incentives Program –

Facilities for Semiconductor Materials and Manufacturing Equipment Notice of Funding Opportunity (CHIPS-SMME

NOFO). By voluntarily furnishing information through this system, the applicant consents to such access and use.”
CHIPS for America Guide

5

3. Cover Page and Applicant Profile [Web Form]

Instructions: Please populate all applicable and required fields to complete the concept plan cover page web form.

• Name of Application: Provide a descriptive name for the application / project for which the entity is 

requesting CHIPS incentive funds. Note, this is NOT meant to be the name of the individual filling in the 

concept plan. Many entities choose to input [entity or company name] plus [project location]. 

Applicant Organization Information

Please enter the following information for the entity applying for CHIPS Incentives.

• Potential Applicant Name (i.e., applying entity): Provide the legal name of the entity applying for CHIPS

Incentives. Note, this is not the name of the individual submitting the concept plan. Under CHIPS-SMME 

NOFO, an Applicant may be a foreign entity.

• Corporate Parent Name (If applicable): Provide the legal name of the corporate parent of the entity 

applying for CHIPS Incentives. This could be the same name as the Applicant in some cases.

• Mailing Address: Include the street address, city, state, and zip for US addresses and equivalent 

information for foreign addresses, including country/location. If you do not know the 9-digit zip code for 

your U.S. location, enter “0000” for the last four digits.

• Organization Website: Provide a URL address for the applying entity’s website (or corporate parent if 

entity does not have a website).

• Have you registered for a SAM.gov account? Choose “Yes” or “No” from the dropdown menu to indicate 

whether the potential applicant entity has applied for an account in the federal government’s System for 

Award Management (SAM.gov). The registration should correspond to the entity that will be the recipient 

for the CHIPS funding, and cannot be substituted for a corporate affiliate. Note: A prerequisite for any 

award by the Department is an active registration in the System for Awards Management (SAM). 

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to begin the process of registering for SAM.gov as early as 

possible. While this process ordinarily takes between three days and two weeks, in some circumstances 

it can take six or more months to complete due to information verification requirements. CPO is unable to 

issue a CHIPS Incentive to an entity that lacks an active SAM.gov registration.

• If “No”, continue with the application.

• If “Yes”, add the UEI number if one has been provided for this project/application.

Applicant Point of Contact

Please enter the following information for the applicant point of contact, who should be an individual authorized

to submit an application on behalf of the entity.

• First Name: The first name of the point of contact.

• Last Name: The last name of the point of contact.

• Title: The official title of the point of contact at the applying entity.

• Phone Number: A business phone number to reach the point of contact.

• Email Address: A business email for the point of contact associated with the applicant.
CHIPS for America Guide

6

Additional Applicant Details

Please enter any additional information regarding the applicant.

• Please list all primary officers (First Name, Last Name, Title): The full name and title of every primary officer

in the entity (e.g., Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology 

Officer).

• Is the global headquarters address the same as the organization address?: Choose “Yes” or “No” from the 

dropdown menu to indicate whether the headquarters of the organization is located at the same 

organization address.

o Global Headquarters Address: If you chose “No” in the previous question, please include the street

address, city, state, and zip for US addresses and equivalent information for foreign addresses, 

including country/location. If you do not know the 9-digit zip code for your U.S. location, enter 

“0000” for the last four digits.

• Select the applicant organization ownership structure: Choose “Public” or “Private” from the dropdown 

menu to indicate how your organization’s ownership is structured.

• List all major shareholders (if none, then write “N/A”): Provide the legal name(s) of any major

entity/shareholder that owns equity in the applicant’s ownership structure. 

• List all countries of operations: Provide a list of all countries where the applicant operates.

Attestation

You must complete this attestation section of the concept plan before you can access the rest of the concept plan. 

By completing this section, you acknowledge that:

“Elements of this statement may have been prepopulated with data submitted previously. I have reviewed the 

information to be submitted for accuracy and made updates where necessary.”
CHIPS for America Guide

7

4. Sources and Uses of Funds [Web Form]

Instructions: In the CHIPS web portal, complete the summarized project sources and uses on a best-efforts basis. 

The figures provided in this web form are expected to be estimates and are permissible to be rough approximations 

for high-level cost categories.

Note, total project capital sources should be equal to or greater than the capital investment (uses of capital) and 

should include, for example, CHIPS Incentives; equity from the applicant, its parent, and any third parties; debt 

financing from the applicant or corporate parents; state and local government incentives; the Investment Tax 

Credit; and any other sources of funds, such as customer pre-payments.

Please also refer to Section IV.H.8 of the CHIPS-SMME NOFO for an overview of the requirements for this portion 

of the concept plan.

4.i. Uses of Funds Form

Instructions: Complete the fields under the Schedule A: Summation Across Projects – Cost Schedule ($ USD)section

under the Use of Funds Form with cost estimates.

Note, total capital investment must fall below $300 million. Concept plans determined to be ineligible, incomplete, 

or nonresponsive will be rejected. Potential applicantsshould enter “0” for any coststhat are not applicable to their

project.

Schedule A: Summation Across Projects – Cost Schedule ($ USD)

Please enter the complete and absolute amounts for the following categories (units should not be in Thousands or 

Millions).

1. Capital Investment: Costs required to complete construction of the facility and initiate operations. Note, this 

field will automatically sum the fields 1a – 1f below.

a. Land: Enter the amount of costs which may include, but is not limited to, land acquisition, site 

restoration, land improvements, cost of appraisal, right-of-way acquisitions, relocation expenses and 

payments, demolition and removal costs, or other costs associated with land.

b. Construction Costs (Labor, Materials): Enter the amount of costs which may include, but is not limited

to, labor, material, and other costs associated with construction of the facility. Any costs to build the 

clean room should be included within construction.

c. Equipment: Enter the amount of costs which may include, but is not limited to, initial equipment

purchases or modernization costs, installation expenses, spare parts, and other equipment-related 

costs.

d. Infrastructure Improvements (Utility Plants, Access to Infrastructure, Wastewater Treatment): Enter 

the amount of costs which may include, but is not limited to, the construction or improvement of utility

plants required for the facility; costs associated with gaining access to infrastructure such as roads, 

water, power etc.; wastewater treatment plants; fencing; and other infrastructure.

e. Administrative expenses directly attributable to the construction, expansion, or modernization 

(Legal, engineering, permitting fees): Enter the amount of costs which may include, but is not limited

to legal fees, engineering fees, licensing and permitting fees, architecture fees, bond fees, safety and 

environmental protection costs, costs associated with receiving CHIPS funding, inspection fees, 

insurance costs, capitalized interest, and other related expenses.
CHIPS for America Guide

8

f. Other Capital Investment: Enter the amount of costs which may include other costs not mentioned

above and should be detailed in the schedule.

Total Capital Investment: Total Project Funding in Schedule B should be equal to or greater than the Total Capital 

Investment in Schedule A.

4.ii. Sources of Funds Form

Instructions: Complete the fields under the Schedule B: Summation Across Projects – Sources Schedule ($ USD) 

section under the Sources of Funds Form with cost estimates. This section should include estimates for all sources

of funding that will contribute to the project.

Note, total project funding must fall below $300 million. Concept plans determined to be ineligible, incomplete, or 

nonresponsive will be rejected. Potential applicants should enter “0” for any costs that are not applicable to their

project.

Schedule B: Summation Across Projects – Sources Schedule ($ USD)

Please enter the amounts for the following categories (units should not be in Thousands or Millions).

1. Equity Funding: Include Sponsor Equity (i.e., applicant, intermediate entity, and/or corporate parent equity),

Third-Party Equity, and any other forms of equity that is expected to be injected into the project. Note, this 

field will automatically sum the fields 1a – 1c below.

a. Sponsor Equity (Applicant and/or Corporate Parent): Enter the amount of equity that may have been 

provided directly by the applicant, intermediate entity, and/or corporate parent.

b. Third-Party Equity: Enter the amount of third-party equity that may have been raised by the applicant 

legal entity.

c. Other Equity Funding: Enter the amount of any other forms of equity.

2. Debt Funding: Include all debt raised for the project. Note, this field will automatically sum the fields 2a – 2c 

below.

a. Sponsor Debt: Enter the amount of intercompany loans that may have been down streamed by the 

corporate parent to the applicant legal entity or intermediate entity.

b. Third-Party Debt (e.g., Bonds or Loans): Enter the amount of third party debt directly raised by the 

applicant legal entity.

c. Other Debt Funding: Enter the amount of any other forms of debt.

3. Government Support: Include any funding received (or expected to be received) by the applicant for the 

project from Federal, State, and Local governing bodies in the form of direct funding (e.g., grants), debt (e.g., 

loans, loan guarantees), tax credits, or other forms of incentives (e.g., land awards, subsidized utilities). 

Incentive amounts are expected to be directionally accurate given industry-normal risks and returns for a 

project of this nature. Note, this field will automatically sum the fields 3a – 3c below.

a. Anticipated CHIPS Direct Funding Request: For CHIPS Direct Funding, indicate the amount of direct

funding that the entity is requesting.

b. Investment Tax Credit (estimated): For the Investment Tax Credit, indicate the expected value of the

Investment Tax Credit benefit that will act as an additional source of funds for the project. The 

estimation should take into consideration the initial Investment Tax Credit received on the asset net of 
CHIPS for America Guide

9

the loss of depreciation on the portion of assets receiving the credit (i.e., the portion of the asset 

earning the Investment Tax Credit cannot be depreciated for future tax benefits).

c. State and Local Government Incentives (Grants + Loans + Tax Credits): For State and Local Grants,

Loans, and Tax Credits, combine the amounts of incentives expected to be received from state 

governments and local governments for which the facility will be located, respectively. If the 

approximate amounts of support to be received is known, but the type of incentive is not yet 

determined (e.g., grant vs. tax credit), then enter the approximate total amount in the “Other State 

and Local Government Incentives” category.

4. Other Sources of Funds: Enter the amount of any other sources of funding. This may include, but is not limited 

to, equipment financing, sale / leaseback or other real estate financing, and customer funding (e.g., customer 

pre-payments).

Total Project Funding: Total Project Funding in Schedule B should be greater than or equal to the Total Project

Costs in Schedule A.

If your request for CHIPS funding “Anticipated CHIPS Direct Funding Request” is less than or equal to 10% of 

project capital expenditures, the following question will need to be answered.

• Provide your CHIPS incentive Justification: Please use this text box to explain why the additional funding 

is necessary to make the project commercially viable and how the project advances economic and national 

security objectives. Additionally, explain how the CHIPS Incentives requested will incentivize you to make 

investments in the facility and equipment in the United States that would not occur in the absence of the 

incentives. If relevant, include other ways that the requested incentives would change the nature, scale, 

or speed of the investment.

If your request for CHIPS funding exceeds 10% of project capital expenditures, the following question will need 

to be answered.

• The request for CHIPS funding exceeds 10% of project capital expenditures. Please provide your CHIPS 

Incentives Justification with a particular focus on (1) how your project advances economic and national 

security objectives and (2) why the additional funding is necessary to make the project commercially 

viable. Please note, the CHIPS Program Office anticipates awarding incentives over 10% of capital 

expenditures only in rare circumstances.

If your total costs exceed total source of funds, the following question will need to be answered.

• Total project capital sources should be greater than total capital investment costs. Please explain why 

your project’s total costs exceed total sources of funds: Please provide an explanation for the difference. 

If your total costs equal your total source of funds, you may disregard this step.
CHIPS for America Guide

10

5. Concept Plan Projection Information [Web Form]

5.i. Consortium and Partner Information

Instructions: In the web portal, please populate all applicable and required fields to complete the Concept Plan

Consortium and Partner Information web form. For more information about consortia and consortium applications, 

refer to the Fact Sheet and FAQs on the CHIPS website and Section I.B.4. of the CHIPS-SMME NOFO.

Consortium

Please answer the following questions regarding your involvement in a consortium.

• Is the applicant part of a consortium?: Select “Yes” or “No” to indicate whether the applicant is a part of 

a consortium. A consortium application involves an umbrella entity and multiple participating entities.

o If “No” and you are not part of a consortium, the following questions related to consortia are not 

asked and you may move to the “Partnering Entities, if applicable” section below.

o If “Yes” and you are a part of a consortium, please answer the following questions.

• Has anyone from the consortium already applied?: Please choose “Yes” or “No” to indicate whether anyone 

from the consortium has already applied.

o If “Yes” and an entity from the consortium has already applied: Enter the Consortium Key. This Key 

will have been generated previously for the first consortium member. A consortium key is a unique 36 

character code generated for each consortium. An example consortium key is ‘d838d416-ae73-0805-

d2a4-11ad30gca57b’. If you need help finding an existing consortium key, please email 

apply@chips.gov.

o If “No” and an entity from the consortium has not already applied or generated a Consortium Key, 

please complete the following fields:

▪ Consortium Title: Provide a title for the consortium.

▪ Consortium Description: Provide a description of the consortium and the consortium partners. 

▪ Note:

• As the first member of your consortium to apply, a new Consortium Key will be 

generated and displayed on the following page – “Project Information”. Please record

and share this key with your consortium partnersto use in their applications.

• If you change your Consortium status selections described above before submitting 

your application, it is possible that a new consortium key will be generated. Please take 

note of any updated keys for your consortium partners.

Partnering Entities, if applicable

Please provide additional information about any other entities you will be partnering with for this project.

• Are there other entities (e.g., customers, suppliers, investors, advisors, construction partners, design 

partners) you anticipate partnering with in a meaningful way?: Choose “Yes” or “No” from the dropdown

menu to indicate whether the applicant anticipates partnering with other entities, both for the 

construction phase as well as the production phase of the project(s).

o Please list each partner and describe their role in the project: If the answer to the previous question 

is “Yes”, provide names and brief description of any potential partners (maximum 1500 characters).
CHIPS for America Guide

11

5.ii. Project Information

Instructions: In the web portal, please populate all applicable and required fields to complete the Project 

Information web form.

Note, if you are the first member of your consortium to apply, a new Consortium Key will be generated and displayed 

on this page following your selections in the prior section. Please record and share this key with your consortium 

partners to use in their applications. Also note that if you change your Consortium status selections in the prior section 

before submitting your application it is possible that a new consortium key will be generated on this screen. Please take 

note of any updated keys for your consortium partners.

• Site location: Include the city, state, and ZIP code for US addresses and equivalent information for foreign 

addresses. If you do not know the 9-digit zip code for your U.S. location, enter “0000” for the last four 

digits.

o If the location is unknown, check the box below the field to indicate that “Site location not yet 

known”.

5.iii. Facility Information

Instructions: In the web portal, complete all questionsrelated to the facility that will be included in this application. 

A “facility” used in the context of this application refers to a semiconductor materials facility or semiconductor 

manufacturing equipment facility for which the capital expenditure falls below $300 million that will be 

constructed, expanded, or modernized as a result of this project. According to the CHIPS-SMME NOFO, an 

application may include one project, a set of capital expenditures for the construction, expansion, or modernization 

of a single facility.

• Name: Provide a name for the facility that corresponds to the way the facility will be referenced in 

application materials.

• Project Type: Choose from “Construction of New Facility” or “Expansion or Modernization of Existing 

Facility” for the project type for this facility.

• Facility Type: Choose from the provided options to indicate the type of this facility. Only one type may be 

selected per facility submission. Refer to Section I.B.1. in the CHIPS-SMME NOFO for details on each of the 

possible Facility Types that are eligible for this opportunity and see below.

o Semiconductor Materials Facilities for the manufacture or production, including growth or 

extraction, of materials used to manufacture semiconductors, which are the chemicals, gases, raw 

and intermediate materials, and other consumables used in semiconductor manufacturing.

o Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Facilities for the physical production of specialized

equipment integral to the manufacturing of semiconductors and subsystems that enable or are 

incorporated into the manufacturing equipment.

• Project Start: Enter the date for when construction, expansion, or modernization activities will start for the

facility.

• Production Start: Enter the date for the beginning of this facility’s production activities as they pertain to

the manufacture or production of an output produced by an eligible facility.
CHIPS for America Guide

12

5.iv. Facility Outputs

Instructions: In the web portal, complete all questions related to the facility outputs that will be included in this 

application.

Select the “New” button to add a new type of equipment or material that the facility will produce. You can add 

as many types of equipment or materials as necessary.

• Enter Equipment Details:

o Equipment Type: Choose the equipment type being produced at the facility from the options 

provided. Options include: Deposition, Etching, Lithography, Wafer Slicing, Inspection Systems, Ion 

Implantation, Diffusion/Oxidation Furnaces, Support Systems, Metrology, Parts 

(Cleaning/Refurbishment), Materials Handling Facilities, and Other (Provide). 

▪ Other Type: If “Other (Provide)”, provide a description in the space provided.

o Peak Monthly Capacity: Provide an estimated number of units produced monthly when the facility 

reaches peak production of the equipment for the facility. 

o Unit of Production: Provide the unit of production for the equipment.

o Cost per Unit of Production: Provide the cost per unit of production for the equipment.

o Projected Price per Unit: Provide the projected price per unit of the equipment to buyers.

• Enter Material Details:

o Material Type: Choose the material type being produced at the facility from the options provided. 

Options include: wafers, photoresists, ancillaries, sputtering targets, quantum information systems 

materials, and Other (Provide)

▪ Other Type: If “Other (Provide)”, provide a description in the space provided.

o Material Details: Choose the material details from the options provided for the material type being 

produced at the facility. Options include: Chemicals, Solvents, Metals, and Other (Provide).

▪ Other Description: If “Other (Provide)”, provide a description in the space provided.

o Specific Material: Provide the name for the specific material being produced at the facility

o Peak Monthly Capacity: Provide an estimated number of units produced monthly when the facility 

reaches peak production of the material for the facility. 

o Unit of Production: Provide the unit of production for the material.

o Cost per Unit of Production: Provide the cost per unit of production for the material.

o Projected Price per Unit: Provide the projected price per unit of the material to buyers.

o Material Uses: Provide the specific uses of the material produced at the facility. 
CHIPS for America Guide

13

6. Narrative Uploads

6.i. Consortium Narrative

Instructions: In the concept plan web portal, submit a PDF attachment that provides a consortium narrative of no 

more than 5 pages indicating confidential pages in accordance with Section IV.G.2 of the CHIPS-SMME NOFO. 

Please refer to the Fact Sheet, the FAQs, and the Webinars on the CHIPS website and Section 1.B in CHIPS-SMME 

NOFO for more information on consortia.

Overview

A consortium is defined as an association of companies, organizations, and/or governments working together to 

build vibrant U.S. semiconductor fab clusters. Applicants with projects that support vibrant U.S. clusters are 

strongly encouraged to apply as consortia to leverage connections with other regional entities. The Department 

expects that strong consortia will include at least two suppliers, a state or local government entity, and an anchor 

institution such as a semiconductor fab. Other members may include workforce training providers, labor unions, 

economic development corporations, institutions of higher education, philanthropic foundations, industry 

organizations, Tech Hubs, or other relevant entities.

The consortium narrative must detail other members of the consortium and set forth the overall strategic vision of 

the consortium, among other relevant information as described below. Applicants applying as part of a consortium 

may work together to satisfy various statutory eligibility and other requirements.

Although consortia are strongly encouraged for cluster-focused applications, the Department welcomes project 

proposals that meaningfully advance any of the three strategic objectives outlined in the Vision for Success.

The consortium narrative must include the following information, and each member is responsible for ensuring 

consistency across all related applications:

• The individual entities are members or proposed members of the consortium and the roles of each entity.

• A narrative description of the consortium’s overall strategic vision: how that vision aligns with the 

Department’s economic and national security objectives; and the relevance of each proposed project to 

that vision.

o Include an explanation of why the proposed projects are necessary to advance the consortium’s 

vision, and why CHIPS funding is necessary to incentivize the relevant investment.

o For consortia that include a state and/or local government (including quasi-governmental) entity, 

this narrative should also list any actions that entity is taking or intends to take to facilitate cluster 

development, such as efforts to coordinate with suppliers on site selection, infrastructure 

development, workforce development, permitting, and/or community engagement.

• The structure of the consortium, including how members intend to coordinate and/or collaborate with one 

another.
CHIPS for America Guide

14

6.ii. Concept Plan Narrative

Instructions: Submit a PDF attachment that provides a concept plan of no more than 15 pages indicating 

confidential pages in accordance with Section IV.C.2 of the CHIPS-SMME NOFO. The concept plan should describe 

the project for which CHIPS Incentives funds are being requested. The description of the project should be 

responsive to the program description (see Section I of the CHIPS-SMME NOFO) and the Evaluation Criteria (see 

Section V.A of the CHIPS-SMME NOFO). For additional guidance, please refer to the Fact Sheet, the FAQs, the

Webinars, and other guidance materials on the CHIPS website, or email apply@chips.gov with additional questions.

The concept plan must contain the following information (see Section IV.G of the CHIPS-SMME NOFO):

• Table of Contents

• Description of Project

• Applicant Profile

• CHIPS Incentives Justification

• Economic and National Security Details

• Commercial Viability Details

• Project Feasibility and Readiness Details

• Availability of Funds Details (Includes Capital Investment and Project Capital Sources)

Supporting Upload [Optional]: Please include supporting documents including a cover page containing a legend 

for confidential information in accordance with Section IV.C.2 of the CHIPS-SMME NOFO.
CHIPS for America Guide

15

7. Confirm Ability to Submit a Full Application [Web Form]

Instructions: In the web portal, you must complete the eligibility section of the concept plan to confirm ability /

intent to be able to provide evidence of full eligibility when completing and submitting a full application, if invited.

The statutory requirements are described below and in the CHIPS-SMME NOFO (Section I.B.2 and Section III.A) and 

are put into place to ensure taxpayer funds are used appropriately, support a skilled and diverse US workforce, 

drive economic opportunity and inclusive economic growth, fortify US national security, and strengthen supply 

chain resilience.

For the full application, will you be able to provide evidence of your eligibility of CHIPS Incentives funds with 

respect to the project for which you are submitting an application? Select “Yes” or “No” based on ability / intent

to satisfy the criteria listed below.

• Are you a “covered entity” meaning a non-profit entity, a private entity, a consortium of private entities, 

or a consortium of nonprofit, public, and private entities with a demonstrated ability to substantially 

finance, construct, expand, or modernize a facility relating to materials used to manufacture 

semiconductors or semiconductor manufacturing equipment?

• Do you have documented interest in constructing, expanding, or modernizing an eligible facility?

• Have you been offered a covered incentive from a state or local jurisdiction?

• Have you made commitments to workers and community investment?

• Have you secured commitments from regional education and training entities and institutions of higher 

education to provide workforce training?

• Do you have an executable plan to sustain the facility without additional funding from the CHIPS 

Incentives Program?

• Have you documented your workforce needs and produced a strategy to meet such workforce needs?

• Have you determined the types of semiconductor equipment and/or materials you will produce at the 

proposed facility, and the customers, or categories of customers, to whom the items will be sold?

• Do you have an executable plan to identify and mitigate relevant semiconductor supply chain security 

risks, such as risks associated with access, availability, confidentiality, integrity, and a lack of geographic 

diversification in your supply chain?

To note regarding eligibility criteria:

• If applying as part of a consortium with other applicants, you may work together to satisfy various 

statutory eligibility and other requirements. (covered incentive, worker and community investment, 

workforce training, workforce strategy)

• These details will need to be provided for the full application (not this concept plan submission).
CHIPS for America Guide

16

8. Attestation and Submission [Web Form]

Instructions: In the web portal, you must complete the attestation and certifications before you can submit the

concept plan. By completing this section and submitting the concept plan you acknowledge the following 

statements.

The CHIPS Program Office (CPO) recognizes the importance of protecting confidential business information and will 

follow all applicable laws to protect such information, including, for example, the CHIPS Act, the Trade Secrets Act,

and the Freedom of Information Act. Please refer to Section IV.C. of the CHIPS-SMME NOFO for a further discussion 

of these laws.

Submission Certifications:

☐ The individual submitting the Concept Plan certifies on behalf of the applicant entity that the applicant 

information and data submitted and the representations made in the Application are true, complete and accurate, 

to the best of the applicant’s knowledge and belief after due inquiry.

☐ The individual submitting the Concept Plan certifies on behalf of the applicant that the applicant understands 

that CPO and the Department of Commerce will rely on the accuracy and completeness of the application

information and data submitted and the representations made in the Application and that any false, fictitious or 

fraudulent statement or representation made in the Application may be the basis for rejection of the Concept Plan

or subject the applicant to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties. (18 U.S. Code, Section 1001.)

☐ The individual submitting the Concept Plan certifies on behalf of the applicant that the applicant understands

that any applicant information and data contained in the Application may be accessed and used by federal 

employees, consultants and contractors in accordance with CHIPS-SMME NOFO, Section IV.C. (Confidential 

Information).

☐ The individual submitting the Concept Plan certifies that they possess the full legal power and authority to 

submit the Application and make the preceding certifications on behalf of the applicant.

Public Communications:

☐ The individual submitting the Concept Plan agrees that neither the applicant entity nor any of its affiliates may 

issue any press release or otherwise publicly disclose the status of the Application or the contents of any 

communications with CPO or the Department of Commerce without CPO’s prior written consent.

☐ The individual submitting the Concept Plan certifies that they possess the full legal power and authority to bind 

the applicant.