CHIPS for America’s first funding opportunity aims to catalyze long-term economically sustainable growth in the domestic semiconductor industry in support of U.S. economic and national security. This funding opportunity seeks applications for projects for the construction, expansion, or modernization of commercial facilities for the fabrication of leading-edge, current-generation, and mature-node semiconductors. As of June 23, 2023, it also seeks applications for the construction, expansion, or modernization of commercial facilities for semiconductor materials and manufacturing equipment facilities for which the capital investment equals or exceeds $300 million.

See Notice of Funding Opportunity: Commercial Fabrication Facilities | NIST for additional details.

Two additional funding opportunities—for materials and manufacturing equipment facilities with capital investments below $300 million, and for research and development facilities—will be announced later this year. Additional details on these funding opportunities will be provided as they are available.

Successful CHIPS proposals necessitate the applicant understands its regional and statewide business and workforce assets. To assist in that effort, the NC Department of Commerce Labor and Economic Analysis Division has compiled semiconductor-specific business, labor, and training data to support the development of CHIPS proposals. Detailed spreadsheets are linked below, including:

• Industry Employment and Wages
• Occupational Employment and Wages (existing talent pool)
• Post-Secondary Education Programs and Program Completers (talent pool pipeline)
• Occupational Employment Projections (projected talent demand)

LEAD’s labor search data tool – Demand Driven Data Delivery (D4) – may also be a helpful tool to access state and local industry, occupation, employment, unemployment, custom demographic reports.

Successful CHIPS proposals will also need to include a workforce development plan. The workforce development plan must demonstrate appropriate investments and commitments to recruit, train, hire, retain, and upskill a skilled and diverse workforce.

A Workforce Development Planning Guide has been prepared by the national CHIPS Program Office. In addition, the NC Department of Commerce Division of Workforce Solutions has developed a template for a workforce development plan that applicants can utilize.

In addition, information about many of the partners and programs involved in North Carolina’s workforce development network can be found via the links below:

Workforce Development Partners

• NCWorks Commission | NC Commerce
• NC Local Workforce Development Boards
• NC Business Committee for Education

Recruiting, Screening and Training Support

• NCWorks Career Centers | Business Services | NC Commerce
• NC Edge | Customized Training
• ApprenticeshipNC | NC Community Colleges

NC Colleges and Universities

• NC Community Colleges
• The University of North Carolina System
• North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities

K-12 Partners

• NC Department of Public Instruction
• Career and Technical Education I NC DPI

Career Exploration Tools

• NCcareers.org
• The Navigator

• N.C. Department of Commerce's Child Care Business Liaison:  We help employers identify and engage with child care access solutions. The role is made possible through a partnership with Invest Early NC and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Samantha Cole can be reached by email at samantha.cole@commerce.nc.gov.
• Child Care Resource and Referral: provides evidence-based technical assistance, professional development, coaching and compensation supports for early childhood professionals
• NC Smart Start: promotes high quality early care that is child-focused, family-friendly and fair to providers

Businesses preparing to expand can receive personalized assistance to address specific needs or coordination of resources from regional and statewide partners. Connect with the Economic Development Partnership’s Regional Industry Managers for support at EDPNC Grow a Business Contacts.

Additionally, NC State University Industry Expansion Solutions offers businesses support to enable them to improve their operations through continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, ISO certification, additive manufacturing, and other targeted solutions.

Additional resources can be found here.