PRA Instruction Guide Amendment 083023

CHIPS for America Guide

August 30, 2023

Funding Opportunity – Commercial Fabrication Facilities
GUIDE: Instruction Guide for Full Application Web Forms
OMB Control #0693-0094, Expiration Date 09/30/2023

Introduction:
This document provides instructions and guidance for those filling out a full application as part of the
CHIPS Incentive Program Notice of Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities. If a preapplication has been submitted by a potential applicant, the full application should not be submitted
until feedback has been received on the pre-application. Statements of Interest must be submitted at
least 21 days prior to submitting a pre-application or full application. Submission of a pre-application is
recommended for applications for current-generation, mature-node, back-end production, wafer
manufacturing or materials and manufacturing equipment facilities for which capital expenditure are
greater than or equal to $300M to serve as an opportunity for the Department to provide meaningful
feedback to applicants before they prepare a full application package.
Applicants should make efforts to complete the process of registering for the System for Award
Management (SAM.gov), including obtaining a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), prior to submitting a full
application. Applicants are strongly encouraged to begin the process of registering for SAM.gov as early
as possible. The Department is unable to issue a CHIPS Incentives Award to an entity that lacks an active
SAM.gov registration.
This document pertains to the following Web Form Questions in the Full Application Portal:
• Acknowledgement
• Project Plan Web Form Questions
• Sources and Uses of Funds Web Form Questions
• CHIPS Incentives Request Web Form Questions
• Workforce Development Information Web Form Questions
• Attestation and Submission
Please refer to the CHIPS Incentives Program—Commercial Fabrication Facilities Notice of Funding
Opportunity (CHIPS-CFF NOFO) section IV.I. and the FAQs and other guidance materials on the CHIPS
website, or email apply@chips.gov with additional questions about submitting a full application
package.
Throughout the review process, the Department may request additional information and/or revisions
regarding your submission.
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Table of Contents:
Introduction: ................................................................................................................................................ 1
0.

Acknowledgement ................................................................................................................................ 3

1.

Cover Page Web Form ........................................................................................................................... 3

2.

Project Plan Web Form Questions ........................................................................................................... 3

a.

Facilities Information Questions ............................................................................................................ 4

3.

Sources and Uses of Funds Web Form Questions ................................................................................... 6

4.

CHIPS Incentives Request Web Form Questions...................................................................................... 7

5.

Workforce Development Web Form Questions ...................................................................................... 9

6.

Full Application Document Uploads ..................................................................................................... 11

7.

Attestation and Submission Web Form Questions ................................................................................ 12

8.

Burden Statement .............................................................................................................................. 13

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Acknowledgement

0.

Instructions: In the web portal, you must complete the acknowledgement section of the full
application before you can access the rest of the full 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 – Commercial Fabrication Facilities Notice of Funding
Opportunity (CHIPS-CFF NOFO). By voluntarily furnishing information through this system, the
applicant consents to such access and use.”

Cover Page Web Form

1.

Instruction for completing the full application cover page are located at this link:
https://www.nist.gov/document/chips-nofo-commercial-fabrication-facilities-cover-pageinstructions

2. Project Plan Web Form Questions

Instructions: In the web portal, update the answers to the following questions that were submitted
in the statement of interest or pre-application (whichever is more recent for the applicant) to reflect
the most up-to-date details of the projects.
Note, a “project” is a set of capital expenditures for the construction, expansion, or modernization
of a single facility. A project also includes any related workforce development or operating expense
costs for the project facility that the applicant proposes to cover with CHIPS Incentives funds. An
application may include more than one project, covering separate facilities, if the facilities are
within a single location and under common ownership and control.
•

Description of Project(s): Provide a description of the construction, expansion, or
modernization activities for each proposed facility at a single location; resulting products
that will be manufactured, along with information on the scale, size, and capacity of
production, and any known timelines (maximum 3000 characters).

•

Product End Market Application: Provide a description of the types of customers and
end markets that will be served by the technology being produced from each
proposed facility (maximum 500 characters).

•

Site location: Provide the City, State, and Zip Code where the proposed facility or facilities
will be located. If you do not know the full 9-digit zip code, enter “0000” for the last four
digits.

•

Expected Total Project Capital Expenditures (Min, Max)
o Provide an estimated range of total project capital expenditures (provide
minimum and maximum with the narrowest range possible) for all facilities in the
application. Total project capital expenditures refer to expenses incurred in the
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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. Applicants should provide the
estimated range on a best-effort basis that will be needed for all projects in the
application. Figures provided are expected to be preliminary high-level estimates
and should be refined with greater detail in future application steps.
o Applicants may optionally provide commentary on the expected total capital
expenditures for all proposed projects range, which could include a description of
the key cost drivers, an explanation if the range provided is large, or other
supporting details (maximum 500 characters).
•

Estimated peak monthly unit production capacity: Provide an estimated number of units
per month produced when the facility reaches peak production. Specify what the units
being produced are (e.g., wafers per month, components per month).
o If the facility will not have any production capacity, leave the box blank and select
“Not Applicable.”
a.

Facilities Information Questions

Instructions: In the web portal, complete all questions related to the facility or facilities that will
be included in this application. A “facility” used in the context of this application refers to a
leading-edge, current-generation, mature-node commercial fabrication facility, or back-end
production facility that will be constructed, expanded, or modernized as a result of this project.
•

According to the NOFO, an application may include one or more facilities that are / will
be on the same site. For each facility for this application, click ‘Add New Facility’
o Additional questions are required to be answered individually for each facility:
o Provide a name for the Facility: Provide a name for the facility that corresponds to
the way the facility will be referenced in application materials.
o Project type: that best describes the activities that will be completed at the
facility (i.e., construction, expansion, or modernization)
o Facility Type: Choose from the provided options to indicate the type of this facility.
Only one type may be selected:


Leading-Edge Facilities that utilize the most advanced front-end
fabrication processes for logic, 3D NAND Flash, and Dynamic RandomAccess Memory (DRAM) semiconductors.



Current-Generation Facilities that produce semiconductors that are not
leading edge, up to 28 nm process technologies, and include logic, analog,
and mixed- signal devices.

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





Mature-Node Facilities that fabricate generations of: (a) logic and analog
chips that are not based on FinFET, post-FinFET transistor architectures, or
any other sub-28 nm transistor architectures; (b) discrete semiconductor
devices such as diodes and transistors; (c) optoelectronics and optical
semiconductors; and (d) sensors.
Wafer Manufacturing Facilities for the high-volume production of
semiconductor wafers, including wafers made from silicon, silicon carbide,
and gallium nitride. These facilities are the sites of ingot production and wafer
slicing, lapping, polishing, cleaning and inspection.
Semiconductor Materials and Manufacturing Equipment Facilities (if

project capital expenditures are greater than or equal to $300 million included in
this NOFO, otherwise included in future NOFO) according to the descriptions

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.


Back-end Production Facilities for the assembly, testing, or
packaging of semiconductors that have completed the front-end
fabrication process.



Other: if “other” is selected for Facility Type, provide a description for the
facility in the space provided

o Technology Type: Choose from the provided options to indicate the type of this
facility. Only one type may be selected. Refer to the NOFO section I.B.1 for more
descriptions of the eligible technology types for each facility.
o Estimated peak monthly unit production capacity: Provide an estimated number
of units produced per month when the facility reaches peak production. Specify
what the units being produced are (e.g., wafers per month, components per
month).
o Note the expected construction start date for this facility: Enter the month and
year for the beginning of this facility’s construction activities as they pertain to
new construction, expansion, or modernization. If construction has already
begun, enter the date construction began.
o

Note the expected production start date for this facility: Enter the month and year
for when construction, expansion, or modernization activities will be completed
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and the facility will begin or resume production, after completion of this project.
If the facility will not have any production capacity, leave the box blank
and select “Not Applicable.”
o Provide a description for the facility, with defining characteristics of the units
produced in the facility (e.g., 13nm DRAM wafers, 40nm Logic wafers, etc). You
may also use this space to describe the back-end production activities, if
applicable to this facility.


3. Sources and Uses of Funds Web Form Questions
Instructions: Applicants should first download and complete the CHIPS Full Application Sources and
Uses Excel Template for this project:
For Applications for Front-End and Back-End Commercial Fabrication Facilities: use the
template at the following link: https://www.nist.gov/document/chips-nofo-commercialfabrication-facilities-full- application-offline-template-sources-and and access corresponding
instructions to complete the template at the following link:
https://www.nist.gov/document/chips-nofo-commercial-fabrication- facilities-sources-and-usesfunds-instructions
For Applications for Semiconductor Materials, and Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment,
and Wafer Manufacturing Facilities: use the template at the following link:
https://www.nist.gov/document/full-application-sources-and-uses-funds-templatesemiconductor- materials-semiconductor and access corresponding instructions to complete the
template at the following link: https://www.nist.gov/document/full-applicant-sources-and-usesfunds-instructions- semiconductor-materials-semiconductor
Using the completed template, applicants should enter the corresponding figures in the Sources
and Uses of Funds section of the Full Application Portal. Please ensure the values entered for
sources and uses match the numbers submitted in the uploaded document as well as the CHIPS
Incentives request form. Applicants will also be required to submit the completed CHIPS Sources
and Uses of Funds Excel template by uploading in the Full Application Document Uploads section in
the Full Application Portal.
For each box in the form, enter in the exact same value from the correspondingly named cell in the
S&U – Summation across projects sheet in the uploaded Excel template.
•

Please enter the total Project Uses Schedule (from the completed excel template)
into the fields on Sources and Uses of Funds Form Page 1

•

Please enter the total Project Sources Schedule (from the completed excel template)
into the fields on Sources and Uses of Funds Form Page 2 and Page 3

•

For State and Local Government Incentives, sum together the expected grants, loans,
tax credits, and other incentives from those sources and enter as a single value in
the form.
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4. CHIPS Incentives Request Web Form Questions
Instructions: In the full application web portal, provide a summary of the funding request and
available credit ratings in the CHIPS Incentives Request Web Form. Please refer to the Notice of
Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Section IV.H.3 – Financial Information: CHIPS Incentives Request for an
overview of the requirements for this portion of the application.
**Please note that the Department of Commerce will make final determinations on the form and
amount of any CHIPS Incentives award. This information is being provided to help the Department
understand the Applicant's estimate of required financial assistance.
A) CHIPS Incentives Request Summary – In the web portal, indicate whether you are requesting
for Direct Funding, CHIPS Loan, and/or a CHIPS Loan Guarantee. For any of those that you select
“Yes” for, you will see an additional corresponding page to provide a summary of the amount of
funding requested. Please ensure information provided in this form matches the corresponding
CHIPS Direct Funding, CHIPS Loans, and Guaranteed portion of Third-party Loans Guaranteed by
CHIPS Program sections in the “S&U – Summation across projects sheet” sheet in the Sources and
Uses of Funds Excel template and web form.
Guidelines for CHIPS Loans and Loan Guarantees - Please see NOFO Section I.B.8 for further details:
•

•
•
•
•

Interest Rate: The interest rate on a CHIPS Loan will generally be based on the cost of
funds to the Department of the Treasury for obligations of comparable maturity plus a
portion of the spread to the market rate for commercial loans or debt of similar risk,
tenor, and terms.
Tenor: Loans will generally be extended for a term that covers the construction period plus
up to 15 years. The maximum tenor is 25 years.
Structure: Loans will be available on both a corporate and project finance basis, depending
on the legal structure and nature of the project.
Amortization: Corporate finance loans will generally be bullet loans repayable at
maturity. Project finance loans will generally be non-amortizing during the construction
period of a project and then amortizing until maturity.
Prepayment: CHIPS Loans may be prepaid at the election of the borrower, subject
to prepayment periods, waiting periods, and other terms to be agreed upon.
The specific terms of a CHIPS Loan Guarantee will be subject to negotiation with the
applicant and the third-party lender(s). While the extent of the loan guarantee will vary
based on the financing requirements and risk characteristics of a transaction, loan
guarantees are not expected to cover more than 80% of any third-party debt obligation.
CHIPS Loan Guarantees will be subject to comparable underwriting and diligence standards
as CHIPS Loans.
CHIPS Direct Funding: Indicate whether direct funding will be requested. If requested, enter the
expected amount to be requested in dollars.
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CHIPS Loan: Indicate whether a CHIPS loan will be requested. If the application includes a request
for a loan:
•
•
•

•

•

Provide the dollar amount requested
Provide the requested tenor of the loan (not to exceed 25 years)
Indicate whether the financing structure of the loan will be “Corporate
Finance” or “Project Finance.”
o Corporate Finance implies debt is incurred at the parent of
development company level, with debt secured at the development
company-level.
o Project Finance implies that debt is secured at the project companylevel to finance the project
Optionally, provide other requested terms for the requested CHIPS loan (e.g., details
on amortization schedule, deferred interest option, pre-payment, seniority,
collateralization, fixed vs floating interest rate type).
To the extent that requested terms differ from the baseline terms in Section I.B.8 of
the NOFO, the CHIPS Incentives Request summary uploaded by the applicant should
include a justification.

CHIPS Loan Guarantee: Indicate whether a CHIPS loan guarantee will be requested. If the
application includes a request for a loan guarantee:
•

•
•

•

Add a loan guarantee request by selecting the “Add Loan Guarantee” button. Enter
the following information:
o Provide the total size of the loan in dollars
o If known, provide the third-party lender (include all lenders if the
loan is syndicated)
o Provide the amount of the loan requested to be guaranteed in dollars
(not to exceed 80% of the total size of the loan)
o Provide the requested tenor of the loan guarantee (not to exceed 25 years)
Verify that the calculated loan guarantee summary fields correctly reflect the
loan guarantee information entered
Optionally, provide other known or requested terms for the loan requested to
be guaranteed (e.g., details on amortization schedule, deferred interest
option, pre- payment, seniority, collateralization, fixed vs floating interest rate
type).
To the extent that requested terms differ from the baseline terms in Section I.B.8
of the NOFO, the CHIPS Incentives Request summary uploaded by the applicant
should include a justification.

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B) Credit Rating Summary – Provide the most recent credit ratings applicable to the borrowing
entity and its corporate parent / sponsor, if available. If credits ratings are not available, please
enter N/A for the name of the agency, N/A for the rating, and select any date.
• Borrowing entity for Project: Enter details such as entity name, SAM.gov unique
enterprise identifier (if available), mailing address, and organization website. Some fields
may be auto populated from other sections and the applicant should verify the
information is correct.
• Corporate Parent / Sponsoring Entity: If applicable, provide details for the corporate
parent or sponsoring entity that houses the entity that will borrow from the CHIPS
program.
• Credit Rating of Borrowing Entity: If the borrowing entity has received a long-term
corporate credit rating from a credit rating agency, indicate the name of the agency, the
rating, and the date the rating was released. Provide the most recent rating for any agency
which has rated the entity’s corporate creditworthiness.
• Credit Rating of Corporate Parent / Sponsoring Entity: If the corporate parent / sponsoring
entity has received a long-term corporate credit rating from a credit rating agency, indicate
the name of the agency, the rating, and the date the rating was released. Provide the most
recent rating for any agency which has rated the entity’s corporate creditworthiness.

5. Workforce Development Web Form Questions
Instructions: In the web portal complete all required questions related to workforce development.
•

Provide an estimate of the number of jobs that will be created in the United States during
the construction phase of the project(s). Do not include any jobs that will be performed
outside of the United States.
o Direct jobs on the construction site(s): Enter an estimate for the number of jobs
that will be directly involved in the construction activities for the construction,
expansion, or modernization of a facility. Examples include laborers and foremen
for construction activities.
o Indirect jobs: Enter an estimate for the number of jobs that will be indirectly
involved in the construction activities for the construction, expansion, or
modernization of a facility. Examples include contracted equipment suppliers and
technicians, architects and engineers consulted.
o Provide an explanation of your job creation estimates above. Provide any
assumptions, sources, or other explanations for the estimates included for direct or
indirect jobs created.

•

Provide an estimate of the number of jobs that will be created during the production
phase of the project(s). Do not include any jobs that will be performed outside of the
United States.
o Direct jobs in production: Enter an estimate for the number of jobs that will be
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directly involved in the operation of the facility or facilities. This includes all
employees of the entity that will be onsite for activities relating to manufacturing,
overhead, research & development, and administration.
o Indirect jobs: Enter an estimate for the number of jobs that will be created in the
broader ecosystem as a result of operating the facility or facilities. Examples include
incremental needs for materials suppliers (e.g., silicon, chemicals, consumables),
utilities suppliers, contractors for equipment needs (e.g., cleaning and repair),
product transport, etc.
o Provide an explanation of your job creation estimates above. Provide any
assumptions, sources, or other explanations for the estimates included for direct or
indirect jobs created.

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6. Full Application Document Uploads
Instructions for completing the Full Application Document Upload section are included within each
question in the portal. Please also refer to CHIPS-CFF NOFO Section IV.I. for helpful information to
complete these requirements. The following uploads will be requested of applicants:
Section
Covered Incentive
Project Plan
Applicant Profile

Alignment with Economic
Resilience and National Security
Objectives
Commercial Strategy
Financial Information

Project Technical Feasibility

Organization Information

Document Upload
Covered Incentive
Description of Project(s)
Descriptive Information about
the Applicant
Company Financials
Equity Capital Structure
Outstanding Debt
Alignment with Economic
Resilience and National Security
Objectives
Commercial Strategy
Detailed Description of Financial
Plan
Project Sources and Uses of
Funds
Project Cash Flow, Income
Statement, and Balance Sheet
Projections, and Relevant
Metrics for each Project
Scenario Analysis
CHIPS Incentives Request
Narrative
CHIPS Loan or Loan Guarantee
Request
Project Technical Feasibility
Description
Environmental Questionnaire
Ownership, Legal Entity, and
Organizational Structure
Managerial Capability
Consortium Applicants
Past Project History
Intellectual Property Security
Litigation and/or Conflicts
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Recommended File Type
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF or Excel
PDF or Excel
PDF of Excel
PDF

PDF
PDF
Completed Excel Template
Excel or similar file type

PDF and/or Excel
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF

CHIPS for America Guide

Workforce Development Plan
Broader Impacts
Standard Forms

Advisors and Key Partners
Workforce Development Plan
Broader Impacts
SF-328, Certificate Pertaining to
Foreign Interests
CD-511, Certificate Regarding
Lobbying
SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying
Activities
Other Forms [Optional]

PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF

7. Attestation and Submission Web Form Questions
In the web portal, you must complete the attestation and certifications before you can submit the
full application. By completing this section and submitting the application 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 Incentives Program – Commercial Fabrication Facilities Notice of Funding
Opportunity (CHIPS-CFF NOFO) for a further discussion of these laws.
Submission Certifications:
☐ The individual submitting the Full Application certifies on behalf of the applicant entity that

the applicant information and data submitted and the representations made in the Full
Application are true, complete and accurate, to the best of the applicant’s knowledge and
belief after due inquiry.

☐ The individual submitting the Full Application 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 Full Application and that any false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or representation made
in the Full Application may be the basis for rejection of the Full Application or subject the applicant
to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties. (18 U.S. Code, Section 1001.)
☐ The individual submitting the Full Application certifies on behalf of the applicant that the
applicant understands that any applicant information and data contained in the Full Application
may be accessed and used by federal employees, consultants and contractors in accordance with
CHIPS-CFF NOFO, Section IV.C. (Confidential Information).
☐ The individual submitting the Full Application certifies that they possess the full legal power
and authority to submit the Full Application and make the preceding certifications on behalf
of the applicant.
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Public Communications:
☐ The individual submitting the Full Application agrees that neither the applicant entity nor any

of its affiliates may disclose to third parties the status of the Full Application or the contents of
any communications from CPO or the Department of Commerce without CPO’s prior written
consent.
☐ The individual submitting the Full Application certifies that they possess the full legal power

and authority to bind the applicant.

8.

Burden Statement

A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, nor shall a person be
subject to a penalty for failure to comply with an information collection subject to the requirements of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 unless the information collection has a currently valid OMB Control Number. The
approved OMB Control Number for this information collection is 0693-0094. Without this approval, we could not
conduct this information collection. Public reporting for this information collection is estimated to be
approximately 125 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the information collection. All
responses to this information collection are mandatory to be eligible for CHIPS Act Funding. Send comments
regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection, including suggestions for
reducing this burden to the National Institute of Standards and Technology at Cierra Bean, Business Operations
Specialist, askchips@chips.gov.

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