NIST seeks industry support for chip funding applicant checks
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By
Ross Wilkers
A new solicitation details how the Commerce Department wants to ensure that those applying for semiconductor production funds are financially healthy.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has opened the window for proposals to help the agency collect and analyze data on entities seeking federal funds for computer chip production.
NIST has set a due date of Aug. 25 for bids to provide a subscription service that the Commerce Department can use to access credit ratings, research and financial data on applicants for loans.
The Commerce Department's Chips program office will use that information as it determines funding recipients under the Chips and Science Act of 2022, NIST said in its request for proposals posted Friday.
Commerce is responsible for approximately $50 billion in funding under that law to support programs for promoting semiconductor research, development and manufacturing.
The Chips program office wants a commercial-off-the-shelf, subscription-based service to assess current and potential risks associated with loan applicants before and after the award of funds.
Other research areas of interest include semiconductor sector forecasts and economic outlooks to evaluate the overall credit quality of loan applicants.