Statements of Interest: EB ITSI Program (Vietnam)

Deadline: 16-Aug-2024

The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (EB) announces an open competition for organizations to submit a statement of interest (SOI) to carry out a program under the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund, created by the CHIPS Act of 2022.

The CHIPS Act established the ITSI Fund “to support the development and adoption of secure semiconductors, and semiconductor supply chains” with the goal to make the global semiconductor supply chain more resilient, diversified, and secure. EB administers a portion of the ITSI Fund, the “ITSI Promote” line of effort, to help expand international semiconductor assembly, testing, and packaging (“ATP” or “downstream”) capacity in key partner countries that will in turn diversify the global semiconductor supply chain. The goal of this program is to bring that capacity online in ways that will be beneficial to the new U.S. semiconductor manufacturing facilities as well as their allies and partners. The State Department announced its partnership with Vietnam under the ITSI Fund on September 11, 2023.

Categories

• This solicitation includes two (2) categories under which applicants may submit SOIs.
  • Category 1: Workforce Development 
    • Objective: Expand and diversify the required workforce for semiconductor ATP facilities to ensure growth
    • Illustrative activities include: 
      • Enhance coordination between government, industry, and academia to align Vietnam’s education system and workforce development environment with semiconductor industry needs and sustainable, inclusive economic development outcomes.
      • Streamline the process for updating curricula at Universities and Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers, including implementing existing, best-of-class curricula in Vietnamese educational institutions.
      • Establish connections between the private sector and training facilities that create a new pipeline of talent for ATP facilities, including through public-private partnerships.
      • Create/expand internship, apprenticeship, and scholarship programs in ATP.
      • Create/expand educational and training exchanges between Vietnamese and U.S. industry, academic institutions, and research facilities, with a focus on those in ATP.
      • Develop partnerships with national laboratories, the National Innovation Center, and high-tech parks in Saigon, Hanoi, and Danang.
      • Develop programs to certify students in equipment key to the ATP industry.
  • Category 2: Policy and Regulatory Reform 
    • Objective: Improve regulatory environments that will encourage private sector efforts that generate additional capabilities in ATP facilities.
    • Illustrative activities include: 
      • Support the goals of the National Semiconductor Strategy to facilitate business creation and international firms investing in Vietnam that will support the growth of domestic semiconductor firms, bolster workforce development objectives, and support start-ups and entrepreneurs.
      • Promote innovation in semiconductor-related fields and knowledge transfer, including better aligning national innovation and higher education priorities, addressing private sector concerns, enhancing the role and capacity of the innovation promotion agency, and improving administrative capacities for intellectual property examination, litigation, and enforcement.
      • Develop and improve the effectiveness of current and future incentives targeted towards the semiconductor industry while ensuring transparency.
      • Support the implementation of a one-stop-shop for relevant legal and regulatory procedures to support current and future semiconductor business.

Funding Information

• Award Ceiling: $5,000,000
• Award Floor: $1,000,000
• Program Performance Period: 36 months or less

Participants and Audiences

• Policy experts, industry leaders, educational institutions, and U.S. and foreign government officials. Beneficiaries should include, but are not limited to, Vietnamese educational institutions, and U.S. and foreign private industry. Work should align with Vietnam’s National Semiconductor Strategy goals and demonstrate collaboration with the Vietnamese government.

Priority Country

• Vietnam

Eligibility Criteria

• The following organizations are eligible to apply:
  • U.S. and foreign non-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non governmental organizations
  • U.S. and foreign public, private, or state educational institutions
  • U.S. and foreign for-profit organizations
  • Public International Organizations

For more information, visit Grants.gov.