Colorado CHIPS Community Support Program

The Colorado CHIPS Community Support Program is administered by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) as part of a strategic initiative to capitalize on the national CHIPS and Science Act. This state-level grant program aims to stimulate and distribute growth within Colorado’s semiconductor and advanced industry sectors beyond existing high-density areas such as Fort Collins, Longmont, Boulder, and Colorado Springs. By targeting regions with emerging or limited industry presence, the program seeks to enhance the state's competitiveness and economic resilience through local development, infrastructure expansion, and targeted marketing. The program offers three types of competitive grants: Market Study Grants, Implementation Grants, and Marketing Grants. The Market Study Grants fund detailed local assessments of current industry capabilities and opportunities. Implementation Grants support investments that fill regional gaps in the semiconductor ecosystem, such as workforce training facilities or infrastructure upgrades. Marketing Grants provide support for promotional activities aimed at increasing external awareness of a locality’s industry assets. These grants are accessible to municipal, county, or tribal governments, regional economic development organizations, or consortia led by such entities within the state of Colorado. The program is scheduled to operate in at least four cycles from 2024 through 2025, with applications accepted biannually. Cycle 3 is currently open from January 15, 2025, through May 31, 2025, with awards announced by June 30, 2025. A fourth cycle will follow in July. Specific application sections include pre-qualification, organizational background, regional economic data, justification for funding, and detailed project plans tailored to the chosen grant type(s). Only one grant per type may be awarded to a single entity over the lifetime of the program. Applications will be evaluated based on criteria such as geographic location and need, project readiness and strength, and projected impact. The review process includes independent scoring followed by committee consensus. Higher priority is given to applicants from rural areas or regions with limited existing semiconductor industry infrastructure. Those from core industry zones are ineligible or scored lower depending on the grant type. Grant funding is predominantly reimbursed, except for Implementation Grants which also include an upfront and interim payment structure. Each awarded grant carries mandatory reporting obligations, including quarterly, annual, and final reports detailing project milestones, expenditures, and results. Market Study reports must follow a specific format covering demographics, economic characteristics, assets, and strategic recommendations. Key contact for the program is Daniel Salvetti, Semiconductor Industry Manager at OEDIT. The program operates from the state agency's Denver office, and all communications or in-person meetings are conducted by appointment only. The program also includes an appeals process for applicants whose proposals are not initially accepted, reviewed by the OEDIT’s Purchasing and Contracts Director within 15 days of appeal submission.