Opportunity Information: Apply for HQ003425NFOEASD02
The "Semiconductor Supply Chain and Cybersecurity Assessment" grant opportunity is a FY2024 discretionary cooperative agreement designed to evaluate how the cybersecurity of the semiconductor supply chain can be strengthened and whether specific improvements are feasible and advisable. The core problem it targets is that semiconductors sit at the center of modern technology, yet the end-to-end supply chain that designs, builds, packages, and delivers chips has become an increasingly attractive target for nation-state actors and financially motivated cybercriminals. The opportunity emphasizes that these threats are not only likely to continue, but to grow in sophistication, creating urgent pressure for better ways to anticipate and manage risk across the full industry ecosystem.
A major theme of the opportunity is the sheer complexity of the semiconductor supply chain and why that complexity makes cybersecurity uniquely difficult. Semiconductor production relies on globally distributed inputs such as raw materials, chemicals, specialty components, advanced manufacturing tools, highly specialized software (including design and verification tools), and tightly choreographed logistics. Design and manufacturing are also spread across large, international workforces and networks of suppliers and partners. Because so many steps are interconnected, even small disruptions or compromises upstream can cascade into large downstream impacts, including production slowdowns, integrity issues, shortages, or compromised products. The opportunity frames this as a modeling and forecasting challenge: it is not enough to defend a single company network, because risk emerges from the relationships, dependencies, and shared technologies that link many organizations together.
The description also explains a gap in current industry practice that this funding aims to address. Many semiconductor organizations, like firms in other sectors, tend to concentrate cybersecurity resources on enterprise-wide controls (such as perimeter defenses, identity management, monitoring, and incident response) and on responding to known threats. What is often missing is the bandwidth and structured capability to systematically anticipate emerging threats, map them to real operational dependencies, and understand how new attack paths could affect specific parts of semiconductor design and manufacturing workflows. This opportunity is therefore oriented toward forward-looking assessment: identifying, forecasting, and translating evolving cyber threats into actionable understanding of where the supply chain is most exposed and where resilience investments would pay off.
The government rationale is explicitly tied to U.S. economic and national security priorities and to maintaining technological leadership. The opportunity highlights that the United States is making unusually large public investments in domestic semiconductor capacity through the CHIPS Act and related policy initiatives. At the same time, it notes that foreign governments are investing heavily in their own semiconductor industries and could be motivated to use cyber operations to weaken competitors or gain strategic advantage. The 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy is cited to reinforce the idea that large cybersecurity investments need to be integrated with supply chain resilience, because the semiconductor sector underpins much of the broader digital ecosystem. In practical terms, the assessment supported by this award is positioned as a way to protect both private and public investment by reducing the likelihood that cyber threats derail production, compromise intellectual property, or introduce systemic risk into critical technologies.
Legally and procedurally, the opportunity is grounded in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (FY24 NDAA), which directs the government to enter into agreements to assess the feasibility and advisability of improving semiconductor supply chain cybersecurity. An important constraint is that the anticipated cooperative agreement is to be negotiated exclusively with Cornell University, meaning this is not an open competitive solicitation for a wide range of lead applicants. However, the notice signals that there may be roles for other participants through sub-awards or as panel members, and it points readers to the specific section of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) for eligibility requirements related to those supporting roles.
Key administrative details include: the agency is Washington Headquarters Services; the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement (which typically implies substantial involvement by the federal sponsor during performance compared to a standard grant); the opportunity is categorized as discretionary; the CFDA/Assistance Listing number is 12.599; the opportunity number is HQ003425NFOEASD02; the expected number of awards is one; the award ceiling is $3,000,000; the posting/creation date is 2024-10-11; and the original closing date is 2024-10-18. Taken together, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted, single-award effort meant to produce a rigorous, forward-looking cybersecurity and resilience assessment tailored specifically to the semiconductor supply chain, with Cornell University positioned as the exclusive negotiating partner for the primary award.Apply for HQ003425NFOEASD02
- The Washington Headquarters Services in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SEMICONDUCTOR SUPPLY CHAIN AND CYBERSECURITY ASSESSMENT" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.599.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-10-11.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-18. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Semiconductor Supply Chain and Cybersecurity Assessment" opportunity?
It is a FY2024 discretionary cooperative agreement intended to evaluate how the cybersecurity of the semiconductor supply chain can be strengthened, and whether specific improvements are feasible and advisable.
What problem is this cooperative agreement trying to address?
The opportunity targets the growing cybersecurity risk facing the end-to-end semiconductor supply chain. Semiconductors are central to modern technology, and the globally distributed supply chain that designs, builds, packages, and delivers chips has become an increasingly attractive target for both nation-state actors and financially motivated cybercriminals.
Why does the opportunity emphasize the semiconductor supply chain specifically?
Because semiconductor production depends on a complex, globally distributed set of inputs and participants (raw materials, chemicals, specialty components, advanced manufacturing tools, specialized software such as design and verification tools, and tightly choreographed logistics). This complexity creates many interdependencies where an upstream disruption or compromise can cascade into major downstream impacts.
What kinds of threats does the opportunity highlight?
The notice highlights threats from nation-state actors and financially motivated cybercriminals. It also emphasizes that these threats are expected not only to persist, but to grow in sophistication over time.
What does the opportunity say about why semiconductor supply chain cybersecurity is uniquely difficult?
It frames cybersecurity as difficult because risk arises across relationships, dependencies, shared technologies, and interconnected workflows spanning many organizations worldwide. Defending a single company network is not enough when vulnerabilities and disruptions can propagate across suppliers, partners, and shared systems.
What is meant by the supply chain challenge being a "modeling and forecasting" challenge?
The opportunity suggests that effective risk management requires anticipating how threats could move through interconnected supply chain dependencies and forecasting how compromises in one part of the ecosystem could affect design, manufacturing, logistics, product integrity, or availability downstream.
What gap in current industry practice is this funding meant to address?
It points to a gap where organizations often focus cybersecurity resources on enterprise-wide controls (perimeter defenses, identity management, monitoring, incident response) and on responding to known threats, while lacking structured capacity to systematically anticipate emerging threats and map them to real operational dependencies in semiconductor workflows.
Is this opportunity focused on responding to known threats or anticipating new ones?
It is oriented toward forward-looking assessment, emphasizing identification and forecasting of evolving threats and translating them into actionable understanding of where the supply chain is most exposed and where resilience investments would have the most impact.
How does the opportunity connect cybersecurity to supply chain resilience?
It argues that cybersecurity and supply chain resilience are linked because cyber events can cause production slowdowns, integrity issues, shortages, compromised products, and other systemic impacts across the semiconductor ecosystem.
Why does the government describe this as urgent?
Because threats are expected to increase in sophistication and because the semiconductor supply chain is foundational to much of the broader digital ecosystem, creating pressure to improve how risk is anticipated and managed across the industry.
What is the government rationale for funding this assessment?
The rationale is tied to U.S. economic and national security priorities and maintaining technological leadership. The opportunity notes major U.S. public investments in domestic semiconductor capacity through the CHIPS Act and related initiatives, alongside heavy foreign investment in semiconductors and potential motivations for cyber operations to gain strategic advantage.
Which national-level strategy is cited in the opportunity description?
The 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy is cited to reinforce the idea that large cybersecurity investments should be integrated with supply chain resilience.
What is the legal basis for this award?
The opportunity is grounded in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (FY24 NDAA), which directs the government to enter into agreements to assess the feasibility and advisability of improving semiconductor supply chain cybersecurity.
Is this an open, competitive funding opportunity?
No. The anticipated cooperative agreement is to be negotiated exclusively with Cornell University, meaning it is not an open competitive solicitation for a wide range of lead applicants.
Does the notice indicate any opportunities for other organizations or individuals to participate?
Yes. While the primary award is exclusive to Cornell University for negotiation, the notice indicates there may be roles for other participants through sub-awards or as panel members, and it refers readers to a specific section of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) for eligibility requirements related to those supporting roles.
What federal agency is associated with this opportunity?
The agency listed is Washington Headquarters Services.
What is the funding instrument, and what does it imply?
The instrument is a cooperative agreement. The notice indicates this typically implies substantial involvement by the federal sponsor during performance compared to a standard grant.
How is the opportunity categorized in terms of funding type?
It is categorized as discretionary.
What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?
The CFDA/Assistance Listing number is 12.599.
What is the opportunity number?
The opportunity number is HQ003425NFOEASD02.
How many awards does the agency expect to make?
The expected number of awards is one.
What is the maximum award amount (ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $3,000,000.
When was the opportunity posted?
The posting/creation date is 2024-10-11.
What is the closing date listed for the opportunity?
The original closing date is 2024-10-18.
What is the overall purpose of the assessment this award supports?
It is meant to produce a rigorous, forward-looking cybersecurity and resilience assessment tailored specifically to the semiconductor supply chain, with an emphasis on understanding evolving threats, real-world dependencies, and where targeted resilience investments could reduce systemic risk.
What kinds of impacts is the assessment trying to help prevent?
The opportunity specifically points to impacts such as production slowdowns, integrity issues, shortages, compromised products, and risks to intellectual property or broader systemic risks to critical technologies.
How does the opportunity describe the semiconductor supply chain ecosystem?
It describes an ecosystem spanning globally distributed workforces and networks of suppliers and partners, relying on specialized tools, software, materials, and logistics, where interconnected steps can amplify the effects of disruptions or compromises.
Why does the opportunity mention foreign government investments in semiconductors?
It notes that foreign governments are investing heavily in their own semiconductor industries and could be motivated to use cyber operations to weaken competitors or gain strategic advantage, which increases the importance of strengthening cybersecurity and resilience.
How should this opportunity be understood in practical terms?
It is best understood as a targeted, single-award effort aimed at assessing feasibility and advisability of cybersecurity improvements across the semiconductor supply chain, structured as a cooperative agreement with Cornell University as the exclusive negotiating partner for the primary award.
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