Advancing the Domestic Manufacturing of Semiconductors in Commercial Information Technology, 3963-3965 [2025-00727]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 9 / Wednesday, January 15, 2025 / Notices
• To join the Zoom meeting by
telephone, please dial one of the
following phone numbers:
• +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
• +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
• +1 669 444 9171 US
• +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
• +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
• +1 719 359 4580 US
• +1 253 205 0468 US
• +1 386 347 5053 US
• +1 507 473 4847 US
• +1 564 217 2000 US
• +1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
• +1 646 931 3860 US
• +1 689 278 1000 US
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
• +1 309 205 3325 US
• +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
• +1 360 209 5623 US
Meeting ID: 813 1038 7219.
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Thursday, January 23, 2025
• To join the Zoom meeting by
computer, please use this link: https://
lsc-gov.zoom.us/j/85376875347?
pwd=9RWUAXgEMGIh5wbhV91nISN6
MLRsbY.1&from=addon.
Meeting ID: 853 7687 5347.
Passcode: 12325.
• To join the Zoom meeting with one
tap from your mobile phone, please
dial:
+14086380968,,85376875347# US (San
Jose)
+16694449171,,85376875347# US
• To join the Zoom meeting by
telephone, please dial one of the
following phone numbers:
• +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
• +1 669 444 9171 US
• +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
• +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
• +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
• +1 719 359 4580 US
• +1 253 205 0468 US
• +1 507 473 4847 US
• +1 564 217 2000 US
• +1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
• +1 646 931 3860 US
• +1 689 278 1000 US
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
• +1 309 205 3325 US
• +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
• +1 360 209 5623 US
• +1 386 347 5053 US
Meeting ID: 853 7687 5347.
Once connected to Zoom, please
immediately mute your computer or
telephone. Members of the public are
asked to keep their computers or
telephones muted to eliminate
background noise. To avoid disrupting
the meetings, please refrain from
placing the call on hold if doing so will
trigger recorded music or other sound.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:37 Jan 14, 2025
Jkt 265001
From time to time, the Committee
Chairs may solicit comments from the
public. To participate in the meeting
during public comment, use the ‘raise
your hand’ or ‘chat’ functions in Zoom
and wait to be recognized by the Chair
before stating your questions and/or
comments.
STATUS: Parts of this meeting will be
open to the public. The rest of the
meeting will be closed to the public.
MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:
Meeting Schedule
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Start Time: 2:00 p.m. ET.
Operations and Regulations
Committee.
PORTIONS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Matters to
be discussed in open session include
approval of the Committee’s agenda;
approval of the minutes of the
Committee’s October 7, 2024, meeting;
the Committee’s self-evaluation for 2024
and goals for 2025; Management’s report
on implementation of LSC’s 2021–2025
strategic plan; and LSC’s engagement
with the Client Leaders Council around
LSC’s rules governing client grievance
procedures and prohibition of
discrimination on the basis of disability.
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Start Time: 3:00 p.m. ET.
Governance and Performance Review
Committee.
PORTIONS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Matters to
be discussed in open session include
approval of the Committee’s agenda;
approval of the minutes of the
Committee’s October 8, 2024, meeting;
Management’s report on the 2024
annual Board and committee selfevaluation process; the Committee’s
self-evaluation for 2024 and goals for
2025; proposed Board handbook;
activities of the Office of Access to
Justice, Department of Justice, and the
White House Legal Aid Interagency
Roundtable; Presidential transition and
legislative outreach plans; LSC
President’s self-evaluation; and the 2024
activities of the Office of Inspector
General.
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Start Time: 3:00 p.m. ET.
Institutional Advancement Committee
and Communications Subcommittee.
PORTIONS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Matters to
be discussed in open session include
approval of the Committee’s agenda;
approval of the minutes of the
Subcommittee’s and Committee’s
October 7, 2024, and October 15, 2024
meetings, respectively; the
Subcommittee’s and Committee’s self-
PO 00000
Frm 00177
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
3963
evaluations for 2024 and goals for 2025;
activities of the Leaders and Emerging
Leaders Councils; development
activities; the Civil Court Data Initiative;
Veterans Task Force implementation
activities; communications and social
media update; and a preview of the
dynamic strategic communication plan
for 2025.
PORTIONS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC: Matters
to be discussed in closed session
include approval of the minutes of the
Committee’s October 15, 2024, meeting;
a confidential development report; and
consideration of and action on
nominations to the Leaders and
Emerging Leaders Councils.
CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Cheryl DuHart, Administrative
Coordinator, at (202) 295–1621.
Questions may also be sent by electronic
mail to duhartc@lsc.gov.
Non-Confidential Meeting Materials:
Non-confidential meeting materials will
be made available in electronic format at
least 24 hours in advance of the meeting
on the LSC website, at https://
www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/board-meetingmaterials.
(Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552b).
Dated: January 10, 2025.
Stefanie Davis,
Deputy General Counsel, Legal Services
Corporation.
[FR Doc. 2025–00944 Filed 1–13–25; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 7050–01–P
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND
BUDGET
Advancing the Domestic
Manufacturing of Semiconductors in
Commercial Information Technology
Office of Management and
Budget.
ACTION: Request for information:
Advancing the Domestic Manufacturing
of Semiconductors in Commercial
Information Technology.
AGENCY:
This request for information
(RFI) seeks input on ways the Federal
Government can build the resilience of
domestic semiconductor manufacturing
and maintain this essential capability
through the procurement of commercial
IT end products that include
semiconductors fabricated in the United
States. Specific feedback is sought on
potential procurement approaches to
minimize supply chain disruption and
increase fabrication of semiconductors
in the United States.
DATES: Responses to this request for
information will be accepted for
consideration until March 17, 2025.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\15JAN1.SGM
15JAN1
3964
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 9 / Wednesday, January 15, 2025 / Notices
Responses must be
submitted electronically through
regulations.gov. Mailed paper
submissions will not be accepted, and
electronic submissions received after
the deadline may not be considered.
Instructions: Federal eRulemaking
Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov
search ‘‘Commercial IT Procurement
RFI’’ to submit your comments
electronically. Information on how to
use Regulations.gov, including
instructions for accessing agency
documents, submitting comments, and
viewing the docket, is available on the
site under ‘‘FAQ’’ (https://
www.regulations.gov/faq).
Privacy Act Statement: OMB is
issuing this request for information
(RFI) pursuant to its authorities under
the Office of Federal Procurement
Policy Act, 41 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., and
consistent with Executive Order (E.O.)
14005 and sec. 70933(1) of the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
(IIJA), Public Law 117–58, which aim
for every executive agency to maximize
the use of goods, products, and
materials produced in, and services
offered in, the United States. Your
response to this RFI and submission of
comments is voluntary. OMB will use
your feedback to inform sound decisionmaking on topics related to this RFI
regarding potential government-wide
actions to revitalize the domestic
manufacturing base, create new
opportunities for U.S. firms and
workers, and position U.S. businesses to
compete and lead globally in strategic
industries. Please note that submissions
received in response to this notice may
be posted in the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at www.regulations.gov or
otherwise released in their entirety,
including any personal and business
confidential information provided. Do
not include in your submissions any
information of a confidential nature,
such as personal or proprietary
information, or any information you
would not like to be made publicly
available. The OMB Public Input
System of Records, OMB/INPUT/01 at
88 FR 20913 (https://
www.federalregister.gov/documents/
2023/04/07/2023-07452/privacy-act-of1974-system-of-records) includes a list
of routine uses associated with the
collection of this information.
Comments containing references,
studies, research, and other empirical
data that are not widely published
should include electronic links to the
referenced materials, if they are
available online.
Please note that the U.S. Government
will not pay for response preparation, or
for the use of any information contained
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
ADDRESSES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:37 Jan 14, 2025
Jkt 265001
in the response. A response to this RFI
will not be viewed as a binding
commitment to develop or pursue the
project or ideas discussed.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Please direct questions regarding this
Notice to Eddie Garcia, Procurement
Analyst (telephone: 202–881–7508) or
email the Made in America Office at
MadeInAmerica@omb.eop.gov with
‘‘Commercial IT Procurement RFI’’ in
the subject line.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of
2022, Public Law 117–167, made
historic investments in American
semiconductor manufacturing to
strengthen U.S. supply chains and help
address vulnerabilities identified in the
Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) review of critical
sectors conducted pursuant to E.O.
14017, America’s Supply Chains.
This RFI is part of a series of
government-wide actions the
Administration is taking to build an
essential domestic manufacturing
capability for semiconductors. This RFI
complements related efforts to minimize
risk to U.S. economic and national
security, which includes potential
rulemaking by the Federal Acquisition
Regulatory Council to prohibit Federal
agencies from procuring or obtaining
semiconductors manufactured in certain
countries.
OMB’s Made in America Office
(MIAO) and Office of Federal
Procurement Policy (OFPP) seek to
understand how the Federal acquisition
system can best leverage domestic
sources for semiconductors to ensure a
safe and secure supply chain for U.S.
government procured commercial IT
products and services (hereafter referred
to as ‘‘commercial IT’’). Market
segments of interest include:
—Telecommunication infrastructure
and services
—Cloud/data center infrastructure and
services
—ICT devices (e.g., mobile phones,
laptops)
—Transportation/vehicles
MIAO and OFPP are especially
interested in obtaining your views
regarding the impact of using contract
requirements for dual sourcing,
potential agency reliance on the
industrial mobilization exception to full
and open competition, or other
contracting methods to create and
preserve this essential capability,
mitigate the risk posed by undue
dependence on foreign manufacturing
and help reduce costs currently
associated with domestic fabrication,
PO 00000
Frm 00178
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
assembly, test, and packaging (hereafter
referred to as ‘‘manufacturing’’).
Dual sourcing. Dual sourcing refers to
the supply chain management practice
of requiring contractors to utilize at least
two suppliers to provide a specific
component, material, or product for the
purpose of helping to build alternative
sources of supply and reducing supply
chain disruption risks associated with
relying on a single source.
Industrial mobilization. Procurement
law and regulations have long
recognized exceptions to full and open
competition for a period of time,
including when an agency can
demonstrate that an exception is
necessary to award the contract to
particular sources in order to (a)
maintain a facility, producer,
manufacturer, or other supplier
available for furnishing supplies or
services in case of a national emergency
or to achieve industrial mobilization; or
(b) establish or maintain an essential
engineering, research, or development
capability to be provided by an
educational or other nonprofit
institution or a Federally funded
research and development center. 10
U.S.C. 2304(c)(3), 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(3);
FAR 6.302–3. Limiting competition to
domestic sources for a period of time to
create or maintain the required domestic
capability for production of critical
supplies has long been identified in the
FAR as a recognized application of the
industrial mobilization exception to full
and competition and can help to
address the cost differences between
domestic and foreign production by
building the competitiveness of the
domestic market over time. For
additional information on industrial
mobilization, see OFPP & MIAO,
Strengthening Domestic Sourcing for
Critical Items (Mar. 13, 2024).1
To understand the potential impact of
these or other strategies, OMB seeks
feedback on the following questions.
OMB is especially interested in
feedback as it pertains to data centers,
telecom, and other IT infrastructure and
services, mobile devices, laptops,
servers, and workstations, as well as
automobiles and other vehicles, but
welcomes feedback on any commercial
IT that uses semiconductors.
For purposes of this RFI, the terms
semiconductor and semiconductor
manufacturing have the same meanings
as set forth in National Institute of
Standards and Technology regulations
at 15 CFR 231.115 and 231.116.
Examples of semiconductors include
1 https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/
uploads/2024/03/Strengthening-Domestic-Sourcingfor-Critical-Items.pdf.
E:\FR\FM\15JAN1.SGM
15JAN1
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 9 / Wednesday, January 15, 2025 / Notices
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
memory chips, logic chips such as
microprocessors and microcontrollers,
complex systems-on-a-chip, and
discrete, analog, and optoelectronic
chips. The RFI encompasses in its scope
leading-edge, current-generation, and
mature-node semiconductors as defined
in CHIPS Program Office Notice of
Funding Opportunities for commercial
fabrication facilities, Feb 28 2023]. For
instance, leading-edge logic
semiconductors are those requiring
extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography
tools for production (and equivalent
performance spec for memory chips);
current-generation semiconductors are
those that are not leading-edge, up to 28
nanometer process technologies, and
include logic, analog, radio frequency,
and mixed-signal devices; mature-node
semiconductors include sensors,
optoelectronics, discrete devices, and
logic and analog chips not based on
FinFET, post-FinFET, or any other sub28 nanometer transistor architectures.
Questions
1. If sufficient economic incentives
existed, how quickly could you begin to
use domestically manufactured
semiconductors? In responding, please
identify your market segment or
segments (e.g., cloud services, cloud
infrastructure, telecom services, telecom
infrastructure, user devices,
automobiles) and the type of chips you
use most frequently.
2. Once you have determined that
there is sufficient domestic
manufacturing of semiconductors, what
factors, including economic incentives,
would affect your willingness to take
advantage of this supply? In responding,
please identify your market segment.
3. How much production is needed to
constitute a sufficient domestic supply
of semiconductors? In responding,
please identify both your market
segment and the any information
regarding semiconductors that would be
helpful to better understand your
market segment needs.
4. Last year, the Federal Government
purchased approximately $10 billion on
IT hardware, including approximately
1.5 million mobile devices and 1.3
million laptops, around $14 billion of
cloud computing, including data
centers, and $5.43 billion of telecom
services.
a. What steps might agencies take that
could effectively incentivize you to use
domestically manufactured
semiconductors in meeting this demand
(e.g., agency competitions limited to
offerors who use only domestically
manufactured semiconductors;
requirements that awardees must use
two different sources for
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:37 Jan 14, 2025
Jkt 265001
semiconductors and at least one source
must provide domestically
manufactured semiconductors; agency
forecasts published well in advance of
solicitation that inform interested
sources of these competitions)? Please
identify your market segment.
b. Would you be willing to compete
for an IT data center contract or a
telecom contract that requires the
service provider to use equipment with
domestically manufactured
semiconductors in the performance of
the required service? If not, why not?
Would your answer change if the
statement of work required offerors to
agree to use at least two different
sources for semiconductors?
c. What opportunities or challenges
do you see for your market segment if
you were to use only domestically
manufactured semiconductors? Are
there steps that could make the
requirement more manageable, such as
with a phase-in (e.g., requiring a certain
percentage of semi-conductors to be
domestically manufactured)?
d. Many state and local governments
adopt Federal standards with respect to
their own procurement regulations.
Would your responses change to any of
the above questions, if State and local
governments adopted, through their
own authorities, complementary
actions?
e. What percentage of your current
offerings rely on domestically
manufactured semiconductors? Please
identify your market segment.
f. Are there particular categories of
semiconductors that would be easier to
source domestically or ones that would
be more difficult?
g. Are there particular categories of
semiconductors that would constitute a
larger portion of your purchased
components and would be better
sourced domestically?
5. How far in advance of
manufacturing must a purchase order be
secured from a semiconductor fabricator
to support production, or infrastructure
build-out?
6. What, if any, significant domestic
supply chain vulnerabilities
surrounding semiconductors are you
aware of and what could be done to
reduce or eliminate those
vulnerabilities? Are there other
vulnerabilities of which we should be
aware?
7. To meet Federal sustainability
purchasing requirements, should
domestically-produced commercial IT
products with domestic semiconductors
include specifications, standards, or
ecolabels recommended by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
for Federal purchasing or be capable of
PO 00000
Frm 00179
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
3965
meeting EPA’s Framework for the
Assessment of Environmental
Performance Standards and Ecolabels
for Federal Purchasing for future
inclusion?
Questions for Domestic Manufacturers
of Semiconductors
8. What is the anticipated timeline for
domestic production and anticipated
capacity of various types of
semiconductors, including but not
limited to memory chips, logic chips
such as microprocessors and
microcontrollers, complex systems-on-achip, and discrete, analog, and
optoelectronic chips?
9. How much time do you need from
the placement of an order from an IT
hardware manufacturer to deliver the
semiconductors?
10. What is the anticipated timeline
for domestic production and capacity of
associated components, including, but
not limited to, packaging of chips,
mother boards, etc.?
11. What raw materials used in
semiconductor manufacturing are in
limited or constrained supply and could
prevent scale up of your domestic
manufacturing operations?
12. What manufacturing equipment
do you use that are in limited or
constrained supply and could prevent
scale up of your domestic
semiconductor manufacturing and
operations?
13. What, if any, factors (for example,
workforce, permitting, access to high
quality power/water, etc.) are causing
significant delays in bringing domestic
manufacturing facilities online?
14. What types of innovations can
help make the manufacturing market
more efficient?
Additional Questions for Interested
Stakeholders
15. What actions should the Federal
Government take to enable strong small
business participation by resellers
offering commercial IT with
domestically fabricated
semiconductors?
OMB intends to hold industry
listening sessions in the coming months
to discuss industry feedback. Listening
sessions will be noticed through the
Federal Register.
Christine J. Harada,
Senior Advisor, Office of Federal Procurement
Policy, Performing, by delegation, the duties
of the Administrator for Federal Procurement
Policy.
[FR Doc. 2025–00727 Filed 1–14–25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
E:\FR\FM\15JAN1.SGM
15JAN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3963-3965]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00727]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Advancing the Domestic Manufacturing of Semiconductors in
Commercial Information Technology
AGENCY: Office of Management and Budget.
ACTION: Request for information: Advancing the Domestic Manufacturing
of Semiconductors in Commercial Information Technology.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This request for information (RFI) seeks input on ways the
Federal Government can build the resilience of domestic semiconductor
manufacturing and maintain this essential capability through the
procurement of commercial IT end products that include semiconductors
fabricated in the United States. Specific feedback is sought on
potential procurement approaches to minimize supply chain disruption
and increase fabrication of semiconductors in the United States.
DATES: Responses to this request for information will be accepted for
consideration until March 17, 2025.
[[Page 3964]]
ADDRESSES: Responses must be submitted electronically through
regulations.gov. Mailed paper submissions will not be accepted, and
electronic submissions received after the deadline may not be
considered.
Instructions: Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov
search ``Commercial IT Procurement RFI'' to submit your comments
electronically. Information on how to use Regulations.gov, including
instructions for accessing agency documents, submitting comments, and
viewing the docket, is available on the site under ``FAQ'' (https://www.regulations.gov/faq).
Privacy Act Statement: OMB is issuing this request for information
(RFI) pursuant to its authorities under the Office of Federal
Procurement Policy Act, 41 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., and consistent with
Executive Order (E.O.) 14005 and sec. 70933(1) of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Public Law 117-58, which aim for every
executive agency to maximize the use of goods, products, and materials
produced in, and services offered in, the United States. Your response
to this RFI and submission of comments is voluntary. OMB will use your
feedback to inform sound decision-making on topics related to this RFI
regarding potential government-wide actions to revitalize the domestic
manufacturing base, create new opportunities for U.S. firms and
workers, and position U.S. businesses to compete and lead globally in
strategic industries. Please note that submissions received in response
to this notice may be posted in the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
www.regulations.gov or otherwise released in their entirety, including
any personal and business confidential information provided. Do not
include in your submissions any information of a confidential nature,
such as personal or proprietary information, or any information you
would not like to be made publicly available. The OMB Public Input
System of Records, OMB/INPUT/01 at 88 FR 20913 (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/07/2023-07452/privacy-act-of-1974-system-of-records) includes a list of routine uses associated with
the collection of this information.
Comments containing references, studies, research, and other
empirical data that are not widely published should include electronic
links to the referenced materials, if they are available online.
Please note that the U.S. Government will not pay for response
preparation, or for the use of any information contained in the
response. A response to this RFI will not be viewed as a binding
commitment to develop or pursue the project or ideas discussed.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct questions regarding this
Notice to Eddie Garcia, Procurement Analyst (telephone: 202-881-7508)
or email the Made in America Office at [email protected] with
``Commercial IT Procurement RFI'' in the subject line.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of
2022, Public Law 117-167, made historic investments in American
semiconductor manufacturing to strengthen U.S. supply chains and help
address vulnerabilities identified in the Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) review of critical sectors conducted
pursuant to E.O. 14017, America's Supply Chains.
This RFI is part of a series of government-wide actions the
Administration is taking to build an essential domestic manufacturing
capability for semiconductors. This RFI complements related efforts to
minimize risk to U.S. economic and national security, which includes
potential rulemaking by the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council to
prohibit Federal agencies from procuring or obtaining semiconductors
manufactured in certain countries.
OMB's Made in America Office (MIAO) and Office of Federal
Procurement Policy (OFPP) seek to understand how the Federal
acquisition system can best leverage domestic sources for
semiconductors to ensure a safe and secure supply chain for U.S.
government procured commercial IT products and services (hereafter
referred to as ``commercial IT''). Market segments of interest include:
--Telecommunication infrastructure and services
--Cloud/data center infrastructure and services
--ICT devices (e.g., mobile phones, laptops)
--Transportation/vehicles
MIAO and OFPP are especially interested in obtaining your views
regarding the impact of using contract requirements for dual sourcing,
potential agency reliance on the industrial mobilization exception to
full and open competition, or other contracting methods to create and
preserve this essential capability, mitigate the risk posed by undue
dependence on foreign manufacturing and help reduce costs currently
associated with domestic fabrication, assembly, test, and packaging
(hereafter referred to as ``manufacturing'').
Dual sourcing. Dual sourcing refers to the supply chain management
practice of requiring contractors to utilize at least two suppliers to
provide a specific component, material, or product for the purpose of
helping to build alternative sources of supply and reducing supply
chain disruption risks associated with relying on a single source.
Industrial mobilization. Procurement law and regulations have long
recognized exceptions to full and open competition for a period of
time, including when an agency can demonstrate that an exception is
necessary to award the contract to particular sources in order to (a)
maintain a facility, producer, manufacturer, or other supplier
available for furnishing supplies or services in case of a national
emergency or to achieve industrial mobilization; or (b) establish or
maintain an essential engineering, research, or development capability
to be provided by an educational or other nonprofit institution or a
Federally funded research and development center. 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(3),
41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(3); FAR 6.302-3. Limiting competition to domestic
sources for a period of time to create or maintain the required
domestic capability for production of critical supplies has long been
identified in the FAR as a recognized application of the industrial
mobilization exception to full and competition and can help to address
the cost differences between domestic and foreign production by
building the competitiveness of the domestic market over time. For
additional information on industrial mobilization, see OFPP & MIAO,
Strengthening Domestic Sourcing for Critical Items (Mar. 13, 2024).\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Strengthening-Domestic-Sourcing-for-Critical-Items.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To understand the potential impact of these or other strategies,
OMB seeks feedback on the following questions. OMB is especially
interested in feedback as it pertains to data centers, telecom, and
other IT infrastructure and services, mobile devices, laptops, servers,
and workstations, as well as automobiles and other vehicles, but
welcomes feedback on any commercial IT that uses semiconductors.
For purposes of this RFI, the terms semiconductor and semiconductor
manufacturing have the same meanings as set forth in National Institute
of Standards and Technology regulations at 15 CFR 231.115 and 231.116.
Examples of semiconductors include
[[Page 3965]]
memory chips, logic chips such as microprocessors and microcontrollers,
complex systems-on-a-chip, and discrete, analog, and optoelectronic
chips. The RFI encompasses in its scope leading-edge, current-
generation, and mature-node semiconductors as defined in CHIPS Program
Office Notice of Funding Opportunities for commercial fabrication
facilities, Feb 28 2023]. For instance, leading-edge logic
semiconductors are those requiring extreme ultraviolet (EUV)
lithography tools for production (and equivalent performance spec for
memory chips); current-generation semiconductors are those that are not
leading-edge, up to 28 nanometer process technologies, and include
logic, analog, radio frequency, and mixed-signal devices; mature-node
semiconductors include sensors, optoelectronics, discrete devices, and
logic and analog chips not based on FinFET, post-FinFET, or any other
sub-28 nanometer transistor architectures.
Questions
1. If sufficient economic incentives existed, how quickly could you
begin to use domestically manufactured semiconductors? In responding,
please identify your market segment or segments (e.g., cloud services,
cloud infrastructure, telecom services, telecom infrastructure, user
devices, automobiles) and the type of chips you use most frequently.
2. Once you have determined that there is sufficient domestic
manufacturing of semiconductors, what factors, including economic
incentives, would affect your willingness to take advantage of this
supply? In responding, please identify your market segment.
3. How much production is needed to constitute a sufficient
domestic supply of semiconductors? In responding, please identify both
your market segment and the any information regarding semiconductors
that would be helpful to better understand your market segment needs.
4. Last year, the Federal Government purchased approximately $10
billion on IT hardware, including approximately 1.5 million mobile
devices and 1.3 million laptops, around $14 billion of cloud computing,
including data centers, and $5.43 billion of telecom services.
a. What steps might agencies take that could effectively
incentivize you to use domestically manufactured semiconductors in
meeting this demand (e.g., agency competitions limited to offerors who
use only domestically manufactured semiconductors; requirements that
awardees must use two different sources for semiconductors and at least
one source must provide domestically manufactured semiconductors;
agency forecasts published well in advance of solicitation that inform
interested sources of these competitions)? Please identify your market
segment.
b. Would you be willing to compete for an IT data center contract
or a telecom contract that requires the service provider to use
equipment with domestically manufactured semiconductors in the
performance of the required service? If not, why not? Would your answer
change if the statement of work required offerors to agree to use at
least two different sources for semiconductors?
c. What opportunities or challenges do you see for your market
segment if you were to use only domestically manufactured
semiconductors? Are there steps that could make the requirement more
manageable, such as with a phase-in (e.g., requiring a certain
percentage of semi-conductors to be domestically manufactured)?
d. Many state and local governments adopt Federal standards with
respect to their own procurement regulations. Would your responses
change to any of the above questions, if State and local governments
adopted, through their own authorities, complementary actions?
e. What percentage of your current offerings rely on domestically
manufactured semiconductors? Please identify your market segment.
f. Are there particular categories of semiconductors that would be
easier to source domestically or ones that would be more difficult?
g. Are there particular categories of semiconductors that would
constitute a larger portion of your purchased components and would be
better sourced domestically?
5. How far in advance of manufacturing must a purchase order be
secured from a semiconductor fabricator to support production, or
infrastructure build-out?
6. What, if any, significant domestic supply chain vulnerabilities
surrounding semiconductors are you aware of and what could be done to
reduce or eliminate those vulnerabilities? Are there other
vulnerabilities of which we should be aware?
7. To meet Federal sustainability purchasing requirements, should
domestically-produced commercial IT products with domestic
semiconductors include specifications, standards, or ecolabels
recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Federal
purchasing or be capable of meeting EPA's Framework for the Assessment
of Environmental Performance Standards and Ecolabels for Federal
Purchasing for future inclusion?
Questions for Domestic Manufacturers of Semiconductors
8. What is the anticipated timeline for domestic production and
anticipated capacity of various types of semiconductors, including but
not limited to memory chips, logic chips such as microprocessors and
microcontrollers, complex systems-on-a-chip, and discrete, analog, and
optoelectronic chips?
9. How much time do you need from the placement of an order from an
IT hardware manufacturer to deliver the semiconductors?
10. What is the anticipated timeline for domestic production and
capacity of associated components, including, but not limited to,
packaging of chips, mother boards, etc.?
11. What raw materials used in semiconductor manufacturing are in
limited or constrained supply and could prevent scale up of your
domestic manufacturing operations?
12. What manufacturing equipment do you use that are in limited or
constrained supply and could prevent scale up of your domestic
semiconductor manufacturing and operations?
13. What, if any, factors (for example, workforce, permitting,
access to high quality power/water, etc.) are causing significant
delays in bringing domestic manufacturing facilities online?
14. What types of innovations can help make the manufacturing
market more efficient?
Additional Questions for Interested Stakeholders
15. What actions should the Federal Government take to enable
strong small business participation by resellers offering commercial IT
with domestically fabricated semiconductors?
OMB intends to hold industry listening sessions in the coming
months to discuss industry feedback. Listening sessions will be noticed
through the Federal Register.
Christine J. Harada,
Senior Advisor, Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Performing, by
delegation, the duties of the Administrator for Federal Procurement
Policy.
[FR Doc. 2025-00727 Filed 1-14-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P