SCALE Capital: Massachusetts Lab-to-Fab Grant Program

The SCALE Capital: Massachusetts Lab-to-Fab Grant Program is a $10M initiative by the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition aimed at enhancing Massachusetts' microelectronics ecosystem. This program provides funding for capital expenses that facilitate the transition of innovative technologies from lab to market, addressing gaps in workforce development and technology readiness. It supports projects that foster collaboration within the microelectronics community, ensuring a robust pipeline from research to production.

The Northeast Microelectronics Coalition’s new Supporting Chip Advancement from Lab to Enterprise (SCALE) Capital Program invests $10M to strengthen Massachusetts’ microelectronics ecosystem. Designed to bridge the gap from lab to market, this initiative will fund capital expenses for ecosystem connectivity, expand workforce capabilities and advance cutting-edge technologies.
The SCALE Capital: Massachusetts Lab-to-Fab Grant Program provides grant funding opportunities to Massachusetts-based projects in support of the NEMC mission to build-out a thriving microelectronics innovation ecosystem, bridging the gap between cutting-edge proof-of-concept devices and production readiness. This program will help reduce the capital needed to advance novel technologies to a point where venture capital or commercial entities are more able to invest in them, expand workforce education and training that fills the gaps in the region and support ecosystem projects that bridge the microelectronics community together.
Acceptable uses of funds include:

• Ecosystem Development

Applicants may identify lab-to-fab facility and/or equipment gaps and propose the purchasing, installation and utilization of that equipment for the benefit of the broader microelectronics community.
Workforce Development
Applicants may identify capital expense gaps and propose corresponding purchases that will enhance existing workforce development programs or contribute to the creation of new programs. Proposals should be for microelectronics education and training programs driven by employer needs in the region.
Technology Development
Applicants may identify capital expenses that will support technology and product development of early-stage microelectronics concepts, helping to mature the technologies to a point of readiness for follow-on public and/or private investment.
NEMC Hub SCALE Capital Objectives
The NEMC Hub objectives for the SCALE Capital Program are as follows:

1. Objective 1 - Alignment with the following microelectronics focus areas:a. Communication Technologies (including 5G/6G)b. Advanced Packagingc. Al Hardwared. Semiconductor Processes (for example: processes from CMOS, Wide Bandgap, etc.)e. Secure Edge Computing/loTf. Quantum2. Objective 2 - Transitioning technology from laboratories into prototyping and manufacturing. Not applicable to Workforce Development Projects.