How much did Arizona's AMF Grant pay semiconductor startups?
Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) with Arizona State University Core Research Facilities
Up to $75,000 (1:1 match)
Researched for this program: 4 rejection traps · 3 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
It matched 1:1 what a company spent on ASU's shared fab and lab tools, up to $75,000 per company, so the startup paid half. The money went to ASU for tool time, not to the company as cash.
A non-dilutive grant from the Arizona Commerce Authority, delivered in partnership with Arizona State University, that lowers the cost of accessing world-class semiconductor and hard-materials prototyping equipment for Arizona startups. Rather than a cash award, the AMF Grant provides a 1:1 match on a company's usage of ASU's Core Research Facilities — up to $75,000 per company — effectively cutting the cost of fab and characterization tool time in half. It targets semiconductor and hard-materials startups that are not yet users (or are only light users) of ASU's facilities. Eligible facilities include Advanced Electronics and Photonics, NanoFab, and the Eyring Materials Center. Companies work with an ASU technical sales engineer to scope a tool budget before applying.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- Up to $75,000 (1:1 match)
- Realistic amount
- Awards scale to the tool budget a company develops with ASU; most matches fund a defined block of fab/characterization time and reach toward the $75,000 cap for companies with substantial prototyping needs, less for narrower projects.
- Deadline
- Closed — ACA's last posted round (Round 4) had a deadline of November 30, 2023; the programme page has since been removed from azcommerce.com.
- Status
- closed
- States
- Arizona
- Payment model
- in-kind
Who qualifies
- For-profit company operating in Arizona
- Working in semiconductor or hard-materials technology
- Not a current user of ASU Core Facilities, or only a light/occasional user
- Able to fund the matching half of the facility-usage budget
- Must scope a tool/facility budget with ASU Core Research Facilities staff before applying
Hard requirements
- Must be an incorporated business
Questions people ask about the AMF Grant
Who could get it?
Semiconductor and hard-materials startups that were new to ASU's labs. The Arizona Commerce Authority aimed it at companies that were not yet users of ASU's Core Research Facilities, or only light users. Applicants had to show how their work in those labs fit semiconductors or hard materials. The grant matched 1:1, so the other half of the facility-usage budget came from the applicant.
What did the money actually pay for?
Time on ASU's shared tools. The three main facilities were Advanced Electronics and Photonics, NanoFab and the Eyring Materials Center. Clean rooms, specialty gases and pilot-scale fabrication tools cost far more than a startup can build, so the grant paid half of the agreed usage bill. The company paid the other half.
Is the Arizona AMF Grant still open?
No. See the Deadline row above for the current status. Funds were first-come, first-served while it ran. If you need lab access or non-dilutive funding now, compare the Arizona Innovation Challenge and the NSF SBIR Phase I, and check each one's Deadline row for current status.
How is it different from a regular cash grant?
You got discounted tool time, not money in your bank account. A cash grant can go to wages, rent or equipment. The AMF match only offset ASU's facility charges, so it suited a company with a clear prototyping milestone. See the manufacturing grants and Arizona small business grants pages for programs that pay cash.
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Usage of ASU Core Research Facilities (Advanced Electronics and Photonics, NanoFab, Eyring Materials Center)
- Semiconductor and hard-materials prototyping and characterization tool time
Ineligible expenses
- Cash for general operating expenses (the award is facility-usage match, not a cash grant)
- Equipment purchases
- Personnel salaries unrelated to facility usage
- Facility usage outside ASU Core Facilities
How to apply
-
1
Scope facilities with ASU
Contact ASU's Core Research Facilities technical sales engineer to identify the facilities and toolsets that fit your company's needs and develop a usage budget to submit with the application.
~4 hrs
-
2
Submit AMF application to the ACA
Submit the application with the ASU-developed budget through the Arizona Commerce Authority website ahead of the relevant quarterly review deadline (last day of the month before the review).
~4 hrs
-
3
Quarterly review and award
The ACA reviews applications quarterly and awards a 1:1 match (up to $75,000) on approved facility usage.
~1 hrs
-
4
Use facilities and draw the match
Access the ASU Core Facilities; the grant covers half of the agreed usage cost as you consume tool time, while the company pays the other half.
~1 hrs
The application's strength comes from the budget you scope with ASU's technical sales engineer, so engage Core Facilities staff early — they help right-size the toolset and the budget, which is what you submit. Because the award is a match on facility time rather than cash, line it up with a concrete prototyping milestone (e.g., a deliverable for an SBIR project) so the matched tool time directly advances a fundable goal.
Deadline & timing
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis through the ACA website and reviewed quarterly. The submission deadline for each quarterly review is the last day of the month before the review date.
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