Over $4.7M awarded to-date across 10 states. Unlock the full potential of your microelectronics innovation.
The Northeast Microelectronics Coalition’s PROPEL (Powering Regional Opportunities for Prototyping Microelectronics) Program provides funding and support to help startups and small companies accelerate technology transition from laboratory to fabrication, streamline operations and grow a pipeline of semiconductor talent throughout the Northeast region and beyond.
Empowering Startups and Small Companies to Overcome Scaling Hurdles
The PROPEL Program is a competitive grant opportunity empowering NEMC member companies to overcome manufacturing and operational hurdles and accelerate their microelectronics development journey. This NEMC program offers up to $200,000 in funding to cover services like prototyping development, electronic design automation (EDA) tool licenses and patent filing.
PROPEL Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Submit Your Application
Rolling Application - Open Now
Quick Links & Resources
Webinar registration to be announced.
Read the May 2025 awardee press release.
Read the November 2025 awardee press release.
Funding Overview
The PROPEL Program gives NEMC Hub members with 100 or fewer employees access to grant funds to cover up to 75% of the costs associated with the utilization of lab-to-fab manufacturing services and third-party operations services as outlined below. Grants to individual companies under this program shall not exceed $200,000 for the duration of the project, with the project duration capped at 15 months. Please review the NOFO for the full details.
Acceptable uses of funds include the following:
Manufacturing Development: Grants may be used to fund third party service providers for the following:
- Prototype Fabrication Services
- Prototype Packaging Services
- Prototype Testing and Analysis Services
Operations Development: Grants may be used to fund third party service providers for the following:
- Patent Services: e.g., drafting and filing of patents
- EDA Software Fees: e.g., software licenses
- Cybersecurity Provider Services: e.g., assessments, software licenses, etc.
- Employee Training Service Providers
Note: Grants shall not exceed $200,000 for the duration of the project. Please review the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for full eligibility and reimbursement details.
- Reimbursement for IP technology licenses paid to a third-party (e.g., fees paid to universities for licenses under their patents) is not allowed.
- Applicants can request grant funds to cover up to 12 months of a software license, regardless of license duration. Perpetual licenses are not an approved expense.
Strategic Alignment (Updated 4/3/2026)*
Startup projects are required to align with one or more of the NEMC Hub’s six technology areas: 5G/6G, AI hardware, commercial leap ahead, electromagnetic warfare, secure edge and/or quantum technology.
Application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) design, multi-project wafer (MPW) readiness and backend packaging advisory services. Learn more about the NEMC-Draper partnership here. Please direct all PROPEL-related Draper questions to the email below.
*Preferences are subject to change, please check the website prior to application submission.
Questions
Submit NOFO questions to proposals@masstech.org with the subject line: “Questions – NOFO No. 2025-NEMC-03“. Questions can be submitted on a rolling basis while the NOFO remains open. New questions and answers will be incorporated into the Q&A document as needed on a rolling basis.
- Organizations must be a NEMC Hub member.
- Organizations must have 100 or fewer employees.
- Organizations with 50 or fewer employees are eligible to receive a grant subsidy of 75% of the cost of utilizing the service or license provider. The award total is not to exceed $200,000, with a maximum of $100,000 for manufacturing services and a maximum of $100,000 for operations services.
- Organizations with 51-100 employees are eligible to receive a grant subsidy of 50% of the cost of utilizing the service or license provider. The award total is not to exceed $200,000, with a maximum of $100,000 for manufacturing services and a maximum of $100,000 for operations services.
- Organizations who have received prior PROPEL manufacturing services and/or operations grant(s) will be considered for funding under this NOFO subject to approved use of prior funds. Preference will be given to applicants who have not received prior PROPEL grants.
Preference will be given to proposing organizations and providers headquartered in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey and New York. Work must be conducted by a professionally run service provider that can produce invoices, with a preference for providers in the NEMC Hub network.
Manufacturing Development: Grants may be used to fund third-party service providers for the following:
- Prototype Fabrication Services
- Prototype Packaging Services
- Prototype Testing and Analysis Services
Operations Development: Grants may be used to fund third-party service providers for the following:
- Patent Services: e.g., drafting and filing of patents
- EDA Software Fees: e.g., software licenses
- Cybersecurity Provider Services: e.g., assessments, software licenses, etc.
- Employee Training Service Providers
Notes:
- Reimbursement for IP technology licenses paid to a third-party (e.g., fees paid to universities for licenses under their patents) is not allowed.
- Applicants can request grant funds to cover up to 12 months of an eligible software license, regardless of license duration. Perpetual licenses are not an approved expense.
Grant funded expenses must be incurred after the submission window deadline and prior to the contract end date. Contracts will be 12 months in length, and awardees may maintain only one (1) active PROPEL contract awarded under this NOFO at any given time. Concurrent active contracts are not permitted. Eligible services that have been invoiced or paid for and completed prior to the submission window deadline are not eligible for reimbursement with PROPEL grant funds. Applicants may, at their own risk, choose to pay for eligible services after the applicant’s proposal submission date; applicants, however, assume risk of all costs if they are not selected for an award. If a deposit on a service is a commitment to purchase, deposits made prior to the applicant's proposal submission date are not eligible for reimbursement.
The application process will proceed according to the following schedule. The target dates are subject to change. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to check NEMC's website frequently for schedule updates.
| Task | Date |
| NOFO Released | Wednesday, May 28, 2025 |
| Informational Webinar | Hosted as needed, announced on website |
| Questions Due for Updated Q&A File | Rolling* |
| Answers Posted in Updated Q&A File | Rolling* |
| Applications Due | Rolling* |
| Submission Window Deadlines (optional) | Round 4 - Tuesday, June 30, 2026 @ 11:59 p.m. ET Round 5 - Friday, January 15, 2027 @ 11:59 p.m. ET |
*See definition and detail on rolling submission schedule below.
Rolling Application Submission Schedule:
Applications may be submitted to MassTech on a rolling basis, meaning applications can be submitted at any time while the solicitation is open. Applications will be reviewed at least two times per year. Submission windows are listed below; windows can be adjusted or added, and applicants are encouraged to check the table for updates. All applications received by 11:59 p.m. ET on the submission deadline will move into review. Early submissions do not get preference; all applications received by a window's deadline are reviewed together after that date.
Timing example: If an application is submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on a submission deadline, it will be reviewed after that date. As soon as one window closes, the next one opens, ready for new applications.
Please review the NOFO for instructions. Applications can be submitted here.
Download Budget Template (updated 6/3/2025)
Past Programs
PROPEL Operations – Closed 2024
The 2024 application process is now closed for the PROPEL Operations Program. The PROPEL Operations Program provides critical financial support to NEMC Hub member companies, particularly startups and small businesses, to overcome operational challenges and expedite the commercialization of their microelectronics technologies. By offsetting costs associated with essential operational functions including electronic design automation (EDA) tool licensing, training and patents, this program empowers companies to focus on innovation and lab-to-fab scale-up.
2024 PROPEL Operations Grant Awardees
PROPEL Manufacturing – Closed 2024
The 2024 application process is now closed for the PROPEL Manufacturing Program. The PROPEL Manufacturing Program provides grant awards to NEMC Hub members, particularly startups and small companies, to offset costs associated with hardware lab-to-fab development. By reducing the capital needed to advance novel microelectronics technologies, this NEMC program aims to advance their progress from early concepts to validated devices.