Policy Alert: Investment Accelerator

Action: The President has issued an Executive Order directing the establishment of an Investment Accelerator office in the Department of Commerce intended to facilitate investments of $1 billion or more by assisting investors with navigating Federal and state regulatory requirements, increasing access to “national resources,” and facilitating research collaborations with US national labs. The Office will also be responsible for the existing CHIPS Program Office.

Key Insights

• Aside from establishing the Office, the Order did not identify any specific regulatory changes or other measures that the Administration would pursue.
• The President has criticized the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, which provided over $50 billion to support the US semiconductor industry, despite bipartisan support. The new office will supervise the CHIPS Office, giving greater control to the Administration.
• As of January 2025, nearly all of the $38 billion appropriated for awards through the CHIPS Program Office had been allocated, though only $4 billion had been disbursed. The Commerce Secretary recently indicated he may hold back grants already awarded unless companies increased their pledged investments.
• The CHIPS Program Office has also been impacted by staffing cuts the Administration is implementing by the Administration, resulting in the potential departure of about one-third of its staff; the action is being challenged in court.
• It is not clear how the new office will interact with existing Federal efforts to promote investment, including the Commerce Department’s SelectUSA program, which focuses on attracting foreign investment, and the Small Business Administration’s support initiatives.