Intel Corp. said it would provide commercial foundry services in the first phase of a broader Defense Department program that aims to build up domestic design and production of cutting-edge chips.

The chip maker on Monday said its foundry services unit will join with companies such as International Business Machines Corp. , Synopsys Inc., Cadence Design Systems Inc. and others as part of the RAMP-C program, which is short for Rapid Assured Microelectronics Prototypes – Commercial.

The program was designed to support a U.S.-based, chip-building ecosystem that could give the government agency access to technology and help secure its long-term needs for products, Intel said. The National Security Technology Accelerator, a nonprofit consortium that works with the Defense Department, didn’t respond to requests for comment about contract details.

Intel’s entry into the program comes as the U.S. government has been working to address a global semiconductor shortage. The Biden administration’s defense budget for the 2022 fiscal year includes a request for $2.3 billion for microelectronics efforts deemed critical to long-term national security.

The contract award will support Intel Foundry Services, which the company established as a stand-alone division earlier this year to produce Intel-design chips and those using other architectures.