OpenAI is making a significant play to onshore the physical backbone of artificial intelligence. The company has launched a new Request for Proposals, dubbed the AI supply chain RFP, specifically targeting US-based manufacturers to build out the necessary hardware ecosystem beyond just the chips and data centers themselves. This move signals a clear intent to secure domestic capacity for everything from server racks and cooling systems to consumer electronics and robotics components.
The initiative, detailed in correspondence with the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), frames AI infrastructure buildout as a "once-in-a-century opportunity to strengthen our economy and modernize America’s industrial base." OpenAI cites its massive Stargate data center plans, which require substantial energy and physical components, as the immediate catalyst. They estimate their five-year buildout will strain existing skilled trade workforces by 20%.
What OpenAI is seeking via this AI supply chain RFP is broad. They are looking for partners ready to manufacture modules, tooling, equipment, and final assembly for consumer electronics, as well as critical hardware for compute, power, and cooling within data centers. Furthermore, they are interested in domestic sourcing for advanced robotics inputs like gearboxes and power electronics. The deadline for submissions is June 2026, with reviews happening on a rolling basis.
This isn't just about procurement; it's a strategic signal to Washington. The underlying document, a joint communication between OpenAI and the OSTP, heavily emphasizes the geopolitical race with China, particularly concerning energy capacity—the "electron gap." OpenAI advocates for an ambitious national target of building 100 GW of new energy capacity annually to fuel AI dominance.
The company suggests the federal government should lean in by expanding manufacturing tax credits, deploying grants to counter PRC market distortions in critical minerals, and streamlining energy permitting. OpenAI itself is positioning its Stargate projects as grid stabilizers, capable of curtailing load during peak demand.
The AI supply chain RFP appears to be OpenAI’s mechanism to translate its massive capital commitments into tangible domestic industrial partnerships, attempting to de-risk its own scaling efforts while simultaneously lobbying for regulatory changes that benefit the entire sector. For manufacturers, this represents a concrete demand signal for the physical infrastructure underpinning the Intelligence Age.
Beyond the Chip: Building the Physical AI Stack
The core message from OpenAI’s AI supply chain RFP is that the AI revolution is fundamentally a physical one. While the public conversation often fixates on large language models and semiconductor fabrication, the reality of scaling AI requires an immense amount of supporting hardware—the often-unsexy but essential infrastructure. Lead times for critical equipment are already stretching past two years, creating bottlenecks that threaten compute expansion. By actively soliciting proposals for everything from specialized steel for transformers to electromechanical modules, OpenAI is attempting to create the market certainty needed for US manufacturers to invest heavily in onshore production capacity, directly addressing supply chain vulnerabilities highlighted in the OSTP correspondence. This is a direct attempt to reindustrialize specific, high-value manufacturing sectors around AI demand.
