Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator Notice of Funding Opportunity

The Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator Notice of Funding Opportunity is issued by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office and the Office of Geothermal. This federal funding opportunity is designed to strengthen domestic supply chains for critical minerals and materials that are essential to U.S. energy systems, national security, and industrial competitiveness. The program builds on over a decade of federal investment in research and development and specifically targets technologies that have already demonstrated proof of concept at the bench scale but require further development to reach commercial viability. The initiative seeks to bridge the gap between early-stage innovation and market-ready deployment by supporting collaborative industry partnerships and access to national laboratory capabilities. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to accelerate the maturation of innovative processing and manufacturing technologies related to critical minerals and materials. The program focuses on prototyping and pilot-scale validation of technologies that can improve domestic production, enhance material efficiency, and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. It emphasizes techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment to ensure technologies are cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. Projects funded under this opportunity are expected to achieve Technology Readiness Level advancement from early-stage validation to prototype-scale demonstration, with a long-term goal of commercialization within three to seven years. Funding is distributed across three primary topic areas: recovery and production of critical materials from secondary sources such as industrial scrap and e-waste; refinement and alloying processes for semiconductor materials including gallium, germanium, and silicon carbide; and cost-competitive direct lithium extraction and processing technologies. The total program funding is approximately $69 million, with individual awards generally up to $2 million in Phase 1 depending on topic area, and potential follow-on Phase 2 funding of up to $8 million for select projects. All Phase 1 projects require a minimum 20 percent non-federal cost share, while Phase 2 requires 50 percent cost share. Funds may be used for prototyping, testing, validation, analysis, and partnership development, with strict requirements that work be performed in the United States unless a waiver is granted. Eligibility is limited primarily to domestic entities, including institutions of higher education, for-profit companies, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and tribal entities. Federally funded research and development centers may participate either as prime applicants for specific subtopics or as subrecipients. Foreign entities are generally not eligible unless a formal waiver is approved. Applications must demonstrate strong partnerships across industry, academia, and national laboratories, and must include plans for scaling technologies, integrating supply chains, and addressing commercialization barriers. The submission process requires a mandatory Letter of Intent followed by a full application submitted through the Department of Energy’s eXCHANGE portal. Applications must be submitted under the appropriate topic area webpage and must follow strict content requirements including technical volume, budget details, and supporting documentation. Evaluation criteria include technical merit, scalability, economic viability, environmental impact, and the ability to advance domestic supply chain resilience. Projects are also required to participate in the Critical Materials Collaborative, which facilitates coordination across federal agencies and research institutions. Key deadlines include a Letter of Intent due on April 24, 2026, and full application deadlines that vary by topic area, ranging from May 29, 2026 through July 23, 2026. Awards are expected to be announced between July and August 2026, with project start dates anticipated between September and December 2026. The estimated period of performance extends through December 2029. This funding opportunity is not explicitly recurring but represents a major federal investment cycle, with potential follow-on opportunities through Phase 2 and related DOE programs.

Emphasize industry partnerships and commercialization pathways; demonstrate scalability and cost competitiveness; include strong techno-economic and life-cycle analysis; ensure alignment with specific topic area goals