Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator Notice of Funding Opportunity
🏛 Golden Field Office
Can you apply?
This grant is for collaborative industry partnerships developing innovative processing technologies for critical minerals and materials. Applicants must be seeking to prototype and pilot bench-scale innovations in production, refining, or extraction of critical materials.
The program has three topic areas with specific technical focuses: rare earth element recovery and production (Topic 1), semiconductor processing refinement (Topic 2), and direct lithium extraction (Topic 3). Applicants select and apply to the relevant topic area(s) that match their technology.
Projects must demonstrate a path to domestic commercialization within 3-7 years. Technologies will be validated through benchmarking, national lab testing, and life-cycle assessment to advance from mid-stage to mature development.
See NOFO Section II.A for complete eligibility requirements regarding applicant type and partner qualifications.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
This grant is for collaborative industry partnerships developing innovative processing technologies for critical minerals and materials. Applicants must be seeking to prototype and pilot bench-scale innovations in production, refining, or extraction of critical materials.
The program has three topic areas with specific technical focuses: rare earth element recovery and production (Topic 1), semiconductor processing refinement (Topic 2), and direct lithium extraction (Topic 3). Applicants select and apply to the relevant topic area(s) that match their technology.
Projects must demonstrate a path to domestic commercialization within 3-7 years. Technologies will be validated through benchmarking, national lab testing, and life-cycle assessment to advance from mid-stage to mature development.
See NOFO Section II.A for complete eligibility requirements regarding applicant type and partner qualifications.
Program description
Modification 0002 Annoucement (04/21/26):
Extended LOI due date to 4/24/2026
Extended TA1 due date to 5/29/2026
Extended TA2 due date to 6/25/2026
Extended TA3 due date to 7/23/2026
Modification 0001 Announcement (04/15/26):
Corrected units in Figure 3;
Replaced instances of ‘FOA’ with ‘NOFO’ in Section D. Expected Performance Goals, Application Metrics;
Corrected LOI character limit in Section IV.C.
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) supports critical minerals and materials. Critical minerals and materials (CMM) are the building blocks for technologies foundational to U.S. energy dominance, national security, and industrial competitiveness. To build a secure domestic supply of CMMs, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) aims to support collaborative industry partnerships to prototype and pilot innovative processing technologies that are currently only proven at the bench scale to address CMM challenges in high impact areas. The CMM Accelerator program will advance these mid-stage innovations through validation, benchmarking, access to national lab test beds, testing in industry relevant environments, technoeconomic analysis, and life-cycle assessment. The program establishes a pipeline to support technology maturation to ultimately unlock private capital investments. It also will leverage other DOE lab-based activities, such as the Critical Materials Innovation Hub (CMI Hub) and the Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Research Facility (METALLIC). Technologies resulting from the program are expected to have a path to domestic commercialization within 3-7 years.
This NOFO has 3 Topic Areas, and is further divided into sub-topics for Topic Areas 1 and 3. Apply to each topic following instructions below:
• Topic Area 1 (Applications must be submitted via eXCHANGE, specifically under DE-TA1-0003589): Production and material efficiency for critical materials including rare earth elements. Inclusive of the following sub-topics:
o 1A: Recovery and production from postindustrial manufacturing scrap
o 1B: Recovery and production from postconsumer scrap (with an emphasis on electronic waste and drivetrains)
o 1C: Recovery and production from combinations of feedstocks including mine tailings, postindustrial scrap, and postconsumer scrap
• Topic Area 2 (Applications must be submitted via eXCHANGE, specifically under DE-TA2-0003589): Processes to refine and alloy gallium, gallium nitride, germanium, and silicon carbide for use in semiconductor applications.
• Topic Area 3 (Applications must be submitted via eXCHANGE, specifically under DE-TA3-0003589): Cost-competitive direct lithium extraction, separation, and processing.¿Inclusive of the following sub-topics:
o 3A: Cost-competitive direct lithium extraction
o 3B: Advancing pre- and post- treatment and disposal technologies for direct lithium extraction and from geothermal brines
o 3C: Exploration and Characterization of Critical Materials and Rare Earth Elements from Volcanically Hosted Geothermal Systems
Additionally, please note that each Topic Area has it’s own Application Deadline, as identified in the Key Facts section of the NOFO Part 1.
There is a Teaming Partner List associated with this NOFO to facilitate formation of new project teams. It can be found in e-XCHANGE under: TPL-0000069. Additional information about Teaming Partner Lists can be found in Section I. C. of the NOFO.
The eXCHANGE system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for Letter of Intent and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.
Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the NOFO Topic Area Deadlines: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (EERE-eXCHANGESupport@hq.doe.gov ) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues.
Applicants that experience issues with submissions that result in a late submission: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission that results in a late submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (EERE-eXCHANGESupport@hq.doe.gov ) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing the submission on behalf of, and with the
Applicant’s concurrence). DOE will only accept late applications when the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the NOFO’s posted deadline.
Please see the full NOFO in the DOCUMENTS section below.
The Teaming Partner List is transferred from Notice of Intent (NOI) DE-FOA-0003588. The list will remain open and updated at least weekly until the close of the Full Application period, to reflect new Teaming Partners who have provided their information.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Details
This grant is for collaborative industry partnerships developing innovative processing technologies for critical minerals and materials. Applicants must be seeking to prototype and pilot bench-scale innovations in production, refining, or extraction of critical materials.
The program has three topic areas with specific technical focuses: rare earth element recovery and production (Topic 1), semiconductor processing refinement (Topic 2), and direct lithium extraction (Topic 3). Applicants select and apply to the relevant topic area(s) that match their technology.
Projects must demonstrate a path to domestic commercialization within 3-7 years. Technologies will be validated through benchmarking, national lab testing, and life-cycle assessment to advance from mid-stage to mature development.
See NOFO Section II.A for complete eligibility requirements regarding applicant type and partner qualifications.
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Letter of Intent (LOI) via eXCHANGE
- Full Application Narrative via eXCHANGE
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Cost-sharing documentation
- Commercialization plan
- Letters of support from industry/lab partners
Program contact
- 👤 Golden Field Office
- 📧 cmmacceleratornofo@ee.doe.gov
- 📞 2022871878
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 81.086 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$67,230,024
-
$62,240,048
-
$53,770,000
-
$49,850,000
-
$27,242,000
-
$24,188,699
-
$20,000,000
-
Cummins Inc IN$19,550,000
-
$18,593,491
-
$17,319,999
Top States by Funding
- MI 8 awards $117.4M
- CA 13 awards $107.1M
- NC 4 awards $94.0M
- TN 4 awards $86.9M
- TX 3 awards $72.7M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
FAQ
What types of technologies does this program support?
The CMM Accelerator funds prototype and pilot innovations for critical minerals processing at bench scale. Technologies must address production, refining, or extraction challenges with paths to commercialization within 3-7 years.
How are topic areas organized?
Three topic areas cover rare earth recovery, semiconductor processing, and lithium extraction. Topic 1 and 3 have sub-topics focusing on different feedstocks or processes. Applicants apply to relevant topic(s) via eXCHANGE.
Is cost-sharing required?
Yes, cost-sharing is required for this program. Budget planning must include matching funds from your organization or partners.
What is the funding range?
Awards range from $1 million to $3 million. Total program funding is $69 million across all topic areas and applicants.
Are there Letter of Intent requirements?
Yes, Letter of Intent submission is required before full application. Each topic area has different LOI and application deadlines through eXCHANGE.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Submit LOI and full applications through eXCHANGE under the correct topic area code (TA1, TA2, or TA3). Missing the correct submission portal will disqualify your application.
- Emphasize the path to commercialization within 3-7 years. Reviewers want confidence your technology will reach the market, so include realistic timelines and commercialization partners.
- Leverage DOE national lab partnerships and test bed access. Highlight how you'll use Critical Materials Innovation Hub or METALLIC facility resources to validate your innovation.
- Form strong industry partnerships early. The program prioritizes collaborative teams with complementary expertise and resources to advance mid-stage technologies.
- Address technoeconomic analysis and life-cycle assessment in your proposal. Document cost competitiveness and environmental impacts to demonstrate project sustainability.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications fail to clearly identify commercialization pathway within 3-7 year timeframe. Weak cost-sharing commitments or vague matching fund sources undermine competitiveness. Submitting to wrong topic area code in eXCHANGE or missing hard LOI deadline causes automatic disqualification.
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