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Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator is sponsored by Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI). This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) supports the maturation of innovative processing technologies through providing funding to prototype and pilot technologies in areas of interest, which focus on the semiconductor and energy industries.
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Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator | Department of Energy Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator Light Text on a Dark Overlay (Default) Notice of Funding Opportunity: Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator Funding amount: Up to $69,000,000 On April 7, 2026, the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO), in partnership with the Office of Geothermal, announced a “Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator” Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) of up to $69 million.
The NOFO will focus investments on American, industry-led partnerships to prototype and pilot innovative critical materials processing technologies that are currently only proven at the bench scale to address challenges in high-impact areas. The program establishes a pipeline that will support technology maturation to ultimately unlock private capital investments.
It will also leverage other DOE lab-based investments, such as the Critical Materials Innovation (CMI) Hub and the Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Research Facility (METALLIC). This NOFO will help ensure a more secure, predictable, and affordable supply of critical minerals and materials that are foundational to American energy dominance, national security, and industrial competitiveness.
The NOFO includes the following topic areas: Topic Area 1 : Production and material efficiency for critical materials, including rare earth elements (REEs).
Inclusive of the following sub-topics: 1A: Recovery and production from postindustrial manufacturing scrap 1B: Recovery and production from postconsumer scrap (with an emphasis on electronic waste and drivetrains) 1C: Recovery and production from blended feedstocks including mine tailings, postindustrial scrap, and postconsumer scrap Topic Area 2 : Processes to refine and alloy gallium, gallium nitride, germanium, and silicon carbide.
Topic Area 3 : Cost-competitive direct lithium extraction, separation, and processing.
Inclusive of the following sub-topics: 3A: Cost-competitive direct lithium extraction 3B: Advancing pre- and post- treatment and disposal technologies for direct lithium extraction 3C: Exploration and characterization of critical materials and REEs from volcanic-hosted geothermal systems This NOFO is one of several totaling nearly $1 billion that will advance and scale mining, processing, and manufacturing technologies across key stages of the critical minerals and materials supply chains.
An informational webinar will be hosted on April 16, 2026, at 11:30 a. m. ET to discuss this funding opportunity as well as the application requirements.
Attending the informational webinar is not mandatory and will not positively or negatively impact the overall review of any applicant submissions.
Notice of Funding Opportunity Issue Date 4/7/2026 Informational Webinar 4/16/2026 Required Letter of Intent Deadline for All Topic Areas 4/24/2026 Application Deadline – Topic Area 1 5/29/2026 Application Deadline – Topic Area 2 6/25/2026 Application Deadline – Topic Area 3 7/23/2026 Anticipated Selection Notification Date July – August 2026 Anticipated Award Date September – December 2026 Estimated Period of Performance December 2026 – December 2029 Teaming Partner List DOE is compiling a Teaming Partner List to facilitate the formation of project teams for this NOFO.
The Teaming Partner List allows organizations that may wish to participate in a project to explore potential partnerships with other applicants. The Teaming Partner List will be available on eXCHANGE and will be regularly updated.
Topic Area 1: eXCHANGE: Funding Opportunity DE-TA1-0003589 Topic Area 2: eXCHANGE: Funding Opportunity DE-TA2-0003589 Topic Area 3: eXCHANGE: Funding Opportunity DE-TA3-0003589 Questions about the initiative can be submitted to cmmacceleratornofo@ee. doe. gov
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Interdisciplinary teams from DOE National Laboratories, U. S. industry, and academia. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
Applications for Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator are due July 1, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator is funded by Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Yes — this listing is flagged as national in scope, so applicants across the U.S. may apply, subject to the sponsor's other eligibility criteria.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
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On May 19, the Department of Energy's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation announced 19 selections under FOA 3105 — two pilot-scale facilities for magnesium and rare-earth separation, and 17 technology development projects spanning lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, silicon, and manganese. Here is what the selection list tells researchers and small businesses about where DOE wants the supply chain in 18 months — and where the next solicitations will go.
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