DOE Opens $500M Competition for Critical Minerals and Battery Manufacturing
March 14, 2026 · 2 min read
Jared Klein
A half-billion dollars is now on the table for companies and researchers who can help the United States break its dependence on foreign mineral supply chains.
The Department of Energy's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) has posted a $500 million Notice of Funding Opportunity targeting domestic processing of lithium, graphite, nickel, copper, aluminum, and other minerals essential to battery manufacturing and national defense.
Three Tracks, One Tight Window
The NOFO covers three topic areas: domestic critical minerals processing from raw feedstocks, critical materials recycling, and battery materials and component manufacturing. Letters of intent are due March 27 at 5:00 PM ET, with full applications due April 24.
"The United States has relied on hostile foreign actors" for mineral supply chains, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in the announcement. Assistant Secretary Audrey Robertson called the initiative "vital" to national security, noting it will "bolster domestic industries" across the processing and manufacturing chain.
DOE will host an informational webinar on March 26 at 1:00 PM ET for prospective applicants — a critical session given the compressed timeline between LOI and full submission.
Why This Matters for Grant Seekers
China controls roughly 60% of global rare earth mining and 90% of processing capacity. This NOFO is DOE's largest single investment in breaking that dependency, dwarfing previous critical minerals competitions by an order of magnitude.
The three-track structure means opportunities exist across the value chain: miners and processors in Track 1, recyclers and urban mining operations in Track 2, and battery component manufacturers in Track 3. University researchers with novel extraction or recycling technologies should look for industry partners to strengthen their applications.
With the LOI deadline just two weeks away, applicants should register for the March 26 webinar immediately and begin identifying teaming partners. Tools like Granted can help researchers identify complementary organizations and assemble competitive proposals before the April 24 deadline closes.