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Energy Department Issues Funding Opportunity to Strengthen American Critical Minerals and Materials Supply Chain |
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Funding opportunity will make up to $69 million available through the Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator Program |
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The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) and Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) today announced a funding opportunity of up to $69 million for technologies or processes that advance the domestic production and refining of critical materials. Projects selected through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will address the greatest technical obstacles to a stronger critical materials supply chain.
“This funding will help establish a more secure and affordable supply of the critical minerals and materials that are foundational to American energy dominance, national security, and industrial competitiveness,” said Assistant Secretary of Energy (EERE) Audrey Robertson.
The NOFO, which is part of DOE’s Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator Program and jointly funded by CMEI’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office and HGEO's Office of Geothermal, has three primary topic areas:
- Production and material efficiency for critical materials including rare earth elements
- Processes to refine and alloy gallium, gallium nitride, germanium, and silicon carbide
- Cost-competitive direct lithium extraction, separation, and processing
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Key Dates
- CMEI will host an informational webinar on April 16, 2026, to discuss the NOFO and application requirements.
- Letters of intent are due on April 21, 2026, by 5 p.m. ET.
- Deadlines for full applications will be staggered based on topic area, starting in May 2026.
For more details on sub-topics and deadlines, visit the NOFO landing page.
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