DE-FOA-0003589_CMMA_NOFO_Part_1_MOD0002.pdf

Financial Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity

Part 1

Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and Office of Geothermal (OG) Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator Notice of Funding Opportunity

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0003589

Letter of Intent Due:

All Topic Areas: 04/24/2026 5pm ET

Application due:

Topic Area 1: 05/29/2026 5pm ET Topic Area 2: 06/25/2026 5pm ET Topic Area 3: 07/23/2026 5pm ET

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Modifications

Mod. No. Date Description of Modification 0001 4/15/2026 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.

0002 4/21/2026 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

All modifications to the NOFO are HIGHLIGHTED in the body of the NOFO.

Table of Contents

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

A. Navigating the Notice of Funding Opportunity

I. BASIC INFORMATION

A. Key Facts

1. Funding Details

2. Period of Performance

B. Executive Summary C. Teaming Partner List D. Agency Contact Information

II. ELIGIBILITY

A. Eligible Applicants

1. Domestic Entities

2. Foreign Entity Participation

3. Performance of Work in the United States

4. Ineligible Participants

B. Limitation on Number of Applications Eligible for Review C. Cost Sharing

1. Cost Share Requirements

2. Unallowable Cost Share Sources

D. FFRDC Eligibility Criteria

1. DOE FFRDCs as the Applicant – Topic Areas 3B & 3C Only

2. DOE and Non-DOE FFRDCs as a Subrecipient

III. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A. Background and Context B. Program Purpose C. Program Goals and Objectives D. Expected Performance Goals E. Topic Areas

Topic Area 1: Production and material efficiency for critical materials including rare earth elements 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

F. Applications Specifically Not of Interest G. Statutory Authority

IV. APPLICATION CONTENT AND FORM

A. Use and Disclosure of Application Information B. Summary C. Letter of Intent D. Application Content Requirements

1. Covered Individual Definition, Designation, and Responsibility

2. Summary of Application Requirements

3. Impacted Indian Tribes Documentation

4. Technical Volume

5. Biographical Sketch

6. Current and Pending (Other) Support

E. Additional Requirements

1. Buy America Preference for Infrastructure Projects

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V. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

A. Submission Date and Times B. Intergovernmental Review

VI. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Standards for Application Evaluation B. Responsiveness Review C. Review Criteria

1. Compliance Criteria

2. Technical Review Criteria

D. Other Selection Factors

VII. SELECTION AND AWARD NOTICES

VIII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

1. Government Rights in Data

IX. OTHER INFORMATION

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Notice of Funding Opportunity, Part 1

Before You Begin

A. Navigating the Notice of Funding Opportunity

To reduce the burden on applicants in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process and limit the length of the NOFO information requests, we separated the NOFO into two parts.

The NOFO Part 1 describes the DOE program goals and evaluation criteria, eligibility, and other components specific to each funding opportunity. NOFO Part 2 includes the fixed DOE requirements that generally do not change from NOFO to NOFO, including standard information for the application phase, expectations for award negotiations, and post-award requirements. You must review both parts before applying. To assist you in the process, you will find references throughout this document to additional information in Part 2.

You must also take several one-time actions before applying. Some of these actions may take several weeks, so be sure to allow yourself enough time to complete them. If you don’t complete all required steps, it could interfere with application and negotiation deadlines or your ability to receive an award if selected. If you already completed these one-time registrations, make sure they are active and up to date. All registrations are free. You can find additional information about registration in NOFO Part 2, Get Registered.

Hyperlinks are provided for the applicant’s ease of reference. Links, and the information contained in them, may change over time. It is up to an individual applicant to make sure that they have the current information that is contained in the links.

This announcement is published with NOFO Part 2 Version 4.

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I. Basic Information A. Key Facts Issuing Agency

Department of Energy, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and Office of Geothermal (OG)

Funding Opportunity Title

Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator Notice of Funding Opportunity

Announcement Version

Initial

Funding Opportunity Number

DE-FOA-0003589

Funding Instrument

Cooperative Agreements or Funding Agreements with FFRDCs

Expected Total Available Funding

$69,000,000

Assistance Listing Number and Name

81.086 -- Conservation Research and Development

Announcement Type

Research, Development and Demonstration

Funding Opportunity Description

This 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.

KEY DATES

All deadlines are 5:00 p.m. ET unless indicated otherwise Notice of Funding Opportunity Issue Date:

4/7/2026

Letter of Intent Deadline:

4/24/2026

Informational Webinar:

4/16/2026

Application Deadline:

TA1 – 5/29/2026

TA2 – 6/25/2026

TA3 – 7/23/2026

Anticipated Selection Notification Date:

July 2026 – August

Anticipated Award Date:

September 2026 – December 2026

Estimated Period of Performance:

September 2026 – December 2029

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Program Goals & Objectives

The goals of this NOFO are to:

• Foster industry partnerships to prototype and pilot technologies and processes proven at the bench scale to accelerate adoption of innovative solutions to address critical material challenges in high impact areas;

• Validate the materials and manufacturing technologies that reduce demand of critical materials;

• Enable informed decisions, optimize processes, and build confidence in technology scale up through Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno-Economic Analysis

(TEA);

• Address the urgency to meet critical material demand with secure and sustainable critical material manufacturing technologies.

Topic Areas

• Topic Area 1: 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: Processes to refine and alloy gallium, gallium nitride, germanium, and silicon carbide for use in semiconductor applications.

• Topic Area 3: 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

Eligible Applicants

• Domestic Entities (Institutes of higher education; for-profit entities; non-profit entities; state and local government entities and Indian Tribes)

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• DOE FFRDCs, non-DOE FFRDCs, and Federal Research Agencies as prime applicants or subrecipients for topic areas 3b and 3c, and subrecipients only for all other topic areas.

eXCHANGE URL and Helpdesk eere-exchange.energy.gov eere-exchangesupport@hq.doe.gov (include NOFO name and number in the subject line)

NOFO URL and Email

Important Note: This NOFO has 3 topic areas. Each topic area has a unique NOFO webpage on eere-exchange.energy.gov and a unique application deadline.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring their application is submitted to the correct NOFO webpage for each specific topic area, and ensuring the application is submitted by the correct deadline for the specific topic area. Letters of Intent must also be submitted to the correct topic area exchange webpage, and by the Letter of Intent deadline. Applications that are submitted to the wrong topic area’s exchange webpage, past the topic area’s deadline, or without a previously submitted Letter of Intent, will be ineligible.

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

Email cmmacceleratornofo@ee.doe.gov

1. Funding Details

Multiple Topic Areas

Approximate total available funding including all topic areas: $69,000,000. The following Topic Areas were selected based on where prototyping and pilot-scale demonstration are needed to advance promising technologies and on the production of priority materials for energy systems.

Phase 1: Prototype-scale funding opportunity

The estimates listed below reflect anticipated selections for Phase 1, or prototyping work.

Topic Area 1: Production and material efficiency for critical materials including rare earth elements (Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO))

• Approximate total available funding: $24,000,000 https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx?Search=3589&SearchType=#FoaIdb2296432-4f64-4dd7-b0e3-730ef4584226 https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx?Search=3589&SearchType=#FoaIdb2296432-4f64-4dd7-b0e3-730ef4584226 https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx?Search=3589&SearchType=#FoaId22217711-352a-450d-bf54-bcc99152abb6 https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx?Search=3589&SearchType=#FoaId22217711-352a-450d-bf54-bcc99152abb6 https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx?Search=3589&SearchType=#FoaId6f1c8db4-23b7-4214-bc9c-91e38a7116f3 https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx?Search=3589&SearchType=#FoaId6f1c8db4-23b7-4214-bc9c-91e38a7116f3 https://usdoe.sharepoint.com/sites/AMOCriticalMaterials-Acceleratorfoa/Shared%20Documents/Accelerator%20Program/Accelerator%202.0/NOFO/cmmacceleratornofo@ee.doe.gov

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• Approximate number of awards: 10-14

• Approximate dollar amount of individual awards: Up to $2,000,000

• Minimum cost share required: 20%

• Approximate award project period: Up to 36 months

• Anticipated length of budget periods: Up to 24 months

Topic Area 2: Processes to refine and alloy gallium, gallium nitride, germanium, and silicon carbide for use in semiconductors (Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO))

• Approximate total available funding: $6,000,000

• Approximate number of awards: 1-5

• Approximate dollar amount of individual awards: Up to $2,000,000

• Minimum cost share required: 20%

Topic Area 3: Cost-competitive direct lithium extraction, separation, and processing, exploration, and co-production (Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office

(AMMTO))

Topic Area 3A: Cost-competitive direct lithium extraction (Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO))

• Approximate total available funding: $8,000,000

• Approximate number of awards: 4-6

• Approximate dollar amount of individual awards: Up to $2,000,000

• Minimum cost share required: 20%

• Approximate award project period: Up to 24 months

Topic Area 3B: Advancing pre- and post- treatment and disposal technologies for direct lithium extraction of geothermal brines (Office of Geothermal)

• Approximate total available funding from Office of Geothermal: $9,000,000

• Approximate number of awards: 3-9

• Approximate dollar amount of individual awards: $1,000,000 - $3,000,000

• Minimum cost share required: 20%

• Approximate award project period: Up to 24 months

• Anticipated length of budget periods: Up to 12 months

Topic Area 3C: Exploration and characterization of critical materials and rare earth elements (REEs) from volcanic-hosted geothermal systems (Office of Geothermal)

• Approximate total available funding from Office of Geothermal: $6,000,000

• Approximate number of awards: 3-6

• Approximate dollar amount of individual awards: $1,000,000 - $3,000,000

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• Minimum cost share required: 20%

• Anticipated length of budget periods: Up to 12 months

Phase 2: Pilot-scale funding opportunity (Advanced Materials and Manufacturing

Technologies Office (AMMTO)) Awarded projects from Topics 1, 2, and 3A will be eligible to compete for a subsequent

Phase 2 pilot-scale funding opportunity through a down-select process, provided they successfully complete Phase 1 work and establish a compelling business case, develop necessary partnerships, and secure commitments for a 50% cost-share.

• Approximate total available funding: $16 million

• Approximate number of awards: 0-4

• Approximate dollar amount of individual awards: up to $8 million per project

• Minimum cost share required: 50% for Phase 2 costs o Note: Total project cost share % will be the combination of Phase 1 costs with 20% minimum cost share and Phase 2 costs with 50% minimum cost share.

Equity Considerations for Negotiation

DOE may be interested in obtaining equity interests in recipient entities in order to ensure successful completion of projects and to safeguard the government’s investment in emerging technologies. Entities may indicate in their application whether they would consider offering equity interests. Such equity considerations may be offered and addressed during negotiations.

Applicants’ decision to indicate the availability of equity interests will not be a factor in the merit review or selection process.

2. Period of Performance

We anticipate making awards under multiple budget periods. If applicable, project continuation will depend on available funding and our Go/No-Go decision which will be made at the conclusion of a budget period. You can find a complete list of post-award requirements and more information on the Go/No-Go review in NOFO Part 2, Award Administration Information.

Funding for all budget periods, including the initial budget period, is not guaranteed.

B. Executive Summary

The Critical Minerals and Materials (CMM) Accelerator program is an initiative from the U.S. Department of Energy to strengthen domestic CMM supply chains. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), issued by the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and the Office of Geothermal (OG), provides up to $69 million to directly address the national imperative to secure a reliable, predictable, and affordable domestic supply of CMMs which are foundational to U.S. energy dominance, national security, and industrial competitiveness.

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The CMM Accelerator program targets innovative CMM production technologies that have demonstrated promising results at the bench scale (Technology Readiness Level 3-4) but require further development to achieve commercial viability. A significant challenge lies in advancing these laboratory-scale innovations beyond the "valley of death" to industrially relevant scales. This NOFO is designed to overcome this barrier by funding collaborative industry partnerships for prototyping and small-scale piloting of these critical processes and materials.

Over a decade of DOE funding has laid the groundwork, and this program builds upon that to validate technologies and establish the confidence needed for substantial follow-on investment.

The primary goals are to foster industry partnerships, validate technologies for material optimization and cost-competitive production, enable informed decisions through rigorous analysis, and accelerate domestic CMM manufacturing capabilities. The NOFO includes three key Topic Areas: (1) recovery and production of critical materials from secondary sources such as post-industrial scrap and e-waste; (2) processes to refine and alloy gallium, gallium nitride, germanium, and silicon carbide for semiconductor applications; and (3) technologies for cost-competitive direct lithium extraction, separation, and processing. Projects are expected to mature technologies to Technology Readiness Levels 6 (TRL 6), demonstrating economic viability, material efficiency, and reduced reliance on external CMM sources. Projects must also significantly reduce adoption readiness risks, meaning they should address non-technical barriers such as market acceptance, resource availability, supply chain integration, cost-effectiveness, and regulatory hurdles to ensure these technologies can be successfully integrated and utilized commercially.

The target audience for this NOFO includes a broad range of domestic entities. Eligible applicants are defined below in section II.A. This NOFO intends to fund a collaborative approach to harness the full spectrum of innovation. Awarded Phase 1 projects will also be eligible to compete for a distinct Phase 2 pilot-scale project through a down-select process, furthering the program's commitment to delivering technologies ready for real-world deployment and impact.

C. Teaming Partner List

DOE is compiling a Teaming Partner List to help create project teams for this NOFO. The Teaming Partner List allows organizations interested in participating on a project to express their interest to other applicants and explore potential partnerships.

The Teaming Partner List is available on the eXCHANGE for this NOFO and will be regularly updated to reflect new teaming partners who provide their organization’s information.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

To view this NOFO’s Teaming Partner List (listed in the Key Facts section), click “Teaming Partners” on the eXCHANGE homepage in the left-hand navigation pane. To join the Teaming Partner List:

• Click “Submit Entry to Teaming Partner List”

• Select the appropriate Teaming Partner List from the drop-down menu

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• Fill in all required information: Investigator Name, Organization Name, Organization Type, Topic Area, Background and Capabilities, Website, Contact Address, Contact Email, and Contact Phone.

DISCLAIMER:

When you submit a request to be included on the Teaming Partner List, the requesting organization consents to publication of the registration information. By facilitating the Teaming Partner List, DOE is not endorsing, sponsoring, or otherwise evaluating the qualifications of the individuals and organizations that ask to be placed on the Teaming Partner List. DOE will not pay for any information you provide, nor will it compensate any applicants or requesting organizations for developing such information.

D. Agency Contact Information

For questions relating to this NOFO, email us at cmmacceleratornofo@ee.doe.gov.

II. Eligibility To be considered, your submission must meet the criteria set forth below. If your application does not meet these eligibility requirements, it will be removed from consideration for any award. DOE will not determine eligibility for potential applicants before the application due date. The information in this document is specific to this NOFO. You can find the eligibility requirements that apply to all NOFOs in NOFO Part 2, Eligibility.

A. Eligible Applicants

To be considered for substantive evaluation, an applicant’s submission must meet the criteria set forth below. If the application does not meet these eligibility requirements, it will be considered ineligible and removed from further evaluation.

1. Domestic Entities

Domestic entities are eligible to apply as recipients or subrecipients. The following types of domestic entities are eligible to participate as a recipient or subrecipient of this NOFO:

https://usdoe.sharepoint.com/sites/AMOCriticalMaterials-Acceleratorfoa/Shared%20Documents/Accelerator%20Program/Accelerator%202.0/NOFO/cmmacceleratornofo@ee.doe.gov

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Table 1: Eligibility of different entities to be a primary recipient or sub-recipient.0F

Entity Eligible as Prime

Recipient (TA1, TA2, TA3A)

Eligible as Prime Recipient (TA3B, TA3C)

Eligible as Subrecipient (all topic areas)

Institutions of higher education

Federally funded research and development centers

(FFRDC)

For-profit organization ✔ ✔ ✔ Nonprofit organization ✔ ✔ ✔ State and local government entities

Indian Tribes, as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self- Determination and Education Assistance Act, 25 U.S.C. § 53041

To qualify as a domestic entity, the entity must be organized, chartered, or incorporated

(or otherwise formed) under the laws of a particular state or territory of the United States (U.S.)

or under the laws of the U.S.; have majority domestic ownership and control; and have a physical place of business in the U.S.

Participant Limitations

Participation of the following entities are limited as follows.

• DOE FFRDCs1F

2 are eligible to apply for funding as a recipient (Topic Areas 3B & 3C) or subrecipient (All Topic Areas).

• Non-DOE FFRDCs are eligible to participate as a subrecipient but are not eligible to apply as a recipient.

• Federal agencies and instrumentalities (other than DOE) are eligible to participate as a subrecipient but are not eligible to apply as a recipient.

• NETL is eligible to apply as a subrecipient

1 “Indian Tribe,” for the purposes of this NOFO and as defined in in section 4 of the

Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. § 5304), means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) [43 U.S.C. § 1601, et seq.], which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.

2 FFRDCs are Federally funded research and development centers that conduct research for the U.S. Government. A listing of FFRDCs can be found at https://ncses.nsf.gov/resource/master-gov-lists-ffrdc.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:25%20section:5304%20edition:prelim) https://uscode.house.gov/statutes/pl/92/203.pdf#:%7E:text=688%20PUBLIC%20LAW%2092-203-DEC.%2018%2C%201971%20%5B85%20STAT.,and%20for%20other%20purposes.%20Alaska%20Native%20Claims%20Settlement https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:43%20section:1601%20edition:prelim) https://ncses.nsf.gov/resource/master-gov-lists-ffrdc

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2. Foreign Entity Participation In general, foreign entities are not eligible to apply as either a recipient or subrecipient.

In limited circumstances, we may approve a waiver to allow a foreign entity to participate as a recipient or subrecipient.

A foreign entity may apply to this NOFO, but the application must be accompanied by an explicit written waiver request. Likewise, if you want to include a foreign entity as a subrecipient, you must submit a separate explicit written waiver request in your application for each proposed foreign subrecipient. NOFO Part 2, Application Content Requirements, explains the requirements for submitting a foreign entity waiver request. DOE’s determination of a waiver request is final and you cannot appeal an adverse decision on a waiver request.

3. Performance of Work in the United States

All work for the awards under this NOFO must be performed in the United States. To request a waiver of this requirement, you must submit an explicit waiver request in the application. Without an approved waiver, such costs will not be allowed under the award.

NOFO Part 2, Application Content Requirements, lists the requirements for submitting a foreign work waiver request.

4. Ineligible Participants

The following entities are ineligible for this NOFO as a recipient, subrecipient, or subcontractor:

• In accordance with 2 CFR 200.214, Entities banned from doing business with the U.S.

government, such as entities debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participating in federal programs (2 CFR § 200.214)

• Entities identified on the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control Treasury’s Sanctions Program Specially Designated Nationals list. (OFAC – Sanctions List Service [treas.gov])

• Nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995

Entity of Concern Prohibition

Entities of Concern are prohibited from participating in projects under this NOFO. You can find details and definitions in NOFO Part 2, Eligibility, Other Eligibility Information, Entity of Concern Prohibition.

B. Limitation on Number of Applications Eligible for Review

See table below for restrictions on number of applications permitted per topic area/subtopic area. If an entity submits more than one application, the DOE will only review the last submission. Any other submissions received listing the same entity as the applicant for the same topic area/subtopic area will not be eligible for further consideration. This limitation does not prohibit an applicant from collaborating on other applications (e.g., as a potential subrecipient or partner) so long as the entity is only listed as the applicant on one application for each topic area/subtopic area of this NOFO.

https://sanctionslist.ofac.treas.gov/Home/SdnList https://sanctionslist.ofac.treas.gov/Home/SdnList

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Type Topic Area 1

(All Subtopics)

Topic Area 2

Topic Area 3A

Topic Area 3B

Topic Area 3C

Limited to 1 Full Application per Topic Area

Limited to 1 Full Application per Subtopic Area

C. Cost Sharing

You must follow through on the estimated cost share commitments you proposed in your application if selected for award negotiations. You can find more information on cost sharing in NOFO Part 2, Eligibility.

1. Cost Share Requirements

This NOFO is comprised of two phases of work, Phase 1 aiming to prototype technologies and Phase 2 aiming to demonstrate technologies at a pilot scale. The cost share must be at least 20% of the Phase 1 project costs2F

3 for initial research and development tasks and 50% of the Phase 2 project costs if selected for Phase 2 demonstration and commercial application tasks

3F

4 .

Applications that do not meet the minimum required cost share will be deemed ineligible during the initial compliance review and will not be further reviewed. The cost share must come from non-Federal sources unless otherwise allowed by law.

The cost share percentage is calculated by dividing the cost share by the total allowable project costs for the award where the total allowable project costs include government share (including FFRDC costs if applicable) and cost share. To help applicants calculate proper cost share amounts, DOE has included a cost share information sheet and sample cost share calculation in the NOFO Part 2, Eligibility—Cost Sharing, Cost Share Calculation Examples.

3 Total project costs are the sum of the government share, including FFRDC costs if applicable, and the recipient share of project costs.

4 Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. 109-58, sec. 988. Also see 2 CFR 200.306 and

2 CFR 910.130 for additional cost sharing requirements.

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2. Unallowable Cost Share Sources The recipient or subrecipients may not use the following sources to meet cost share obligations including but not limited to:

• Cost share derived from Federal sources (unless otherwise authorized by law).

• Cost share that does not meet:

o Requirements set forth in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.306 and 910.130 o Cost principles set forth in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.400-476 and 2 C.F.R. §§ 910.352 o For State Energy Programs, requirements set forth in 10 C.F.R. §§ 420

• Cost share derived from the DOE loan program

• Revenues or royalties from the prospective operation of an activity beyond the project period

• Proceeds from the prospective sale of an asset of an activity

• Federal funding or property (e.g., Federal grants, equipment owned by the Federal

Government)

• Expenditures that were reimbursed under a separate Federal program

• Cash or in-kind contributions used to meet cost share requirements for another Federal project or program

• Existing data as an in-kind contribution (e.g., data owned by an entity that is not routinely sold commercially but is instead donated to the project and assigned a value)

D. FFRDC Eligibility Criteria

1. DOE FFRDCs as the Applicant – Topic Areas 3B & 3C Only

Provided that there is no conflict, a DOE Federal Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) is eligible to apply for funding under this NOFO if its Cognizant Contracting Officer provides written authorization and you submit this authorization with the application.

The following wording is acceptable for the authorization:

Authorization is granted for the laboratory to participate in the proposed project.

The work proposed for the laboratory is consistent with or complements the missions of the laboratory and will not adversely affect the DOE assigned programs at the laboratory.

If a DOE FFRDC is selected for award negotiation, the proposed work will be authorized under the DOE work authorization process and performed under the laboratory’s Management and Operating (M&O) contract.

2. DOE and Non-DOE FFRDCs as a Subrecipient

As long as they have no conflict, DOE and non-DOE FFRDCs may be proposed as a subrecipient on another entity’s application subject to the following guidelines:

Authorization for non-DOE FFRDCs

The Federal agency sponsoring the FFRDC must authorize in writing the use of the FFRDC on the proposed project and this authorization must be submitted with the application.

The use of a FFRDC must be consistent with its authority under its award.

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Authorization for DOE FFRDCs

The cognizant Contracting Officer for the FFRDC must authorize in writing the use of the FFRDC on the proposed project and this authorization must be submitted prior to any award.

The use of a FFRDC must be consistent with the contractor’s authority under its award.

Funding, Cost Share, and Subaward with FFRDCs

The value of and funding for the FFRDC portion of the work will not normally be included in the award. DOE FFRDCs participating as a subrecipient on a project will be funded directly through the DOE Work Authorization process in accordance with DOE O 412.1A, non -DOE FFRDCs participating as a subrecipient will be funded through an interagency agreement with the sponsoring agency.

Although the FFRDC portion of the work is excluded from the award, the applicant’s cost share requirement will be based on the total cost of the project, including the applicant’s, all subrecipient’s, and all FFRDC’s portions of the project.

All DOE FFRDCs are required to enter into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement4F

5 (CRADA) or, if the role of the DOE FFRDC is limited to technical assistance and intellectual property is not anticipated to be generated from the DOE FFRDC’s work, a Technical Assistance Agreement (TAA), with at least the recipient. A fully executed CRADA or TAA must be in place or be compliant with a Master Scope of Work process prior to the FFRDC starting work directly allocable to the award.

A CRADA is used to ensure accountability for project work and provide the appropriate management of intellectual property (IP), e.g., data protection and background IP. A Data Management and Sharing Plan is not suited for this purpose.

Responsibility

The recipient will be the responsible authority regarding the settlement and satisfaction of all contractual and administrative issues, including but not limited to disputes and claims arising out of any agreement between the recipient and the FFRDC.

Limit on FFRDC Effort – Topic Areas 1, 2, and 3A Only

The scope of work to be performed by the FFRDC should not be more significant than the scope of work to be performed by the applicant.

5 A cooperative research and development agreement is a contractual agreement between a national laboratory contractor and a private company or university to work together on research and development. For more information, see DOE O 483.1B.

https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/400-series/0412.1-BOrder-a-chg1-AdmChg/@@images/file https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/400-series/0483.1-border-b-chg3-minchg/@@images/file

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Type Topic Area (All Subtopics)

Topic Area

Topic Area 3A

Topic Area 3B

Topic Area 3C

Lead Office AMMTO AMMTO AMMTO OG OG Letter of Intent (LOI) Due 4/24/2026 4/24/2026 4/24/2026 4/24/2026 4/24/2026 Full Applications Due 5/29/2026 6/25/2026 7/23/2026 7/23/2026 7/23/2026 Limited to 1 Full Application per Topic Area

Limited to 1 Full Application per Subtopic Area

Eligible for Phase 2 Funding ✔ ✔ ✔ FFRDC Eligible as Prime Recipient

FFRDC Eligible as Subrecipient ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

III. Program Description

A. Background and Context

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and the Office of Geothermal (OG), in coordination with the Critical Material Collaborative, are issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) through the Critical Minerals and Materials (CMM) Accelerator Program. This NOFO makes available up to $69 million of base appropriations to support innovative CMM production technologies. The CMM Accelerator program is designed to derisk and scale processes and technologies crucial for establishing a competitive and robust domestic supply chain of CMM. The program specifically targets innovative technologies and processes that have demonstrated proof-of-concept at the bench scale but require further development to reach commercial viability.

Critical Minerals and Materials (CMMs) are indispensable to modern technologies, underpinning everything from advanced electronics to energy systems and national defense applications. The availability, affordability, and the security of their supply chains are thus directly tied to the economic prosperity, technological leadership, and national security of the U.S. Demand for these materials, particularly for advanced energy technologies, is accelerating globally due to their importance across energy, defense, and consumer electronics applications.

The U.S. currently evidences significant import reliance, being 100% import dependent for 12 of the 50 minerals identified as critical by the U.S. Geological Survey and over 50% import reliant for another 28. This vulnerability is exacerbated by the fact that China dominates the

Version 4.0 Page 19 of 77 midstream processing and refining of critical materials, accounting for 40% to 90% of the world's supply of rare earth elements, lithium, cobalt, and copper. This escalating demand, coupled with existing vulnerabilities in global CMM supply chains—such as concentrated extraction and processing, geopolitical risks, and environmental considerations—presents a significant strategic challenge for the U.S. This NOFO directly responds to and supports the policy directives outlined in recent Executive Orders. Executive Order 14241 (“Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production”) emphasizes boosting domestic critical mineral production and directs Federal agencies to expedite priority mineral production projects.

Executive Order 14156 (“Declaring a National Energy Emergency”) identifies the lack of a reliable, diversified, and affordable supply of critical minerals as an imminent threat to the U.S.

prosperity and national security. Furthermore, Executive Order 14154 (“Unleashing American Energy”) directs Federal agencies to review burdens on domestic energy resource development, including critical minerals, and specifically instructs the Secretary of Energy to ensure Federal support for critical mineral projects.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognizes the urgency of this situation. For over a decade, DOE has invested in basic and applied research and development (R&D) to address the scientific and technological challenges in the CMM sector. Despite robust early-stage research, a persistent “valley of death” exists for many CMM innovations, where promising bench-scale technologies struggle to secure the necessary investment and infrastructure for commercial viability. To facilitate this necessary transition and accelerate commercialization, AMMTO and OG plan to fund collaborative industry partnerships for prototyping and small-scale piloting of technologies crucial to the CMM supply chain. Projects funded under this NOFO will mature and validate technologies or processes proven at the bench scale, addressing critical material challenges in high-impact areas. To support this maturation, project teams can collaborate with national laboratory test beds, analytical expertise, and specialized testing environments, crucial for optimizing and qualifying these technologies. Through this structured advancement, scaffolded by rigorous technoeconomic analyses (TEA) and life-cycle assessments (LCA) that benchmark performance and cost against industry standards, teams will effectively derisk essential technologies and attract private capital.

Awarded projects from Topics 1, 2, and 3A will be eligible to compete for a subsequent Phase 2 pilot-scale project through a down-select process of up to $8 million per project, provided they successfully complete Phase 1 work and establish a compelling business case, develop necessary partnerships, and secure commitments for a 50% cost-share. Additional details can be found in Section III.D, Expected Performance Goals and IV.D.3, Technical Volume requirements.

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Figure 1: The CMM Accelerator scales and derisks innovative technologies and processes to validate for industry relevant adoption and follow-on investment.

The work funded under this NOFO is integral to the DOE’s overarching CMM vision: to build reliable, resilient, affordable, and secure domestic critical mineral and materials supply chains that support the energy, manufacturing, and transportation economies while promoting safe solutions to meet current and future needs.5F

6 The anticipated outcome is the development of a robust pipeline for technology maturation, leading to domestic commercialization within 3 to 7 years, thereby strengthening the reliability and security of the U.S. CMM supply chain. The activities funded under this NOFO directly support the DOE’s overarching Critical Minerals and Materials Strategy, which aims to ensure a more secure, predictable, and affordable supply of CMMs. This strategy is centered on key pillars: (1) Broaden and Expand Supply: Identify and secure substantial resources from a wide variety of feedstocks including primary and secondary sources, co-produced materials from existing operations, and international partners; (2) Develop Alternatives: Produce new materials that have less disruption potential and design manufactured parts and systems that require little to no critical materials to function; (3) Improve Materials and Manufacturing Efficiency: Design for atom economy, reduce waste through efficient use, and improve overall efficiency of mining through manufacturing and recycling to minimize environmental impacts while maximizing yield; (4) Reuse and Recycle: Remanufacture, refurbish, repair, reuse, recycle, and repurpose all materials that are used in a modern economy to extend the lifetime of materials and/or partially offset the need for virgin material extraction.

The activities to be funded by AMMTO under this NOFO are authorized under sections 7002(g) of the Energy Act of 2020, as codified at 30 U.S.C. 1606(g) and Section 911 (a)(2)(C) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, as codified at 42 U.S.C. § 16191(a)(2)(C). The activities to be funded by OG under this NOFO are authorized under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) as amended by the Energy Act of 2020, Sections 613(a) and (b) (42 U.S.C. 17193(a) and (b); 616(a) (42 U.S.C. 17195A(c)).

6 DOE Critical Minerals and Materials Program: https://www.energy.gov/cmm/critical-minerals-and-materials-program https://www.energy.gov/cmm/critical-minerals-and-materials-program https://www.energy.gov/cmm/critical-minerals-and-materials-program

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B. Program Purpose The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and the

Office of Geothermal (OG) issue this NOFO to address key challenges in the critical minerals and materials sector (CMM). This funding, provided through the Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator program, will accelerate the maturation of innovative processing and manufacturing technologies vital for America’s energy future, national security, and industrial competitiveness.

These efforts directly support AMMTO’s aim to transform materials and manufacturing to advance the energy economy and develop reliable supply chains for the nation's energy future.

This NOFO also aligns with OG’s objectives to advance energy technologies, particularly where critical materials are integral.

Specifically, the CMM Accelerator program aims to overcome the “valley of death” faced by promising bench-scale innovations, enabling their progression to commercially viable solutions. This initiative builds upon over a decade of DOE funding in CMM R&D, leveraging prior work to further validate technologies and establishing confidence required for follow-on investment. This NOFO plans to fund collaborative industry partnerships for prototyping and small-scale piloting of technologies crucial to the CMM supply chain, thereby accelerating their commercialization. Technology maturation within this program will be scaffolded by robust technoeconomic analyses (TEA) and life-cycle assessments (LCA), access to national laboratory test beds and other collaborative user facilities and characterization tools to benchmark against industry state-of-the-art. For all topics except 3B and 3C, this scaffolding will be accessible through a voucher system facilitating access to National Laboratory expertise for areas such as subject matter expertise, TEA and LCA support, training and workforce development opportunities, and leveraging capabilities like those at the Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Research Facility (METALLIC).6F

Through strategic funding, the program will advance material supply chains by developing capabilities for mineral and material resources necessary to manufacture next-generation energy technologies, and by supporting technological frameworks for product and material recovery, reuse, and recycling. Such efforts are essential for achieving a more secure, predictable, and affordable domestic supply of critical minerals and materials, benefiting a broad array of U.S. industries and reinforcing the nation’s strategic position.

C. Program Goals and Objectives

The Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator NOFO seeks applications to rapidly derisk and scale breakthrough technologies and processes that can serve to establish a secure, reliable, and competitive domestic supply chain for critical minerals and materials essential to U.S. energy, national security, and industrial leadership. Successful proposals will outline plans to achieve the following programmatic goals.

7 The Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Research Facility (METALLIC):

https://netl.doe.gov/metallic https://netl.doe.gov/metallic

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CMM Accelerator Goals:

1. Foster Industry Partnerships to Prototype and Pilot Technologies: Cultivate and strengthen collaborations among industry, National Laboratories, and academia to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions for critical material challenges in high-impact areas.

2. Derisk and Validate the Effectiveness of Technologies and Processes: Mature and demonstrate the effectiveness of materials and manufacturing technologies that reduce the need for critical materials.

3. Enable Informed Decisions, Optimize Processes, and Build Confidence in Technology Scale-Up: Utilize Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) to guide process improvements and enhance confidence in technological advancement.

4. Address Urgency for Material Demand with Secure Manufacturing Technologies to Access Untapped and Under-explored Resources: Develop and deploy domestic manufacturing technologies and expand domestic critical material resources that ensure a stable supply of critical materials.

The following Topic Areas were selected based on where prototyping and pilot-scale demonstration are needed to advance promising technologies and on the production of priority materials for energy systems.

Topic Area 1: Production and material efficiency for critical materials including rare earth elements. 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 combinations of feedstocks including mine tailings, postindustrial scrap, and postconsumer scrap silicon carbide.

Topic Area 3: Cost-competitive direct lithium extraction, separation, processing, exploration, and co-production. 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 of geothermal brines 3C: Exploration and characterization of critical materials and REEs from volcanic hosted geothermal systems

Coordination with DOE’s CMM Innovation Ecosystem

Critical Materials Collaborative (CMC)

To help ensure a secure domestic supply of critical minerals and materials (CMM), the DOE is seeking to accelerate production of CMMs from a diverse set of sources (e.g., secondary, Version 4.0 Page 23 of 77 unconventional, conventional) and working with other government and private agencies as part of a government-wide CM strategy.

As part of this strategy, the DOE has established a Critical Materials Collaborative

(CMC)7F

8 to be a centralized entity for multidisciplinary, collaborative, critical materials applied research, development, and demonstration (RD&D). The Collaborative coordinates CMM innovation across the DOE, other government agencies, industry, and academia, as well as providing enabling technologies to reduce commercialization time and risk.

All selected projects from this NOFO are required to participate as a member of the

CMC, which is a coalition of DOE offices, Federal agencies, and Federally funded R&D programs to:

• Align the DOE research portfolio to achieve national security goals and crosscutting science and technology objectives;

• Advance crosscutting applied research, development and demonstration related to critical minerals and materials;

• Accelerate the adoption and deployment of innovation;

• Nurture and expand the innovation ecosystem; and

• Facilitate scientific and technical exchange and discussion.

The Recipient’s principal investigators or a member of their research team are required to participate in coordination efforts including, but not limited to, an in-person annual symposium, virtual coordination meetings, and periodic presentations on research progress. There are no membership fees associated with participation in the CMC.

The proposed Recipients to this NOFO should take into consideration possible collaboration with the programs supported by other DOE program offices. Projects funded as a result of this NOFO will be encouraged to explore opportunities to coordinate with projects funded by other DOE offices and Federal agencies through the CMC in order to maximize the scientific and technological impact.

Recipients are required to participate in the CMC throughout the project and may potentially participate up to one year after the period of performance has concluded.

Other Funding Opportunities from DOE:

DOE recently issued other funding opportunities covering different challenges and topics important to the CMM sector. In particular, the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office issued a NOFO DE-FOA-0003583, “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) – Mines & Metals Capacity Expansion – Piloting Byproduct Critical Minerals and Materials Recovery at Domestic Industrial Facilities.” The NOFO issued by the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office focuses funding on U.S. industrial facilities that have the potential to produce valuable mineral byproducts from existing industrial processes. These technologies must be piloted at an

8 Critical Materials Collaborative: https://www.energy.gov/cmm/critical-materials-collaborative https://www.energy.gov/cmm/critical-materials-collaborative https://www.energy.gov/cmm/critical-materials-collaborative

Version 4.0 Page 24 of 77 industrial scale in an industrial facility where material feedstocks…