FundOpp_DE-FOA-0003586.pdf

This is a Notice of Intent (NOI) only. MESC may issue a NOFO as described herein, may issue a NOFO that is significantly different than the NOFO described herein, or MESC may not issue a NOFO at all.

Notice of Intent to Issue (NOI) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) No. DE-FOA-0003586

DISCLAIMER: The “Notice of Intent to Issue” is for informational purposes only; the Department of Energy is not seeking comments on the information in this notice and applications are not being accepted at this time. Any information contained in this notice is subject to change.

Background

Following President Trump’s leadership to further America’s energy dominance and counter malign foreign influence in critical supply chains, the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) intends to issue a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) titled “Rare Earth Elements Demonstration Facility.”

This Notice of Intent announces the Department of Energy's (DOE) planned funding opportunity under Section 40205 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), aimed at enhancing domestic rare earth elements supply chains.

This funding opportunity builds upon the foundation laid by President Trump in Executive Orders 14154 “Unleashing American Energy,” 14156 “Declaring a National Energy Emergency," and 14241 “Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production,” which recognize the importance of using domestic sources to shore up a secure and reliable supply chain for critical minerals. By supporting projects that advance rare earth element (REE) refinement and recovery from domestic waste streams, this program aims to demonstrate America’s energy dominance by reducing reliance on foreign sources of REEs.

Opportunity Details

The anticipated NOFO aims to provide up to $135 million of federal funding for the design, construction, and operation of a Rare Earth Element Demonstration Facility. This facility will demonstrate the extraction, separation, and refinement of REEs from unconventional feedstock sources to produce high-purity rare earth metals. The facility must source feedstock derived from acid mine drainage, mine waste, e-waste, or other deleterious or harmful materials resulting from mining or industrial operations.

This NOFO seeks to encourage meaningful collaboration and partnership between academia and industry. All applicants must include an academic partner in their project under the anticipated NOFO. Applicants are encouraged to begin forming partnerships early to ensure a 50% funding cost-share can be met. MESC envisions awarding this funding in the form of a cost-shared financial assistance agreement.

All prime recipients receiving funding under this anticipated NOFO must be incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a state or territory of the United States and have a physical location for business operations in the United States. If a foreign entity applies for funding as a prime recipient, it must designate in the Full Application a subsidiary or affiliate incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a state or territory of the United States to be the prime recipient. The Full

This is a Notice of Intent (NOI) only. MESC may issue a NOFO as described herein, may issue a NOFO that is significantly different than the NOFO described herein, or MESC may not issue a NOFO at all.

Application must state the nature of the corporate relationship between the foreign entity and domestic subsidiary or affiliate. Waivers to these requirements will not be accepted. This Notice of Intent is issued so that interested parties are aware of MESC’s intention to issue this NOFO in the near term. All of the information contained in this Notice of Intent is subject to change.

Submission and Registration Requirements

MESC plans to issue the funding opportunity in the coming months via the Infrastructure Exchange (https://Infrastructure-Exchange.energy.gov). If Applicants wish to receive official notifications and information from MESC regarding this funding opportunity, they should register in Infrastructure Exchange. When the funding opportunity is released, applications will be accepted only through Infrastructure Exchange. In anticipation of the NOFO being released, Applicants are advised to complete the following steps, which are required for application submission:

• Register and create an account in Infrastructure Exchange (https://InfrastructureExchange.energy.gov). This account will allow the user to apply to any open MESC funding opportunities that are currently in Infrastructure Exchange. It is recommended that each organization or business unit, whether acting as a team or a single entity, use only one account as the contact point for each submission. Questions related to the registration process and use of the Infrastructure Exchange website should be submitted to: InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov

• Register with the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov.

Designating an Electronic Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) and obtaining a special password called an MPIN are important steps in SAM registration. Please update your SAM registration annually. Upon registration, SAM will automatically assign a Unique Entity ID

(UEI).

• Register in FedConnect at https://www.fedconnect.net/. To create an organization account, your organization’s SAM MPIN is required. For more information about the SAM MPIN or other registration requirements, review the FedConnect Ready, Set, Go! Guide at https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/Marketing/Documents/FedConnect_Ready_Set_ Go.pdf

• Register in Grants.gov to receive automatic updates when Amendments to a funding opportunity are posted. However, please note that applications will not be accepted through Grants.gov. http://www.grants.gov/. All applications must be submitted through Infrastructure Exchange mailto:InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov https://www.sam.gov/ https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/Marketing/Documents/FedConnect_Ready_Set_Go.pdf https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/Marketing/Documents/FedConnect_Ready_Set_Go.pdf