DOE Announces “Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator” Funding Opportunity

The Department of Energy issued a $69 million funding opportunity to prototype and pilot innovative critical minerals processing technologies.
Topic areas of interest include production and material efficiency for critical minerals and rare earth elements; processes to refine and alloy materials used in the semiconductor industry; and cost-competitive direct lithium extraction, separation and processing.
The deadline to submit letters of intent is April 24, 2026, and application deadlines vary by topic area, ranging from May through July 2026.

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