Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002956
The funding opportunity titled "Advancing Technology Development for Securing a Domestic Supply of Critical Minerals and Materials (CMM)" (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0002956) is a discretionary federal grant competition run by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) focused on strengthening the United States domestic supply of critical minerals and materials. It is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means projects are expected to involve substantial federal involvement during execution compared with a standard grant, often through collaboration, regular technical engagement, and defined project milestones.
At a high level, the program is designed to push critical minerals and materials technologies further along the development pathway, with an emphasis on moving beyond early concepts and toward practical, scalable, and economically viable systems. The FOA highlights four connected objectives. First, it aims to continue advancing technology development for CMM, including the development and validation of new and advanced recovery concepts. Second, it emphasizes expanding and improving process systems development, optimization, and efficiency, which points to a strong interest in integrated process design, process control improvements, throughput and yield gains, and reductions in energy, water, and reagent use. Third, it explicitly targets improved economic feasibility, aiming to bring production costs into alignment with current market sectors, signaling that proposals should not only demonstrate technical performance but also show a credible pathway to competitive cost structures and real-world adoption. Fourth, it prioritizes the ability to produce critical minerals and materials from multiple and diverse feedstocks, including recycled materials, reinforcing an all-of-the-above sourcing approach that can include primary resources, secondary resources, and circular economy inputs.
In terms of funding profile and competitiveness, the award ceiling is $3,750,000 per award, with an estimated 10 awards expected. The opportunity sits under the Energy funding activity category and lists CFDA number 81.089. Eligible applicants are listed as unrestricted, which typically indicates a broad applicant pool may apply (for example, companies, universities, nonprofits, and other organizations, subject to the standard federal eligibility and compliance requirements in the full announcement). The original closing date is November 26, 2024, and the opportunity was created on September 25, 2024, giving applicants a defined window to assemble technical, management, and cost documentation.
Overall, this FOA is best understood as a technology maturation and process-integration push for critical minerals and materials, with a clear preference for projects that combine technical innovation with realistic process engineering and cost discipline. Strong applications would be expected to connect lab or pilot-scale advances to end-to-end process performance, demonstrate improvements in efficiency and recoveries, and make a persuasive case that the resulting product streams can be produced at costs that match market realities, while also expanding domestic resilience by drawing from diverse sources, including recycling and other non-traditional feedstocks.Apply for DE FOA 0002956
- The National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing Technology Development for Securing a Domestic Supply of Critical Minerals and Materials (CMM)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-09-25.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-11-26. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,750,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is titled "Advancing Technology Development for Securing a Domestic Supply of Critical Minerals and Materials (CMM)".
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is DE-FOA-0002956.
Which federal office is running this funding opportunity?
This is a discretionary federal grant competition run by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).
What is the main purpose of this FOA?
The FOA is focused on strengthening the United States domestic supply of critical minerals and materials by advancing technology development toward practical, scalable, and economically viable systems.
What type of award is expected under this FOA?
The FOA is structured as a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that this award is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement typically indicates substantial federal involvement during project execution compared with a standard grant. Based on the description provided, that often includes collaboration, regular technical engagement, and defined project milestones.
What stage of technology development does this program emphasize?
The program emphasizes moving beyond early concepts and pushing technologies further along the development pathway toward practical implementation, scalability, and economic viability.
What are the key objectives of the FOA?
The FOA highlights four connected objectives:
- Advance technology development for CMM, including development and validation of new and advanced recovery concepts.
- Expand and improve process systems development, optimization, and efficiency (for example, integrated process design and improvements in process performance).
- Improve economic feasibility by aligning production costs with current market sectors.
- Enable production from multiple and diverse feedstocks, including recycled materials.
What kinds of technical work does the FOA appear to encourage?
Based on the description, the FOA encourages work such as:
- Developing and validating new or advanced recovery concepts for critical minerals and materials.
- Improving process systems through optimization and efficiency gains.
- Strengthening end-to-end process performance, including throughput and yield improvements.
- Reducing resource intensity (for example energy, water, and reagent use).
Does the FOA emphasize process integration and engineering, or just scientific novelty?
The description indicates a strong emphasis on process systems development and process integration, not just early-stage concepts. Competitive proposals are expected to connect technical advances to end-to-end process performance and practical implementation.
How important is cost and market alignment in this FOA?
Cost and market alignment appear to be central. One objective explicitly targets improved economic feasibility and bringing production costs into alignment with current market sectors, meaning proposals should address both technical performance and a credible pathway to competitive costs and adoption.
Does the FOA encourage the use of recycled materials or circular economy feedstocks?
Yes. The FOA prioritizes the ability to produce critical minerals and materials from multiple and diverse feedstocks, and it specifically includes recycled materials, reflecting an all-of-the-above sourcing approach.
Are applicants required to focus on a single feedstock type?
The description suggests a preference for approaches that can use multiple and diverse feedstocks (including recycled materials), rather than relying on only one source.
What is the award ceiling (maximum amount) per award?
The award ceiling is $3,750,000 per award.
How many awards does NETL expect to make?
The opportunity estimates approximately 10 awards.
What is the funding activity category for this opportunity?
The funding activity category is listed as Energy.
What CFDA number is associated with this FOA?
The CFDA number listed is 81.089.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are listed as unrestricted, which typically indicates a broad applicant pool may apply (for example, companies, universities, nonprofits, and other organizations), subject to standard federal eligibility and compliance requirements in the full announcement.
Is this opportunity limited to a specific type of organization (such as only universities or only nonprofits)?
No such limitation is stated in the provided summary. The eligibility is described as unrestricted, which generally suggests broad organizational eligibility.
What is the application deadline?
The original closing date is November 26, 2024.
When was this opportunity created or posted?
The opportunity was created on September 25, 2024.
What is the overall theme of a strong application under this FOA?
Based on the summary, strong applications would be expected to combine technical innovation with realistic process engineering and cost discipline, showing how lab or pilot-scale progress connects to integrated process performance, improved efficiency and recoveries, and a credible path to market-aligned production costs using diverse domestic feedstocks (including recycled materials).
Does this FOA support early-stage, purely conceptual research?
The description indicates the FOA is designed to push technologies beyond early concepts toward practical, scalable, and economically viable systems, suggesting that purely conceptual efforts may be less aligned than projects demonstrating technology maturation and validation.
What kinds of project management expectations are implied by the cooperative agreement structure?
Because the award is described as a cooperative agreement, projects should be prepared for substantial federal involvement during execution, often including collaboration, regular technical engagement, and defined milestones.
How does this FOA relate to domestic supply chain resilience?
The FOA is explicitly focused on securing a domestic supply of critical minerals and materials by advancing technologies that can produce these materials from diverse sources, including recycled feedstocks, thereby strengthening domestic resilience.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Energy
Next opportunity: Biomedical Research Facilities (C06 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Previous opportunity: Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 State Workforce Agency Unemployment Insurance (UI) Resource Planning Targets and Guidelines
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for DE FOA 0002956
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (DE FOA 0002956) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Oxygen-conducting SOFC and SOEC Research and Development for Hydrogen Production Apply for DE FOA 0003366 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003366 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| TRIBAL CLEAN ENERGY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT - 2025 Apply for DE FOA 0003401 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003401 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| U.S.-Danish Floating Offshore Wind Energy Mooring and Anchoring Research and Development Apply for DE FOA 0003362 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003362 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Nuclear Reactor Safety Training and Workforce Development Program Apply for DE FOA 0003410 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003410 Agency: Idaho Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $40,000,000 |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) No. DE-FOA-0003373: "Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Provision 41007(b)(2), Wind Turbine Technology Recycling” Apply for DE FOA 0003443 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003443 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas – Fiscal Year 2025 Release Apply for DE FOA 0003428 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003428 Agency: Headquarters Category: Energy Funding Amount: $50,000,000 |
| Circularity for Secure and Sustainable Products and Materials: A Draft Strategic Framework RFI Apply for DE FOA 0003455 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003455 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor Pathway to Deployment Apply for DE FOA 0003485 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003485 Agency: Headquarters Category: Energy Funding Amount: $800,000,000 |
| REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) - Egypt Energy Sector Activity Apply for 72026325RFI00003 Funding Number: 72026325RFI00003 Agency: Egypt USAID-Cairo Category: Energy Funding Amount: $25,000,000 |
| Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE): A Mid-Course Evaluation Apply for DE FOA 0003471 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003471 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Advanced Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies to Drive National Goals Apply for DE FOA 0003439 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003439 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Quantum Computing for Computational Chemistry (QC3) Apply for DE FOA 0003482 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003482 Agency: Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy Category: Energy Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Rural Energy for America Program Apply for RDBCP REAP RES EEI 2025 Funding Number: RDBCP REAP RES EEI 2025 Agency: Rural Business-Cooperative Service Category: Energy Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| FY 2025 University Nuclear Research Infrastructure Revitalization Apply for DE FOA 0003314 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003314 Agency: Idaho Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $6,000,000 |
| Energy Talent Development - West Africa (ETD-WA) Activity Apply for 72067424R00011 Funding Number: 72067424R00011 Agency: South Africa USAID-Pretoria Category: Energy Funding Amount: $8,000,000 |
| HARMONY: Human-Centric Analytics for Resilient & Modernized Power sYstems Apply for DE FOA 0003446 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003446 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $1,250,000 |
| Office of Electricity (OE) and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office (EERE WETO) Apply for DE FOA 0003396 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003396 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $3,250,000 |
| NOFO: DE-FOA-0003373, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Provision 41007 (b)(2), Wind Turbine Technology Recycling Apply for DE FOA 0003373 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003373 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $8,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0003517 Notice of Intent to Issue DE-FOA-0003518 and DE-FOA-0003520 Apply for DE FOA 0003517 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003517 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DE-FOA-0003535 Request for Information (RFI): Defining Sustainable Maritime Fuels in the United States Apply for DE FOA 0003535 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003535 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "DE FOA 0002956", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.