Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator Notice of Funding Opportunity | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - DOE Critical Minerals and Materials (CMM) Accelerator NOFO (DE-FOA-0003589)

1) What is the CMM Accelerator funding opportunity?

The Critical Minerals and Materials (CMM) Accelerator is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunity administered through DOE's Golden Field Office under Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0003589. It supports projects intended to strengthen U.S. energy security, national security, and industrial competitiveness by accelerating practical, mid-stage processing technologies for critical minerals and materials.

2) What is the main goal of this NOFO?

The NOFO aims to close a key gap in the innovation pipeline by moving promising processing and recovery approaches from bench-scale demonstrations into pilot- and prototype-relevant validation. The focus is on reducing scale-up risk and producing decision-ready validation data so technologies are better positioned to attract private investment and reach domestic commercialization in roughly 3 to 7 years.

3) What types of technologies is DOE trying to accelerate?

DOE is targeting practical, mid-stage processing technologies for critical minerals and materials, especially those that have already shown promise at bench scale but are not yet proven in real-world, industry-relevant settings. The emphasis is on technologies where validation, benchmarking, and scale-up confidence are the main barriers rather than basic scientific feasibility.

4) What stage of development is this program designed for?

This program is designed for mid-stage technologies: beyond basic lab proof-of-concept and into performance validation, benchmarking, and testing in relevant operating environments. It is intended to help projects move toward pilot and prototype validation and reduce risks associated with scaling.

5) How quickly does DOE expect funded technologies to reach commercialization?

DOE indicates an expectation that resulting technologies could reach domestic commercialization within roughly 3 to 7 years, supported by pilot/prototype validation and reduced scale-up risk.

6) What kinds of project activities does DOE expect awardees to perform?

Selected projects are expected to progress into rigorous validation work such as performance validation and benchmarking, testing in relevant operating environments, and potentially using DOE national laboratory test beds. DOE also highlights analytic work that makes readiness and impact easier to judge, including techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life-cycle assessment (LCA).

7) Why does the NOFO emphasize validation and benchmarking?

DOE is aiming for decision-ready results that help manufacturers and investors judge whether a technology is ready to scale. Validation and benchmarking in relevant environments can reduce uncertainty about performance, reliability, and scalability compared with laboratory-only demonstrations.

8) Are techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life-cycle assessment (LCA) encouraged?

Yes. The NOFO highlights TEA to clarify cost drivers and scalability and LCA to quantify environmental footprint and tradeoffs. These analyses help support credible, data-backed performance and cost claims.

9) Is collaboration required or encouraged?

The NOFO places strong emphasis on collaborative, industry-centered partnerships. The program is designed around team-based execution and practical, industry-relevant validation, suggesting that partnerships are a central feature of competitive applications.

10) What DOE resources or facilities might applicants be able to leverage?

The NOFO connects applicants to DOE infrastructure and related initiatives, including the Critical Materials Innovation Hub (CMI Hub) and the Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Research Facility (METALLIC). This signals that awardees may be able to leverage specialized equipment, facilities, expertise, and datasets that can be difficult to access elsewhere.

11) How is the NOFO organized?

The NOFO is organized into three Topic Areas. Topic Areas 1 and 3 are further divided into sub-topics. Applicants must submit under the correct Topic Area listing within DOE's eXCHANGE system.

12) What is Topic Area 1 about, and where is it submitted?

Topic Area 1 focuses on production and material efficiency for critical materials, including rare earth elements. It is submitted in eXCHANGE under DE-TA1-0003589.

13) What are the sub-topics under Topic Area 1?

Topic Area 1 includes three sub-topics: (1A) recovery and production from postindustrial manufacturing scrap; (1B) recovery and production from postconsumer scrap with emphasis on electronic waste and drivetrains; and (1C) recovery and production from blended or combined feedstocks, specifically combinations of mine tailings, postindustrial scrap, and postconsumer scrap.

14) What is Topic Area 2 about, and where is it submitted?

Topic Area 2 centers on semiconductor-relevant materials and seeks processes to refine and alloy gallium, gallium nitride, germanium, and silicon carbide. It is submitted in eXCHANGE under DE-TA2-0003589.

15) What is Topic Area 3 about, and where is it submitted?

Topic Area 3 targets cost-competitive direct lithium extraction (DLE), separation, and processing. It is submitted in eXCHANGE under DE-TA3-0003589.

16) What are the sub-topics under Topic Area 3?

Topic Area 3 includes: (3A) cost-competitive DLE; (3B) improving pre-treatment, post-treatment, and disposal technologies related to DLE and geothermal brines; and (3C) exploration and characterization of critical materials and rare earth elements from volcanically hosted geothermal systems.

17) Do different Topic Areas have different deadlines?

Yes. Each Topic Area has its own application deadline, and those deadlines are specified in the NOFO's Key Facts section in Part 1. Applicants must follow the Topic Area-specific due dates because they can differ by topic and may control the actual submission windows.

18) What is the overall closing date shown in the source data?

The posted closing date in the source data is 2026-07-20. However, applicants are still required to follow the Topic Area-specific due dates in the NOFO, which may differ and should be treated as controlling for submission timing.

19) What funding instrument will DOE use for awards?

DOE plans to make awards via a cooperative agreement. This typically means DOE expects substantial involvement during project execution, such as participation in planning, technical reviews, milestone discussions, and coordination with DOE facilities.

20) What does DOE involvement look like under a cooperative agreement (as described in the opportunity summary)?

The summary indicates DOE may be substantially involved in planning, technical reviews, milestones, and coordination with DOE facilities. This reflects an active management approach compared with more hands-off instruments.

21) Who is eligible to apply?

The opportunity is listed as "unrestricted" for eligible applicants, indicating broad eligibility rather than being limited to a narrow applicant class. (Specific eligibility details would be found in the NOFO itself, but the provided information characterizes eligibility as broad.)

22) How many awards does DOE anticipate making?

DOE anticipates making about 44 awards under this NOFO.

23) What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is $3,000,000 per award.

24) Where do applicants submit their applications?

Applications must be submitted through DOE's eXCHANGE system, and applicants must submit to the correct Topic Area listing (DE-TA1-0003589, DE-TA2-0003589, or DE-TA3-0003589).

25) What is the DOE Teaming Partner List and where can it be found?

DOE provides a Teaming Partner List intended to help applicants form new project collaborations. It is available in eXCHANGE under TPL-0000069.

26) How often is the Teaming Partner List updated?

It is updated at least weekly through the close of the full application period.

27) How strict are the eXCHANGE submission deadlines?

DOE states that eXCHANGE enforces hard deadlines. At the deadline, the system disables the APPLY and SUBMIT buttons, so waiting until the last minute can create avoidable risk.

28) What should an applicant do if they have technical issues before the deadline?

Applicants should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk at exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov or the EERE eXCHANGE administrators at EERE-eXCHANGESupport@hq.doe.gov.

29) Will DOE consider late submissions caused by technical difficulties?

DOE will only consider accepting a late submission due to technical difficulties beyond the applicant's control if the applicant contacted the helpdesk and completes submission within 24 hours after the posted deadline. The helpdesk/administrators may assist in finalizing submission in coordination with the applicant.

30) What is the overall program emphasis for competitive projects?

The CMM Accelerator prioritizes practical demonstrations, data-backed performance and cost claims, rigorous validation in relevant environments, and strong partnerships capable of taking a technology from bench-scale success toward pilot readiness and near-term U.S. commercialization.