Mines & Metals Capacity Expansion

KEY INFORMATION

Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0003583

Agency: Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management

Total Program Funding: $275,000,000

Award Range: $10,000,000 - $75,000,000

Cost Share: 20%

Est. Number of Awards: 13

Release Date: November 14, 2025

Due Date: December 15, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET

 

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The focus of the Mines and Metals Capacity Expansion Grant is to invest in American industrial facilities that have the potential to produce valuable critical material byproducts from existing industrial processes. This NOFO will solicit applications to de-risk the commercial deployment of critical materials byproduct recovery technologies through large-scale (1:50 or higher) pilot-scale production. 

 

TOPIC AREAS 

Topic Area 1: Mines & Metals Pilots - Coal-Based Industry

Topic Area 1 supports pilot projects that use coal and coal-derived material as primary feedstocks, such as lignite, refuse tailings, prep plant waste, fly or bottom ash, and coal-based acid mine drainage. Projects must recover rare earth elements and may also extract other critical minerals or produce additional value-added products. Efforts should advance prior bench-scale work from TRL 5 to 7. DOE expects to make up to three awards, ranging from $10 million to $50 million, with a total of up to $75 million available. Projects require a 20% cost share and may span up to 48 months.

 

Topic Area 2: Mines & Metals Pilots - All Industries

Topic Area 2 supports pilot projects that recover critical materials and other value-added products from industrial feedstocks and process wastes across all sectors except coal-based industries and post-consumer or manufacturing scrap recycling. Subtopic 2a focuses on advancing bench-scale technologies from TRL 4-5 to 7, while Subtopic 2b supports pilot-scale systems progressing from TRL 6-7 to 7-8. The DOE expects to make up to ten awards, ranging from $10 million to $75 million, with a total of up to $200 million available. Projects require a 20% cost share and may span up to 48 months.

 

ELIGIBILITY    

The following domestic entities are eligible to participate as a recipient or subrecipient:  

• Institutions of higher education;

• For-profit organization;

• Nonprofit organization;

• State and local governmental entities; and

• Indian Tribes.

Cost Share: A 20% minimum cost share is required. 

 

KEY DATES 

Application Due Date: 12/15/2025 5:00 PM ET

 

RESOURCES 

View the full NOFO on the NETL Funding Opportunity Exchange here. 

Read the official press release here.