Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003582
The Department of Energy (DOE), through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), has released a Notice of Intent (NOI) tied to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) indicating it may issue a future competitive funding announcement focused on expanding U.S. capacity to produce critical minerals and materials from existing domestic industrial operations. The planned funding opportunity is expected to be issued as a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) titled "Mines and Metals Capacity Expansion - Piloting By-Product Critical Minerals and Materials Recovery at Domestic Industrial Facilities." In practical terms, DOE is signaling interest in projects that can demonstrate, at large pilot scale, how to recover critical minerals and other valuable materials that are currently produced as by-products, co-products, or waste streams at operating facilities in the United States.
The central objective of the planned NOFO is to accelerate the development of pilot-scale facilities that recover domestic critical minerals and materials (CMM). The notice specifically highlights rare earth elements (REE) and graphite, while also leaving room for "other value-added products" that can be recovered from industrial streams. The emphasis on "operating industrial facilities" matters because it implies DOE is looking for real-world, integrated demonstrations that leverage existing plants, infrastructure, feedstocks, and logistics rather than purely greenfield concepts. The idea is to turn underutilized streams (for example, tailings, slags, brines, process residues, or other secondary outputs) into economically useful sources of strategically important materials, strengthening domestic supply chains and reducing reliance on foreign sources.
DOE points to several example sectors where by-product recovery could be promising, including phosphate and fertilizer production, oil and gas operations, smelting and broader metals processing, mining, and waste management. These industries often handle large volumes of material and can generate residues or process streams that contain trace or recoverable concentrations of critical elements. The forthcoming program, as described, would support piloting efforts that prove out recovery technologies at scale, address integration challenges within an operating plant, and generate the performance and cost data needed to advance toward commercial deployment. The NOI also notes that "goal-related resources" will be eligible, which suggests the program may extend beyond only a short list of minerals and could include additional materials that align with DOE and national critical materials priorities, depending on how the NOFO is ultimately written.
Important limitations are spelled out clearly. This announcement is not the actual funding opportunity, and DOE is not accepting any submissions at this stage. No concept papers, letters of intent, or full applications are requested or allowed in response to the NOI. DOE also states it is not seeking public comments on the notice and will not respond to questions about it. If and when the NOFO is released, DOE says it will provide a formal mechanism for submitting questions, and final eligibility and application requirements will be established in that later document. DOE also reserves the right to issue a NOFO that differs significantly from what is described in the NOI, or to not issue a NOFO at all, and any details in the NOI should be treated as subject to change.
Based on the source data associated with the posting, the opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant in the areas of business and commerce, energy, and natural resources, under CFDA 81.089, with NETL listed as the agency. The eligible applicant field is listed as "unrestricted," which typically implies a broad range of potential applicants may be allowed (for example, private companies, universities, nonprofits, state and local entities, and tribal governments), though DOE emphasizes that eligibility will be finalized only in the eventual NOFO. The posting shows an original closing date of 2025-12-15, but because this is an NOI rather than an open application solicitation, that date should be viewed as an administrative placeholder until an official NOFO is published with formal deadlines. The data also lists an award ceiling of 2 and expected awards of 0, which is another indication that this entry is informational and not yet a live funding competition with defined award counts and amounts.
Overall, the NOI is an early heads-up that DOE is preparing (or considering) a funding program aimed at moving critical mineral recovery from promising concepts into large pilot demonstrations embedded in real industrial environments. The underlying policy goal is to expand domestic production capacity for materials that are essential to energy technologies and advanced manufacturing by extracting more value from existing U.S. industrial supply streams, especially those that currently represent waste, low-value by-products, or underexploited co-products.Apply for DE FOA 0003582
- The National Energy Technology Laboratory in the business and commerce, energy, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent to Issue Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA): Mines and Metals Capacity Expansion – Piloting By-Product Critical Minerals and Materials Recovery at Domestic Industrial Facilities" 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 2025-08-13.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-12-15. (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 $2.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this DOE/NETL announcement?
This posting is a Department of Energy (DOE), National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Notice of Intent (NOI) indicating DOE may issue a future competitive funding opportunity under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). It is an advance notice, not the actual funding solicitation.
2) Is this a live grant application right now?
No. DOE states this is not the actual funding opportunity and it is not accepting submissions at this stage.
3) What is the expected title of the future funding opportunity?
DOE indicates the planned Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is expected to be titled: "Mines and Metals Capacity Expansion - Piloting By-Product Critical Minerals and Materials Recovery at Domestic Industrial Facilities."
4) What is DOE trying to fund (in plain terms)?
DOE is signaling interest in projects that demonstrate, at large pilot scale, how to recover critical minerals and materials that are currently present in by-products, co-products, or waste streams from operating industrial facilities in the United States.
5) What is the main objective of the planned NOFO?
The central objective described in the NOI is to accelerate the development of pilot-scale facilities that recover domestic critical minerals and materials (CMM) from existing domestic industrial operations.
6) Which materials are specifically highlighted?
The NOI specifically highlights rare earth elements (REE) and graphite. It also references the possibility of recovering "other value-added products" from industrial streams.
7) Does the NOI limit the opportunity only to rare earth elements and graphite?
Not necessarily. The NOI notes that "goal-related resources" will be eligible, suggesting the eventual NOFO may include additional materials aligned with DOE and national critical materials priorities. Final scope will be defined in the NOFO (if issued).
8) What does "by-product, co-product, or waste stream recovery" mean in this context?
It refers to extracting critical minerals and other valuable materials from streams that are already produced during normal operations but are not the primary product of the facility. Examples mentioned or implied include tailings, slags, brines, process residues, and other secondary outputs.
9) Why does DOE emphasize "operating industrial facilities"?
The NOI suggests DOE is looking for real-world, integrated pilot demonstrations that leverage existing plants, infrastructure, feedstocks, and logistics, rather than purely greenfield or standalone concepts.
10) What types of industries does DOE mention as promising for by-product recovery?
The NOI lists example sectors including phosphate and fertilizer production, oil and gas operations, smelting and broader metals processing, mining, and waste management.
11) What scale of project is DOE interested in?
The NOI emphasizes large pilot-scale demonstrations and pilot-scale facilities, with the intent to generate performance and cost data and to address integration challenges in real operating environments.
12) What kinds of outcomes does DOE appear to want from pilot projects?
Based on the NOI, the desired outcomes include proving recovery technologies at scale, solving integration challenges within an operating plant, and producing performance and cost data to support progress toward commercial deployment.
13) Is DOE asking for concept papers, letters of intent, or full applications now?
No. DOE explicitly states that no concept papers, letters of intent, or full applications are requested or allowed in response to this NOI.
14) Can applicants submit questions or request clarifications about the NOI?
No. DOE states it is not seeking public comments on the notice and will not respond to questions about it. If a NOFO is released, DOE says it will provide a formal mechanism for submitting questions at that time.
15) Will the NOFO definitely be issued?
No. DOE reserves the right to not issue a NOFO at all. The NOI is an early heads-up and not a guarantee of a future solicitation.
16) Could the final NOFO be different from what is described in the NOI?
Yes. DOE states it may issue a NOFO that differs significantly from what is described in the NOI. All details in the NOI should be treated as subject to change.
17) Who is the agency associated with this opportunity?
The agency listed is the Department of Energy (DOE), through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).
18) What is the program category/type shown in the posting data?
Based on the source data associated with the posting, it is categorized as a discretionary grant in the areas of business and commerce, energy, and natural resources.
19) What CFDA number is associated with this posting?
The posting references CFDA 81.089.
20) Who is eligible to apply?
The posting data lists eligible applicants as "unrestricted," which typically implies a broad range of applicants may be allowed. However, DOE emphasizes eligibility will be finalized only in the eventual NOFO (if issued).
21) What is the closing date shown, and should it be relied upon?
The posting shows an original closing date of 2025-12-15. Because this is an NOI and not an open solicitation, the date should be viewed as an administrative placeholder until an official NOFO is published with formal deadlines.
22) Are award amounts, award counts, or the number of expected awards defined?
The data lists an award ceiling of 2 and expected awards of 0, which is another indication the entry is informational and not yet a live funding competition with defined award counts and amounts.
23) What is the broader policy purpose behind this planned program?
The NOI frames a goal of expanding domestic production capacity for critical minerals and materials important to energy technologies and advanced manufacturing by extracting more value from existing U.S. industrial supply streams, especially those currently treated as waste or low-value by-products.
24) What should interested organizations do right now?
Based on the NOI text provided, there is no action to submit materials at this stage. Interested organizations should monitor for the release of the official NOFO, where eligibility, submission requirements, deadlines, and the formal Q&A process would be established.
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