DE-FOA-0003155 Critical Materials Accelerator | DE FOA 0003155

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003155

DE-FOA-0003155, titled the Critical Materials Accelerator, is a U.S. Department of Energy funding opportunity run through DOE's Golden Field Office that focuses on moving critical materials innovations out of the lab and closer to real-world deployment. The program is aimed at validating and prototyping technologies and processes that directly address critical materials bottlenecks affecting the clean energy economy. In practical terms, DOE is looking for projects that can prove performance at a relevant scale, reduce risk for industry adoption, and strengthen domestic supply chains so they are more reliable, resilient, affordable, diverse, sustainable, and secure.

The core purpose of the Accelerator is to tackle critical materials challenges from multiple angles: developing alternatives that reduce reliance on scarce or geopolitically constrained inputs, diversifying and expanding supply, improving manufacturing and material efficiency, and supporting a circular economy where materials are reused and recovered rather than continually mined and discarded. DOE emphasizes that solutions should be safe, sustainable, economically viable, and environmentally just, meaning applicants should be prepared to show how their approach reduces impacts, supports responsible practices, and can scale without creating new environmental or community burdens.

Projects funded under this FOA are expected to "de-risk" innovation in partnership with industry. That framing matters because DOE is not only interested in novel ideas, but in technology maturation and practical readiness: demonstrations, prototypes, process validation, and improvements that make private-sector adoption more likely. The FOA specifically highlights goals such as reducing demand for critical materials through alternative materials or technologies, extending the usable lifetime of critical materials through better design or processing, and advancing secure and sustainable domestic manufacturing technologies tied to critical minerals and materials.

The opportunity is organized into four topic areas, each aligned with priority technology needs and supply chain gaps identified by the Critical Materials Collaborative. Topic 1 targets the use of magnets with reduced critical materials content, which is relevant for applications like electric motors and generators where rare earth elements can be a constraint. Topic 2 focuses on improving unit operations in the processing and manufacturing of critical materials, essentially looking for better, more efficient, and more scalable processing steps that can increase yield, lower cost, reduce waste, or improve environmental performance. Topic 3 addresses recovery of critical materials from scrap and post-consumer products, aiming to increase recycling and material reclamation to reduce dependence on primary extraction and to build circular supply pathways. Topic 4 seeks approaches that reduce critical material demand for clean energy technologies more broadly, which can include redesigns, substitutions, or system-level innovations that deliver the same or better performance with less critical material input.

From an administrative and award structure standpoint, the FOA is a discretionary funding opportunity using cooperative agreements, which typically means DOE expects substantial involvement during the project (for example, in reviewing technical progress and guiding milestones). The program is listed under CFDA 81.086 (Energy). Eligibility is described as unrestricted, indicating a broad applicant pool may apply, subject to the requirements in the full FOA. DOE anticipated making around 15 awards, with an award ceiling of $3,000,000 per award.

The closing date shown for submissions is March 22, 2024. Submissions are handled through DOE's EERE eXCHANGE system, which enforces hard deadlines by automatically disabling the apply and submit functions at the deadline time. The FOA includes specific guidance for applicants who encounter technical problems: if issues occur before the deadline, applicants are instructed to contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk at exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov for assistance. If technical issues result in a late submission, DOE may accept the late application only if the problem was beyond the applicant's control, the applicant contacted the helpdesk for support, and the application is submitted through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the posted deadline. The FOA notes that the helpdesk and system administrators can assist with resolving issues, including finalizing a submission with the applicant's concurrence. An update labeled MOD 0001 revises Section III.B related to cost sharing, so applicants would need to review that revised section in the official FOA documents within eXCHANGE to ensure their budget and matching funds approach aligns with the current requirements.

• The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DE-FOA-0003155 Critical Materials Accelerator" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.086.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-22. (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 $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for DE FOA 0003155

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: