Rare Earth Elements Demonstration Facility | DE FOA 0003587

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003587

The Rare Earth Elements Demonstration Facility funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0003587) is a discretionary competitive grant solicitation issued by the U.S. Department of Energy through the National Energy Technology Laboratory, under the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC). It is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning DOE expects to have substantial involvement during the project, typically through technical oversight, milestone reviews, and coordination on key decisions rather than simply providing funds with minimal interaction.

The goal of the opportunity is to support projects that will design, build, commission, and operate a full demonstration-scale facility that can take unconventional, problematic domestic waste-derived feedstocks and turn them into valuable rare earth products. Specifically, applicants are expected to demonstrate an integrated, single-site process that begins with feedstock sourced from acid mine drainage (AMD), mine waste, or other deleterious materials, then performs rare earth element (REE) separation to produce rare earth oxides, and finally refines those oxides into rare earth metals. The emphasis on a single site and end-to-end capability is central: the facility should show a complete, operational pathway from these low-value or environmentally challenging sources through to market-relevant metal products, rather than stopping at intermediate concentrates.

Financially, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $134,000,000 and anticipates making up to two awards. The original application deadline is January 20, 2026. The program is cataloged under CFDA number 81.253, and the funding activity category is listed as EIC. Eligibility is noted as "Others," with applicants directed to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Part I, Section II for the specific eligibility requirements and definitions, which often spell out whether entities like for-profit companies, universities, nonprofits, state or local governments, tribal entities, or consortia are permitted and under what conditions.

In practical terms, this NOFO is aimed at pushing rare earth processing beyond lab and pilot efforts into a demonstration facility that proves technical performance and operability at scale using nontraditional, waste-associated sources. By focusing on AMD and mine waste, it also aligns with dual outcomes: strengthening domestic rare earth supply chains while potentially reducing environmental liabilities associated with legacy mining impacts.

• The National Energy Technology Laboratory in the eic sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rare Earth Elements Demonstration Facility" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.253.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-12-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-01-20. (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 $134,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for DE FOA 0003587

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