DOE launches $500M minerals push
The Department of Energy announced a $500M initiative to boost domestic mineral processing—an effort that could reshape supply chains for electrification and rolling stock manufacturing. The program signals growing federal emphasis on domestic content and supply security for transit projects. (globenewswire.com)
The DOE’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity on March 13, 2026 to support demonstration‑ and commercial‑scale facilities for processing, recycling, or manufacturing battery materials, explicitly listing lithium, graphite, nickel, copper and aluminum as eligible materials. (energy.gov) The NOFO is organized into three topic areas: (1) domestic critical minerals processing from raw feedstocks, (2) domestic critical minerals recycling, and (3) domestic battery materials and component manufacturing. (insidegovernmentcontracts.com) Letters of intent for the program are due March 27, 2026, with full applications due April 24, 2026, and the solicitation represents the third competitive funding round under DOE’s Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing and Recycling programs. (insidegovernmentcontracts.com) (fastmarkets.com) DOE plans to make awards principally as cooperative agreements—which carry substantial federal involvement and program management authority—and may use Other Transactions Authority where standard cooperative agreements are infeasible. (insidegovernmentcontracts.com) The NOFO requires a minimum private cost‑share of 50% and asks applicants to demonstrate market traction via secured feedstock supply and credible offtake agreements, while also prioritizing process innovations that lower production costs or increase yields. (insidegovernmentcontracts.com) The department frames the investment as targeting battery supply chains for defense, grid resilience and transportation, linking the funding directly to materials used in electrification and rolling‑stock battery systems that underpin transit vehicle manufacturing. (energy.gov)
