Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA): Mine of the Future - Proving Ground Initiative

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through its Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), has released the DE-FOA-0003390 funding opportunity titled "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Mine of the Future - Proving Ground Initiative." Administered by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), this funding opportunity is designed to establish Mining Technology Proving Grounds that will serve as national-scale platforms for field-scale testing and validation of innovative mining technologies. Funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), with approximately $80 million allocated for this round, the initiative supports the development of infrastructure and capabilities that will significantly advance the domestic critical minerals and materials (CMM) supply chain. The goal is to reduce technological, economic, and environmental risks associated with mining by transitioning new innovations from laboratory scale to integrated field demonstrations. This funding opportunity aims to strengthen the U.S. mining sector by investing in the construction and operation of testbeds for emerging mining technologies. These proving grounds will be designed to facilitate technology maturation across the mining process—from exploration to resource extraction and processing. Applicants are required to propose both the establishment of a proving ground and the implementation of one or two initial mining technology R&D projects. Each proposed project must demonstrate technical advancement by progressing at least one technology readiness level (TRL), beginning from TRL 2 through TRL 6. These projects will provide early operational validation of the proving grounds’ capabilities while also supporting DOE’s broader goals of innovation, sustainability, and workforce development in critical mineral production. DOE encourages collaborative applications that include partnerships among academia, industry, and other stakeholders to build facilities that will eventually be accessible to external users. Proving grounds must be located within the U.S., be modular and reconfigurable, and have the ability to accommodate multiple technologies. Facility requirements include real-time data collection systems, integration with simulation environments, support for autonomous operations, and adherence to federal safety and environmental regulations. Mining technologies of interest span areas such as comminution, in situ leaching, robotics, AI/ML-enabled sensing, tailings management, and critical mineral recovery from unconventional sources. Applications must include detailed plans for infrastructure development (Budget Periods 1 and 2) and the initial R&D projects (Budget Period 3). The expected period of performance is four years, with initial awards projected to be made by June 2026. The DOE anticipates awarding up to four cooperative agreements, each ranging from $5 million to $40 million, with a required minimum 20% non-federal cost share. Applicants must clearly justify their cost share sources, and federal funds or in-kind resources originating from federal sources are not allowed as match. Indirect cost rates are capped at 15% of total award amount for most recipients. Applications are due by January 30, 2026, having been extended from the original deadline of December 15, 2025. All applicants must be registered in SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and NETL’s eXCHANGE portal. While there is no pre-application concept paper or LOI required, all application materials must be submitted through the NETL eXCHANGE portal. The review process will assess technical merit, project impact, team qualifications, cost realism, and the proposed strategy for commercialization and workforce training. Awards will be announced as early as March 2026, followed by negotiations and potential start dates in June 2026. There is no recurring or annual cycle stated, but the facility is expected to host future DOE projects.

Prioritize TRL progression, field-test feasibility, and infrastructure-readiness; document cost share clearly; align tech with proving ground mission.