Reliable Ore Characterization with Keystone Sensing SBIR/STTR (ROCKS SBIR/STTR)

The Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E), part of the U.S. Department of Energy, has issued the Reliable Ore Characterization with Keystone Sensing SBIR/STTR (ROCKS SBIR/STTR) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) under DE-FOA-0003593. ARPA-E was established to fund high-impact, early-stage energy technologies that can transform energy generation, distribution, and use in the United States. Its mission includes reducing dependence on foreign energy imports, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and ensuring the country’s competitiveness in critical energy technologies. This funding opportunity is aligned with the national strategy to increase domestic production of rare earth elements (REEs) and critical minerals essential to clean energy, defense, and other advanced technologies. The ROCKS program is designed to support innovative drilling, sensing, and analysis technologies that can significantly improve the speed, resolution, and cost-effectiveness of mineral resource characterization. Current practices in orebody evaluation, which include extensive drilling and laboratory analysis, are slow and expensive, often requiring years and millions of dollars. The program seeks to achieve order-of-magnitude improvements in resource evaluation timelines, aiming to enable assessments of ore deposits in months instead of years. This will accelerate domestic mine development, reduce uncertainty in mineral resource exploration, and strengthen U.S. supply chain resilience. Technologies of interest fall into three categories: advanced drilling methods that improve speed and core recovery, enhanced sensing and analysis tools that provide real-time and high-resolution data, and novel or unconventional approaches applicable to untapped resources such as deep-sea deposits or REE-enriched clays. Approximately $40 million has been allocated across this NOFO and its companion funding call (DE-FOA-0003592), with an estimated 10 to 12 total awards. The federal share for individual awards ranges from $314,363 to $4,505,859 depending on project phase and scope. Applicants may apply for combined Phase I/II or Phase I/II/IIS SBIR/STTR awards, with Phase I awards capped at $314,363, Phase I/II at $2,410,111, and full Phase I/II/IIS at $4,505,859. Cost sharing is not required under this program, though all applicants must budget at least 5% of ARPA-E federal funding for technology transfer and outreach activities. Indirect costs are capped at 15% for new awards, and profit or fee may be negotiated up to 7% of the project cost. Pre-award costs, foreign travel, and major construction are generally not allowable without explicit ARPA-E approval. Eligibility is restricted to U.S. Small Business Concerns that meet SBIR or STTR requirements. For SBIR projects, the small business must perform at least two-thirds of Phase I work and half of Phase II/IIS work. For STTR projects, at least 40% of the work must be performed by the small business and 30% by a single U.S.-based research institution. Subrecipients may include universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, state or tribal entities, and other for-profit companies. All work must be conducted in the United States unless a waiver is granted. Foreign nationals from countries of concern face additional restrictions, and applicants with multiple prior SBIR/STTR awards must meet Small Business Administration commercialization benchmarks. The application process is multi-staged. Concept papers are required and due by 2025-09-25 at 9:30 AM ET, with questions accepted until 2025-09-15. ARPA-E will notify applicants with encourage or discourage feedback by 2025-10-30. Full application deadlines are to be determined, but anticipated award selections will occur by February 2026, with funding agreements expected in June 2026. The period of performance is projected to run from June 2026 to June 2029. Required submission materials include a concept paper, summary slide, technical volume, budget documents, assurances and disclosures, cybersecurity self-assessment, and SBIR.gov registration. Applications must be submitted through ARPA-E eXCHANGE, and compliance with formatting and document requirements is strictly enforced. Submissions are evaluated based on technical responsiveness, innovation, feasibility, commercialization potential, and program alignment. Concept papers and full applications are reviewed by expert panels, and applicants may respond to reviewer comments before final selection. ARPA-E maintains substantial involvement in project management, including quarterly milestones and go/no-go checkpoints. Teams are encouraged to include industry partners to strengthen commercialization pathways. Selected projects will be monitored for technical progress, cost-effectiveness, and potential impact on reducing reliance on imported critical minerals. For questions regarding the NOFO, applicants should consult the ARPA-E FAQ webpage or contact the Grants Officer at ARPA-E-CO@hq.doe.gov. For issues with the eXCHANGE system, inquiries should be sent to ExchangeHelp@hq.doe.gov. During the active solicitation period, all communications with ARPA-E must be directed through the designated Grants Officer, as outside communications are restricted during this “quiet period.” This opportunity represents a major federal investment in securing the U.S. critical mineral supply chain through high-risk, high-reward research and development.