CMI Request for Proposals (RFP) 2024

CMI Request for Proposals (RFP)
The Critical Materials Innovation Hub (CMI Hub) is offering an exciting opportunity for new projects to join the Department of Energy (DOE)鈥疎nergy Innovation Hub through an open call with up to $10 million in funding for new opportunities. The CMI Hub is seeking proposals that address current gaps and technical barriers to the establishment of domestic supply chains in the following areas:聽

  • Environmentally benign rare earth metal and alloy production聽聽

  • Efficient gallium byproduct recovery, separation and concentration聽聽

  • New compounds to reduce gallium content in gallium nitride semiconductors聽聽

  • Improved processes for gallium semiconductor manufacturing that minimize waste generation聽

  • Improved copper sulfide leaching to unlock copper resources in historic heaps聽

The RFP was announced November 15 LINK. The full RFP can be found HERE.

Concept papers were due December 20, 2024, by email to聽CMI-RFP-2024@ameslab.gov. * We are awaiting DOE approval before the next steps. Because of this, the original timeframe noted below is expected to be updated, and will be communicated with the invitation to continue to the proposal step. *
Invitations to proceed to the full-proposal stage were planned for January 31, 2025. Full proposals will be accepted only from encouraged concept papers, and will be due on March 14, 2025.

Links to information and forms:

  1. CMI RFP Concept Guidelines
  2. Summary budget template
  3. One-slide overview template
  4. Team partnering list link to form and responses聽(updates automatically),聽link to pdf of responses聽(last updated 12/09/24)
  5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)聽(updated February 12, 2025)
  6. Additional resources: CMI Roadmap, CMI 2013-2023 Report, Phase III Project Descriptions,聽CMI Website

Timeline
Call release date: November 15, 2024 LINK
Information session: November 19, 2024, 1 p.m. Central time Slides Recording
Concept papers due December 20, 2024
Decision to encourage concept papers * We are awaiting DOE approval before updating dates and communicating next steps. *
Invited full proposals due March 14, 2025
Funding notification May 16, 2025
Anticipated start date January 1, 2026