RFI - CO2 Mineralization to Enhance the Extraction of Energy - Releveant and Commodity Minerals | DE FOA 0002469

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002469

The Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) issued this notice as a Request for Information (RFI) to gather technical and programmatic input that could shape a future research program. It is not a funding announcement, does not invite grant applications, and does not currently offer any awards. Instead, ARPA-E is using the RFI to collect ideas, data, and perspectives from the broader community to help decide whether to launch a formal Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) later and, if so, what that program should target.

The core concept behind the RFI is pairing two goals that are usually pursued separately: extracting minerals that matter to the US energy system and industrial base, while also permanently locking up carbon dioxide through mineralization. The technical theme is "CO2 mineralization to enhance the extraction of energy-relevant and commodity minerals," meaning ARPA-E is interested in approaches where CO2 reacts with suitable materials to form stable carbonate minerals, and where that same set of reactions or process conditions also helps liberate valuable metals. The intent is to surface novel, potentially transformative methods that could change the economics, efficiency, or environmental footprint of mineral production while simultaneously providing durable CO2 storage.

ARPA-E frames this interest in the context of rising global competition and supply chain risk for minerals used in clean energy technologies, emerging tech, and defense applications. The notice points to the strategic concern that shortages of critical mineral resources can create vulnerabilities for US security and prosperity. While the Department of the Interior maintains an official critical minerals list, ARPA-E signals that its interest extends beyond that list to include other energy-relevant base transition metals, reflecting the agency's focus on materials that underpin energy infrastructure and advanced energy technologies.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is labeled "DE-FOA-0002469" and categorized as discretionary, with activity areas tied to science and technology research and development. The listing mentions typical federal assistance instruments (cooperative agreements and grants), but in this specific case they are not being offered because the document is strictly an RFI. The award ceiling is listed as 1 and expected awards as 0, which aligns with the fact that no funding is being made available under this notice. Eligibility is effectively open (unrestricted) to any entity type, subject to any details that may be provided in the full RFI text, because the goal is broad input rather than proposal submission.

Timing-wise, the RFI was created on January 19, 2021, with an original response deadline of February 18, 2021. Responses submitted to the RFI may be used by ARPA-E for internal planning, including refining technical targets, identifying key barriers and breakthrough opportunities, understanding the state of the art, and gauging who is working on relevant concepts across academia, industry, national laboratories, and other organizations.

In practical terms, anyone reading this should treat it as a signal of ARPA-E's exploratory interest in integrated pathways that combine mineral production with permanent CO2 sequestration via mineralization. It is best understood as a market and technical landscape scan that could lead to a future competitive funding program, rather than a current chance to apply for funding. The full text and any submission instructions were provided through ARPA-E's FOA portal at https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov.

• The Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy in the opportunity zone benefits, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "RFI - CO2 Mineralization to Enhance the Extraction of Energy - Releveant and Commodity Minerals" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.135.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 19, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 18, 2021. (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 $1.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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