Mining Innovations for Negative Emissions Resource Recovery (MINER) (SBIR/STTR) | DE FOA 0002708

MINER SBIR/STTR (DE-FOA-0002708) Frequently Asked Questions

1) What is the MINER SBIR/STTR funding opportunity?

The Mining Innovations for Negative Emissions Resource Recovery (MINER) SBIR/STTR funding opportunity (FOA number DE-FOA-0002708) is a U.S. Department of Energy ARPA-E program that supports small businesses developing mining and minerals-processing technologies intended to be commercial-ready. The program targets technologies that can strengthen domestic supply chains for critical minerals while reducing, or even reversing, the carbon footprint associated with producing those minerals.

2) Who is running this program?

The program is run by the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).

3) What problem is MINER trying to solve?

MINER is motivated by two connected challenges described in the FOA summary: (1) the United States needs larger and more secure supplies of critical minerals (such as copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements) to support batteries, clean electricity generation, and grid expansion; and (2) conventional mining is getting more expensive and less efficient as high-grade deposits deplete and costs rise for crushing, processing, tailings management, and environmental controls. MINER aims to support innovations that can change cost and performance trajectories rather than deliver incremental improvements.

4) What types of applicants are eligible?

This is an SBIR/STTR opportunity and the eligible applicant type listed is small businesses.

5) What kind of work is ARPA-E looking for (basic research or applied R&D)?

MINER is positioned as applied research and development with clear commercialization potential. The opportunity aligns with ARPA-E's focus on high-risk, high-reward technology development that can create new cost and performance "learning curves" rather than incremental advances.

6) What are the main technical outcomes MINER wants projects to achieve?

The FOA describes three program-level outcomes seeking step-change improvements versus current state-of-the-art approaches:

• Comminution energy reduction: cut the energy used to crush and grind ore by 50%.
• Improved mineral recovery: increase recovery of energy-relevant minerals by reducing the amount of valuable material left behind in tailings by 50%.
• Net-negative emissions production: enable net-negative emissions mineral production by sequestering more than 10 weight percent CO2e per metric ton of ore processed.

7) What does "comminution energy" mean in the context of this FOA?

In this FOA, comminution energy refers to the energy required to crush and grind ore during mining and minerals processing. MINER seeks approaches that substantially reduce this energy demand compared to current state-of-the-art methods.

8) What does the FOA mean by improving recovery and reducing tailings losses?

The opportunity calls for technologies that recover more of the target, energy-relevant minerals during beneficiation and processing, specifically by cutting in half the amount of valuable material that ends up in tailings compared to state-of-the-art performance.

9) What does "net-negative emissions mineral production" mean here?

Within the MINER program description, net-negative emissions is tied to mineral production processes that sequester CO2e as part of the processing train. The FOA highlights sequestration performance of more than 10 weight percent CO2e per metric ton of ore processed, using mineralization or carbonation reactions that lock CO2 into stable solid forms.

10) What kinds of technology areas does MINER fund?

The FOA describes four major technical categories that organize the types of solutions ARPA-E is seeking:

• Mineral comminution: concepts such as novel breakage methods, more selective liberation strategies, improved classification, or alternative size-reduction pathways aimed at reducing wasted energy.
• Beneficiation and processing: improvements to raise yield, including new separation approaches, enhanced chemistry, or flowsheet innovations to capture critical elements that would otherwise end up in tailings.
• Carbon-negative reactions: processes that consume CO2 as a functional input and convert it into stable mineral carbonates or other long-lived products while still producing usable mineral outputs.
• Sensing and analysis tools: tools to identify, quantify, and enable carbonation potential and mineralization, including rapid characterization of ore bodies, tailings, and process streams to predict feasibility and support real-time control.

11) Is MINER focused only on mining, or also on minerals processing?

Based on the program description, MINER covers both mining and minerals-processing technologies. The focus includes comminution, beneficiation, processing, tailings-related recovery, and related sensing/analysis to enable improved performance and carbon-negative outcomes.

12) What critical minerals are explicitly mentioned in the program description?

The summary specifically mentions copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements as examples of minerals needed for batteries, clean electricity generation, and grid expansion.

13) How many awards were anticipated, and what is the maximum award size?

The opportunity anticipated around 15 awards. The award ceiling was approximately $3.95 million per project.

14) What funding/assistance mechanisms are used for awards?

Awards are made under assistance mechanisms such as cooperative agreements, grants, or other instruments.

15) What kinds of analysis does ARPA-E expect in proposals?

The FOA emphasizes that proposers should be prepared to address techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) expectations. This reflects ARPA-E's focus on whether an approach can plausibly scale, compete on cost, and deliver real net emissions benefits when considering full system impacts.

16) Where do applicants find the official FOA details?

Applicants were directed to access the full FOA on the ARPA-E website.

17) How are concept papers and applications submitted?

Required materials must be submitted through the ARPA-E eXCHANGE system, which is described as the only submission path ARPA-E will accept for concept papers and applications.

18) Is there an email address for technical help with the submission system?

Yes. For submission issues related to ARPA-E eXCHANGE, the posting lists: ExchangeHelp@hq.doe.gov

19) Is there an email address for questions about the FOA itself?

Yes. For FOA questions, the posting lists: ARPA-E-CO@hq.doe.gov

20) Is there a general ARPA-E FAQ resource mentioned?

Yes. The notice mentions a general ARPA-E FAQ page as a resource for applicants.

21) What was the submission deadline listed in the posting?

The original deadline listed for submissions was 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time on April 15, 2022.

22) Does the notice provide any guidance on when to submit?

Yes. The notice strongly encouraged submitting at least 48 hours early to avoid last-minute technical problems.

23) What does ARPA-E mean by "high-risk, high-reward" in this context?

As described in the posting, ARPA-E is seeking technologies that could create new cost and performance learning curves rather than incremental improvements. In other words, projects should aim for step-change outcomes with a credible path to commercialization.

24) What is the carbon management approach emphasized in MINER?

The FOA highlights mineralization or carbonation reactions that lock atmospheric or industrial CO2 into stable solid forms as part of the processing train, with the goal of achieving net-negative emissions mineral production.

25) What role do sensing and analysis tools play in MINER?

The sensing and analysis category is intended to support identification and quantification of carbonation potential and mineralization. The description emphasizes rapid characterization of ore bodies, tailings, and process streams so operators can predict where carbon mineralization is feasible and control it in real time.