TRACE - Ga: Technology for Recovery and Advanced Critical-material Extraction – Gallium

The Technology for Recovery and Advanced Critical-material Extraction – Gallium (TRACE - Ga) opportunity launched on September 15, 2025. Please click here for the announcement article for more information.

The Objective Strategic Session (OSS) Webinar will be held on September 30, 2025 at 3:00 PM ET.

• Click Here to Register for the OSS Webinar

ENWX will be employing the CAPTCHA-enabled feature on our meetings, and webinar participants may receive a CAPTCHA challenge to join the Sessions.

For an optimal webinar experience, we recommend downloading the Microsoft Teams software to your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

The Office Hours (OH) Q&A Webinar will be held on October 30, 2025 at 3:00 PM ET.

• Click here to Register for the Office Hours Q&A Webinar

ENWX will be employing the CAPTCHA-enabled feature on our meetings, and webinar participants may receive a CAPTCHA challenge to join the Sessions.

For an optimal webinar experience, we recommend downloading the Microsoft Teams software to your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Submission Window: September 15, 2025 - October 30, 2025 (3:00 PM ET)

How to Apply

Applicant submits the following documents:

• A cover page outlining the approach to testing and validation, details on the intended testing campaign, and the expected outcomes of the project.
• A technical volume up to ten pages that clearly
  
  • Addresses the four key areas defined in the review criteria and project narrative template.
  • Provides previous testing or production data reports, meant to demonstrate the novelty and technical readiness in the strongest format and detail able.
  • Provides proof (or credible plan) to be able to operate a prototype version of the proposed technology capable of recovering 50 kg of gallium from a metal processing stream in a single 14-day campaign of continuous operations.
• A letter of support from the industrial partner for the metal processing stream, and any other company, agency, or other party that has ownership/rights to any proposed feedstock materials or technology, where applicable.
  
  • There is no limit on the total number of letters of support.
• Save all materials as pdfs following the following naming conventions:
  
  • Cover page (1 page): LeadOrganizationName_CP
  • Technical Volume (max 10 pages): LeadOrganizationName_TV
  • Letter(s) of support (Submitted as one file, each letter 1 page, no limit on number of letters): LeadOrganizationName_LS

Submission Window: September 15, 2025 - November 21, 2025 (3:00 PM ET)

Click Here to Start Your Application

• Evidence of success for recovering gallium from feedstock representative of the proposed metal industry process stream. 
• A letter of support from the industrial partner for the metal processing stream, and any other company, agency, or other party that has ownership/rights to any proposed feedstock materials or technology, where applicable.
• Description of the potential for scale-up at the initial metal industry processing stream and market adoption beyond the initial metal industry processing stream source.

FECM will determine whether the team has sufficiently:

1. Developed a project plan to achieve TRACE-Ga objectives,
2. Developed and de-risked novel Ga recovery technology,
3. Developed a business plan that supports further scale-up and commercialization of the Ga recovery technology, and
4. Acquired access to (or has a credible plan to access) the industrial partner, the metal industry processing stream, and proper facilities and equipment needed to validate the technology under operational conditions.

DOE reserves the right to require additional or clarifying information regarding the application submissions, the team, and any other matters related to the anticipated funding. If DOE contacts an applicant for additional or clarifying information, it does not signify that the applicant has been selected for negotiation of award or that the applicant is among the top ranked applications. Applicants selected for negotiation will be required to agree to standard DOE funding legal terms and conditions.

‍

Technology Description, Innovation, and Readiness

Assess the novelty and maturity of the technology (already proven and validated in a lab environment); such as:

• The technology being developed is novel in concept or application.
• The technology being developed is at an appropriate readiness for operational validation at a prototype-scale.
• The proposed metal processing stream(s) from the industrial partner has the potential to meet the Trace-Ga objective and allows for operational validation of the technology (e.g. can enable 50 kilograms of 4N Ga recovery from at least one 14-day campaign of continuous operation with the actual (non-simulated) metal industry process stream).
• The technology has the potential to achieve the Trace-Ga objective and allows for operational validation of the technology on the metal processing stream.
• The technology has the potential to be cost competitive in relation to current market offerings.
• The team has secured the necessary IP rights and coverage to build and test a prototype system.
• The technology has the capability to be scaled.

Market Opportunity and Economic Viability

Assess the target market(s), the ability of the technology to meet the functionality required by the market, and the ability of the technology to integrate into the ongoing operations of the industrial partner and access the metal processing stream; such as:

• The technology offers sufficient value potential as compared to competing offerings and to potential customers.
• The technology has the potential to be deployed in a typical market use case.
• Market size estimates are informed and sufficiently accurate.
• The technology presents mitigation pathways or research plans to reduce risk of environmental or worker hazards and a clear path towards permitting is considered.
• The business model required for the commercialization of the technology is understood and reasonable to achieve.
• The technology can offer compelling benefits and a competitive value to its target market segment.

Project Management and Execution

Assess the details of the project plan, to display tasks, timeliness, dependencies, and progress; such as:

• The project management and execution plans are sufficiently detailed for a project of this size and scope.
• The project management and execution plans are feasible and reasonable.
• The project management and execution plans sufficiently account for preparedness for unforeseen events.
• The team is prepared and has plans to meet the immediate permits, regulations, and approvals required for the project.

Team Qualifications and Resource Availability

Assess the capabilities, expertise, and availability of the resources of the applicant and its partners to carry out the project as proposed; such as:

• The team has personnel with proven experience for executing and completing the proposed project, including specific expertise related to project management and execution, technology scale-up, and design of experiment.
• The team has experience designing, collecting, and analyzing data from an operational validation campaign.
• The team has the experience to take the technology and business forward beyond this project to ensure the technology’s long-term success and viability.
• The team has identified gaps that it plans to address through either hiring or contracting.
• Level of participation by project participants as evidenced by letter(s) of support and how well they are integrated into the Workplan.
• Sufficiency of the facilities and resources to support the work.

Can you please define 20% Cost Share and what does not count?‍

• Cost share is the portion of the costs of the project(s) not borne by the Federal government. Cost sharing augments federal funding to increase the project or projects’ impact. It also ensures that recipients have a financial stake in the success of the project(s). In the case of the TRACE-Ga program, cost share is required for both phase 1 and phase 2. In the case of TRACE-Ga, the program will receive payments of up to $5,000,000. For example, if the project or projects in question cost $5,000,000, TRACE-Ga can provide $4,000,000, with awardees responsible for funding the remaining $1,000,000. If the project or projects cost $6,250,000, the TRACE-Ga grants can provide $5,000,000, with awardees responsible for funding the remaining $1,250,000. The full award amount is provided once all necessary milestones are satisfactorily completed.
• Selectee’s cost share must come from non-federal sources, such as project participants, state or local governments, or other third-party financing. DOE Loan Guarantees cannot be leveraged by applicants to provide the required cost share or otherwise support the same scope that is proposed under a project. Cost share may be provided by the Selectees, or third parties (entities that do not have a role in performing the scope of work). Any partial donation of goods or services is considered a discount and is not allowable.
• Cash contributions include but are not limited to personnel costs, fringe costs, supply and equipment costs, indirect costs, and other direct costs.
• Examples of what is not allowable as cost share include funding from any other federal award, foregone fee or profits, or other costs incurred prior to signing of selection statement. For more information, please read 2 C.F.R. 200.306.

‍

What are eligible financing options for the required 20% Cost Share? 

Examples of eligible financing options include internal capital, Small Business Administration guaranteed (SBA) loans, loans from private lenders (e.g., banks, VC firms, Community Development Funds), utility rebate programs, and state and local programs in which the funding does not originate from a federal source.

‍

Will I be able to use tax credits as a form of cost share? 

If the tax credit is paid out in cash, the tax credit can count towards cost share. However, if the tax credit is a cost avoidance, then it is considered a forgone cost and will not count as cost share. For more information, please consult the IRS and/or a tax lawyer.

‍

Regarding the required 20% Cost Share, at what point does an entity/applicant need to assure that cost share is securely in place? 

The entity/applicant is required to provide written assurance of its proposed cost share contributions in its application. If selected for an award, applicants will be required to provide documentation showing that they will meet cost share requirements. If not, DOE retains the prerogative to rescind award selections. Note that awards are paid out as reimbursements for 20% of the eligible costs incurred to date, so appropriate cost share (e.g., invoices) will need to be documented and reported to ENWX.

For additional questions, please contact info@energywerx.org