Advancing solutions for critical mineral production and recycling
Advancing solutions for critical mineral production and recycling supports researchers testing mineral production and recycling solutions to strengthen sustainable, secure and circular UK supply chains.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: December 1, 2026 (Notification of intent) | January 7, 2027 (Full application)
Funding Amounts: £1.5 million total fund; up to £305,000 full economic cost per project, funded at 80%, for up to 12 months
Summary: Pump-priming research to test transformative mineral production and recycling solutions that strengthen sustainable UK supply chains.
Key Information: Applicants must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding.
Description
This opportunity funds phase-one pump-priming research within the applied strategic research pillar of UKRI’s Critical Minerals: From Research to Industry (CMR2i) programme. It supports novel technologies, processes and methodologies for sustainable extraction, processing, recovery, reprocessing, recycling and re-mining of critical and growth minerals. Projects may address primary or secondary resources, including emerging deposits, by-products, waste streams and legacy mine sites, with direct benefits for the UK.
Projects must demonstrate explicit relevance to UK Advanced Manufacturing frontier industries and combine technical feasibility and proof-of-concept work with commercial, regulatory, environmental and socio-economic evidence. The aim is to identify solutions with credible routes towards industrial deployment, stronger domestic capabilities and secure, circular mineral supply chains, while minimising environmental harm and benefiting communities. NERC administers the opportunity alongside Innovate UK, AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC and ESRC.
