Opportunity status: Open
Funders: Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Innovate UK, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Funding type: Grant
Total fund: £1,500,000
Maximum award: £305,000
Publication date: 14 October 2026
Opening date: 14 October 2026 9:00am UK time
Closing date: 7 January 2027 4:00pm UK time
Apply for pump-priming funding to explore, test and validate disruptive solutions for critical mineral extraction, processing, recovery, reprocessing, recycling or re-mining, with the potential to transform UK critical mineral value chains.
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding.
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £305,000. UKRI will fund 80% of the FEC.
Projects must start by 3 May 2027 and last for up to 12 months. Successful projects will be eligible to apply for funding for a further two years.