UK Research and Innovation (NERC)

Advancing solutions for critical mineral production and recycling

Phase one pump-priming grants from UKRI's Critical Minerals: From Research to Industry (CMR2i) programme, for 12-month projects that explore, test and validate disruptive solutions for extracting, processing, recovering, reprocessing, recycling or re-mining critical and growth minerals, with explicit relevance to UK advanced manufacturing. The full economic cost can be up to £305,000, of which UKRI funds 80%. Projects must start by 3 May 2027, and successful projects can apply for a further two years of funding. It is for researchers at UK research organisations eligible for UKRI funding; a Notification of Intent by 1 December 2026 is compulsory.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £1 – £305,000
Deadline: 81 days left; 7 January
Effort: Heavy; budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

Research groups and individuals at UK research organisations with standard UKRI eligibility, at any career stage, subject to NERC eligibility criteria
Interdisciplinary research and collaboration with other UK organisations are encouraged
A project co-lead (international) can be based at a Norwegian institution under the UKRI-Research Council of Norway Money Follows Cooperation agreement; all other international collaborators, UK partners not at approved organisations and industry partners join as project partners and must fund their own involvement
Demand management applies: you may be involved in no more than two applications, only one of them as project lead
A Notification of Intent must be submitted by 4pm on 1 December 2026

What it funds

Pump-priming projects to explore, test and demonstrate proof-of-concept of novel technologies, processes and methodologies for sustainable and efficient extraction, processing, recovery, reprocessing, recycling and re-mining of critical and growth minerals, with explicit relevance to UK Advanced Manufacturing frontier industries
Research that situates solutions within the broader commercial, regulatory, environmental and socio-economic landscape, minimising environmental harm, delivering benefits for communities and supporting responsible market adoption
Smaller items of equipment individually under £25,000
Minor incidental expenses for project partners, such as some travel costs

What it will not fund

PhD studentships
NERC aircraft, ship time or use of NERC marine equipment
Equipment with a value over £25,000 per item (including VAT)
Uninvited resubmissions of projects already submitted to UKRI

How to apply

Start an application on the UKRI Funding Service
Submit the mandatory Notification of Intent by 4pm on 1 December 2026, with the proposed research team and a summary of the project
Complete the full application in the Funding Service and send it to your research office for checking
Your research office submits it to UKRI by 4pm on 7 January 2027

a full application submitted without a Notification of Intent is rejected. Successful projects report every six months.

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