The UK Government launched the Critical Minerals Accelerator, a £25 million grant funding program designed to support the commercialisation and scale-up of innovative critical minerals projects across the United Kingdom, in August 2026. The program forms part of the broader UK Critical Minerals Programme and aims to strengthen domestic critical mineral supply chains while supporting growth, innovation, and economic resilience.
For businesses operating in critical minerals extraction, processing, refining, recovery, recycling, and associated technologies, the Critical Minerals Accelerator presents a significant funding opportunity to accelerate commercial deployment and attract further private investment.
What is the Critical Minerals Accelerator?
The Critical Minerals Accelerator is a competitive grant program administered by the UK Government’s Department for Business and Trade. The scheme has been established to support companies that have successfully developed their technology and are now seeking to demonstrate commercial viability, scale operations, and reduce the technical and financial risks associated with market entry.
The program is specifically targeted at projects within the critical minerals value chain, including:
- Critical minerals extraction
- Midstream processing and refining
- Mineral recovery and recycling
- Circular economy initiatives
- Advanced materials and resource recovery technologies
- Supply chain resilience projects
Funding Available
- The total funding pool for the program is £25 million.
- Individual grants are expected to range between £150,000 and £3 million
- Projects must be completed by 31 March 2030
Key dates
- The program opened on 5 August and closes for applications on 30 September
Who Should Apply?
The program targets companies that have progressed beyond early-stage research and development and are approaching commercial deployment.
Projects should be at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6-8, (typically pilot, demonstration, pre-commercial, or near-commercial scale).
Applicants may include:
- Critical mineral recyclers
- Battery recycling companies
- Lithium, nickel, cobalt and graphite recovery businesses
- Mineral processing technology developers
- Rare earths projects
- Advanced manufacturing supply chain participants
- Resource recovery and circular economy businesses
- Clean technology companies requiring critical mineral inputs
Eligibility Requirements
To apply for the Critical Minerals Accelerator, the lead applicant must:
- Be a UK-registered business
- Have operations based within the UK
- Be committed to developing future commercial activity in the UK
- Deliver project activities within the UK
- Demonstrate strong potential for innovation, commercialisation and supply chain impact
Universities, research organisations, charities, and other partners can participate as collaborators but cannot act as the lead applicant.
Interested in learning more about how you can apply for funding? Reach out to the Crestview grants team to discuss your latest project.
