# DoW Expands Ucore Rare Earth Separation Funding

The U.S. Department of War has awarded Ucore Rare Metals an additional **$4.6 million** in September 2026 to expand Phase 2 of its RapidSX rare earth separation technology prototype project. This funding increases total grant support to **$27 million** and targets the development and deployment of samarium and gadolinium separation capabilities at the Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex. The award aligns with U.S. defense procurement priorities to reduce reliance on foreign rare earth supplies, particularly from China, by advancing domestic processing capacity critical for defense and advanced technology applications.

- The contract modification supports commercialization of an enhanced RapidSX machine designed for flexible, scalable rare earth element separation.
- Procurement professionals should note the strategic emphasis on domestic rare earth supply chain resilience, which may influence future contract requirements and funding priorities.
- Contractors and suppliers in rare earth processing and advanced materials technologies can leverage this expanded funding opportunity to align with evolving defense industrial base needs.
- The Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex serves as a key facility for this initiative, highlighting regional infrastructure investment in critical materials processing.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military, Energy & Utilities
**Topics:** Contracting Vehicles, Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** September 14, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of War (DoW)
- US Army Contracting Command-Orlando
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
- Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC)

### Vendors
- Ucore Rare Metals (awardee)

### Sources
- [Ucore Secures $4.6M U.S. Department of War Award | UURAF Stock News](https://www.stocktitan.net/news/UURAF/ucore-secures-additional-us-4-6-million-from-u-s-department-of-war-tovccmjo71w5.html) - Stock Titan
- [Ucore lands added $4.6M from US Department of War for rare earth refining | Dealroom.co](https://app.dealroom.co/news/note/ucore-lands-added-4-6m-from-us-department-of-war-for-rare-earth-refining) - Dealroom
- [Pentagon adds $4.6M to expand RapidSX - Metal Tech News](https://www.metaltechnews.com/story/2026/09/16/mining-tech/pentagon-adds-46m-to-expand-rapidsx/2950.html) - Metal Tech News