# DOE and DoD Fund Coal-Ash Mineral Recovery

Special Project Delivery (SPD) has agreed to acquire Winner Water Services, which has received a reported **$53 million** through six Department of Energy and Department of Defense awards over ten years to develop recovery of rare earth elements and other materials from coal ash. The proposed acquisition is expected to close alongside SPD’s separate combination with Mobix Labs, subject to approvals and other conditions. The announcement describes no new solicitation or open contracting opportunity, but the awards reflect federal support for domestic critical-mineral recovery and may be relevant to organizations working in this supply chain.

- Procurement professionals should treat the six awards as funding history, not as an active solicitation or indication of available contract funds.
- Companies developing coal-ash recovery, mineral processing, or related technologies can use the award history to understand federal interest in domestic critical-mineral supply chains; the signal does not identify a new requirement or specific follow-on procurement.
- Contractors and suppliers assessing potential business relationships with Winner Water should account for the proposed acquisition and its pending approvals when evaluating the company’s future ownership and operating structure.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Energy & Utilities, Defense & Military
**Topics:** Grants & Funding
**Published:** October 05, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)

### Vendors
- Special Project Delivery, Inc. (SPD) (Acquirer under the proposed business combination with Winner Water)
- Winner Water Services Inc. (Acquisition target and recipient of federal awards for coal-ash material recovery)
- Mobix Labs, Inc. (Party to the proposed combination with SPD)

### Sources
- [Mobix Labs (Nasdaq: MOBX) Acquisition Target SPD to Acquire Winner Water, U.S. Rare Earth Company Backed by $53 Million in Federal Awards](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261005850971/en/Mobix-Labs-Nasdaq-MOBX-Acquisition-Target-SPD-to-Acquire-Winner-Water-U.S.-Rare-Earth-Company-Backed-by-%2453-Million-in-Federal-Awards) - Business Wire