DLA Funds Supra’s Phase I Study of Scandium Recovery Technology

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) awarded Supra Elemental Recovery a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to evaluate its scandium recovery technology. In a company statement dated September 30, 2026, Supra said it would assess “the feasibility of applying its separation platform to relevant feedstocks in support of potential future scalability.” The work is an early-stage technical assessment; the source does not identify a separate award date or disclose the contract value.

The procurement significance is therefore tied to technology development rather than a near-term supply requirement. A Phase I SBIR study can help determine whether an approach merits further development, but this award does not establish that the process will work at commercial scale, create a production source, or lead to a DLA purchase of scandium. Contractors and suppliers should avoid treating the announcement as evidence of a funded production program or confirmed demand. No follow-on award, solicitation, or schedule is specified.

Supra’s approach uses a separation platform for recovering elements from feedstocks, with the source describing a 3D-printed sorbent used in a hydrometallurgical process. The company was formed out of the University of Texas at Austin in 2025 as a critical-mineral separations technology company. Co-founder and chief operating officer Jordan Sessler told Janes that the company is adapting academic work to commercial needs and is seeking industrial partners to test recovery of elements including gallium and scandium. This points to potential roles for feedstock owners, processors, and testing partners if the work advances, but the award itself does not announce any such partnership.

The company’s broader development and financing history offers context, not proof of a scandium procurement pathway. Supra raised a $2.15 million pre-seed round, which closed in December 2025, and Rio Tinto joined the round as a strategic investor in April 2026, according to company information reported by Janes. Sessler said gallium work is more advanced, with possible piloting “on a tons per year basis within the context of a commercial agreement in the next couple years.” For scandium, he said the technology is still being matured to demonstrate commercial-scale potential. The DLA effort should thus be tracked as a feasibility signal within a developing critical-minerals technology area.

• DLA awarded Supra a Phase I SBIR contract focused on scandium recovery feasibility.
• The company will assess its separation platform using relevant feedstocks, with potential future scalability as an objective.
• The company statement was dated September 30, 2026; a separate award date and contract value were not reported.
• The award is research and technology development, not a production contract or commitment to procure scandium.
• No follow-on opportunity, solicitation, or timeline has been specified.
• Potential participants in later testing could include feedstock owners, industrial processors, and companies with separation expertise; no partner is identified for this award.
• Supra was formed out of the University of Texas at Austin in 2025 and is pursuing separations for critical minerals, including gallium and scandium.
• Supra closed a $2.15 million pre-seed funding round in December 2025; Rio Tinto joined as a strategic investor in April 2026.
• Supra’s gallium effort is described as more advanced, while its scandium work is focused on demonstrating potential commercial-scale viability.
• Contractors assessing materials and supply-chain opportunities should distinguish this feasibility study from a commercially established source or confirmed government requirement.