Programs and funding for critical minerals projects
The Government of Canada has made significant investments to support the development of critical minerals projects and value chains — from mining to manufacturing, to recycling. The programs below represent some of the funding and services available to support the development of critical minerals in Canada.
First and Last Mile Fund (FLMF)
Funding strategic mining and infrastructure projects that support critical minerals value chains in Canada and help get Canada’s critical minerals to market, while enabling the capacity of implicated Indigenous groups (subsumes the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund)
Critical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration (CMRDD) Program
Funding R&D projects focused on early-stage technology development and demonstration projects in the pre-commercialization phase
Critical Minerals Geoscience and Data (CMGD) Initiative
Funding the availability of data and insights on the location, quality, and economic feasibility of critical minerals resources
Indigenous Natural Resource Partnerships (INRP) Program
Funding Indigenous organizations to develop natural resource projects that support the transition to clean energy
Strategic Response Fund (SRF)
Major investments in innovative critical minerals projects, primarily in mineral processing, manufacturing, and recycling
Global Partnerships Initiative (GPI)
Funding to advance the development of resilient, secure, and sustainable critical minerals supply chains in Canada through international collaborations
Northern Regulatory Initiative
Resources and support to advance clear, trusted, and effective regulatory regimes in the North
Critical Battery Materials Initiative
Research to accelerate the development of Canada’s battery supply chain through the discovery of new critical battery materials and processes
Tax incentives
- Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit (CMETC)
- Mineral Exploration Tax Credit (METC)
- Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax incentives
- Clean Technology Manufacturing (CTM) Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
- Clean Economy investment tax credits (ITCs)
Additional funding, incentives, and support
- Regional Development Programs
- Canada Growth Fund
- The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
- Export Development Canada (EDC)
- Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB)
- National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP)
- NRC IRAP Clean Technology (successor program to the SDTC)
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