Applicant guide: Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund – 2025–26 call for proposals

This applicant guide is for the 2025-26 call for proposals (CFP) under the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF). This CFP launched in March 2025.

The CMIF has conditionally approved over $300 million to eligible projects under its first CFP. Additional CMIF CFPs will be held over the seven-year timeframe of the program.

Contents

• Introduction
  • Program objectives
  • The 2025–26 CMIF CFP
• Program details
  • Funding streams
  • Funding timeline
  • Eligible infrastructure projects
  • Minimum development thresholds
  • Eligible recipients
  • Eligible activities
  • Eligible expenditures
  • Conditionally repayable and non-repayable contributions
• Application and program process
  • NRCan funding portal registration
  • Expression of interest (EOI)
  • Full application
  • Assessment
  • Conditional approval
  • Contribution agreement (only for approved projects)
  • Reporting (only for approved projects)
• Additional information for applicants
  • Audit rights
  • Tax treatment
  • Intellectual property
  • Confidentiality and security of information
  • Regulatory and legal requirements
  • IDEA plan or commitment
  • Other conditions
• Program contact information
• Disclaimer
• Annex A: Definitions
• Annex B: EOI form companion guide
• Annex C: Full application form companion guide
• Annex D: List of eligible and ineligible expenditures
• Annex E: IDEA plan or commitment requirements
• Annex F: Application document checklist and templates
• Endnotes

Introduction

Strategic infrastructure investments are key to translating Canada’s critical minerals potential into reality and securing its position as a leading supplier of minerals and materials for clean energy technologies. Canada’s critical minerals sector has considerable opportunities that remain underdeveloped. Critical minerals deposits are often located in remote areas with challenging terrain and limited access to enabling infrastructure, such as roads or grid connectivity.

To address this challenge, the CMIF is providing up to $1.5 billion in federal funding until 2030 to support clean energy and transportation infrastructure that is necessary to enable the development and expansion of Canada’s critical minerals production. Through the projects it funds, the CMIF will unlock new critical minerals resources, support improved environmental performance at mine sites, promote reconciliation with Indigenous partners, and strengthen critical minerals supply and value chains.

The CMIF also offers grant funding to support Indigenous groups and organizations to participate or engage in the development and implementation of CMIF-related infrastructure projects. The application and selection process for grants is run separately from this CFP. More information can be found on the CMIF Indigenous Grants web page.

Program objectives

The primary program objectives of the CMIF are to:

• enable the production and expansion of priority critical minerals resources in Canada, and drive economic growth by addressing gaps in clean energy and transportation infrastructure
• drive emission reductions in operations that produce critical minerals by increasing access to and integration of renewable and non-emitting energy sources and existing electrical grids
• advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples by supporting Indigenous partnerships, participation, and benefits from infrastructure projects that enable critical minerals development

The 2025–26 CMIF CFP

This CFP is focused on a subset of the critical minerals identified in the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy. These are critical minerals that support key value chains such as those needed for the transition to a green and digital economy and/or national security. Within those parameters and as per the scope of the program, the focus will be on critical minerals whose main barriers to production are at the upstream segment (i.e., mining) of value chains rather than at the midstream or downstream segments (i.e., refining and processing). The full list of critical minerals in scope for this CFP follows^{Footnote 1}:

• Antimony
• Bismuth
• Cesium
• Chromium
• Cobalt
• Copper
• Gallium
• Germanium
• Graphite
• Indium
• Lithium
• Magnesium
• Molybdenum
• Nickel
• Phosphorus
• Platinum group metals
• Rare earth elements
• Scandium
• Tantalum
• Tellurium
• Titanium
• Tungsten
• Uranium
• Vanadium
• Zinc

This CFP will provide up to $500 million through non-repayable and conditionally repayable contributions to clean energy and transportation projects at both the preconstruction (Stream 1) and shovel-ready (Stream 2) phases.

• Stream 1 – Preconstruction projects: This is a time-limited CFP where applicants will be assessed and ranked as a cohort, with those ranked highest prioritized for offers of funding. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to submit an optional expression of interest (EOI) by April 30, 2025. Full applications will be accepted until June 27, 2025.
• Stream 2 – Shovel-ready projects: this is a continuous intake CFP, where applications meeting all eligibility criteria will be assessed on a rolling basis until March 4, 2026. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit an EOI before proceeding to a full application, and EOIs will be accepted until January 5, 2026. CMIF funding will be awarded to projects based on their individual merits and on the overall strength of the application as determined by project assessments. When funding for this call is exhausted, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) may stop issuing funding decisions or may launch a second phase of this CFP to make additional funding available.

Program details

Funding streams

Clean energy and transportation infrastructure projects require significant preparatory work to ensure adequate understanding of technical feasibility, environmental and community impacts, and potential economic benefits. By supporting both preconstruction and shovel-ready projects, the CMIF will target short-term results from deployable infrastructure projects while also supporting a robust pipeline of projects that can be deployed in the coming years.

Stream 1 – Preconstruction

This stream supports preconstruction activities necessary to advance clean energy and transportation infrastructure projects towards a shovel-ready state. Funding for this stream will be targeted to advance infrastructure-specific engagement with local stakeholders as well as engagement and/or consultation with Indigenous communities and organizations; energy modelling and feasibility studies; engineering, planning and design work; and climate change / environmental reviews or assessments. Demonstration projects may be eligible if they are appropriately scoped as a means of testing commercially available technologies to verify deployment in a site-specific context (i.e., to allow for future scaling to meaningfully support mining activities). These activities will support regulatory and permitting decisions required for the procurement and construction stages. Projects in this stream should be designed to meaningfully advance infrastructure towards a shovel-ready state.

Stream 2 – Shovel ready

This stream supports shovel-ready clean energy and transportation infrastructure projects. Funding for this stream will support activities such as site preparation, construction, deployment of technologies, and improvement of energy and transportation infrastructure that enables or expands critical minerals development projects. Shovel ready, for this stream, is defined as being able to proceed with project construction or implementation, including by having already obtained all necessary regulatory approvals, permits, and land-access rights. Projects with minimum development thresholds that are outstanding may be considered for funding if applicants can demonstrate that they are forthcoming within 12 months of application submission.

Funding timeline

The CMIF is looking for clean energy and transportation infrastructure projects that will achieve timely progress to advance the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy. Time-to-impact will be considered as part of the overall project assessment, and all CMIF-funded projects must end no later than March 31, 2030.

A project could be scoped to include a single phase of a larger, multi-phase infrastructure development initiative, as long as the phase that would be the subject of CMIF funding would increase critical minerals production on its own.

Eligible infrastructure projects

The CMIF will offer contribution funding for clean energy and transportation infrastructure projects, focusing on the upstream, mining segment of critical minerals value chains. Infrastructure projects focused on supporting midstream and downstream activities (e.g., refining, processing, and manufacturing) are not eligible. All CMIF-funded projects must be located entirely in Canada.

Projects with an unsuccessful application under the first CMIF call for proposals may reapply to the current call. It is recommended that applicants submit an EOI and highlight major developments since the previous application.

Clean energy infrastructure projects, under the program, are those that drive environmental performance while supporting increased critical minerals production by enabling access to existing electrical grids or integrating a renewable energy source^{Footnote 2}. This includes:

• mine site infrastructure (e.g., grid connectivity; deployment of renewable and alternative energy infrastructure, including, but not limited to, hydro, solar and wind; battery storage projects and electric vehicle charging stations for mining equipment)
• projects with a regional impact on the development or expansion of critical minerals resource production. Regional impacts may include larger scale initiatives to provide renewable or alternative energy for mining activities at more than one mine site and/or local communities (e.g., hydroelectric projects), so long as a concrete link to the program objective of enabling critical minerals production is substantiated

Energy generation projects must have a minimum net installed capacity of 500 kilowatts (kW) if they are majority Indigenous owned (51% or more) or 4 megawatts (MW) if they are not Indigenous owned (<51%).

Transportation infrastructure projects under the program are those that directly enable the development or expansion of critical minerals resources, including roads, rail, and marine transportation infrastructure necessary to connect the mine to the midstream segments of value chains (e.g., to processing facilities or to transportation systems that allow access to global markets). To be eligible, the infrastructure must be for the movement of critical minerals; infrastructure that would only support the movement of people and/or equipment is not eligible (e.g., airstrips). Transportation projects may include:

• infrastructure that serves a single mine (e.g., an access road)
• regional infrastructure that serves a mine or mining area and other users (e.g., nearby communities), so long as a concrete link to the program objective of enabling critical minerals production is substantiated

Minimum development thresholds

For the proposal to be eligible for consideration under the CMIF, applicants must demonstrate that the critical minerals mining site or project enabled by the proposed infrastructure meets the development thresholds listed below.

Indigenous-led applications will be considered with different minimum development thresholds if the case can be made that there is a strong potential for secondary use for the infrastructure (e.g., grid-connected energy source or regional road leveraged for other economic activities).

Mine-site infrastructure projects

Infrastructure to enable a single critical minerals mining site or project

Stream 1 – Preconstruction: Infrastructure projects that would support earlier or advanced stage mining projects will be considered.

Mining projects with a pre-feasibility study (PFS)

A preliminary economic analysis (PEA) is acceptable if a PFS (or more advanced report) is in progress and will be submitted within 1 year of application.

Stream 2 – Shovel ready: Only infrastructure projects that would support advanced stage mining projects will be considered.

Mining projects with a feasibility study (FS)

A PFS is acceptable as long as:

• the PFS includes full resource estimates
• an FS is in progress and will be submitted within one year of application

Indigenous-led applications will be considered with a mineral resource estimate (MRE) for Stream 1 and PEA for Stream 2 (or equivalent) if there is a strong potential for secondary use for the infrastructure.

Regional infrastructure projects

Infrastructure to enable multiple critical minerals mining sites or projects

Eligibility for the Preconstruction and Shovel ready streams will be context specific, while taking into account the following considerations:

• number of projects potentially supported
• number of projects expressing an intent to use the proposed infrastructure
• stage of development of potentially supported mining projects
• mineral potential of the region (e.g., as elaborated in provincial, territorial, or federal critical minerals strategies)
• infrastructure needs assessment of the region (e.g., an electrical grid needs assessment)

While CMIF funding will be considered for regional infrastructure projects that would initially only enable earlier stage mining projects, as a general rule, some of these projects should have at least completed a mineral resource estimate (MRE).

Eligible recipients

To be eligible, a recipient must be in good standing with NRCan and must have effective control of all constituent elements of the project, such that they can meet the obligations of any eventual funding agreement. Eligible recipients are limited to:

• legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada including for-profit organizations and not-for-profit organizations (e.g., businesses, industry associations, universities and research institutions)
• provincial, territorial, and municipal governments and their departments and agencies^{Footnote 3}
• Indigenous^{Footnote 4} recipients, including:
  • Indigenous communities or governments (e.g., Indian Act bands; self-governing First Nations; Métis community organizations; modern treaty implementation organizations, including economic development corporations constituted under a modern treaty; and others)
  • tribal councils or entities that fulfill a similar function (e.g., general council)
  • national and regional Indigenous councils, and tribal organizations
  • Indigenous not-for-profit (51% or greater control by Indigenous Peoples) and for-profit (51% or greater control by an Indigenous community / by Indigenous communities) corporations, businesses, joint ventures, partnerships, associations, co-operatives and institutions

In cases where multiple partners are involved in a project, applicants will be asked for additional documentation (e.g., support letter, and agreement) to substantiate their effective control of all project elements. For instance, where the applicant is a mining company seeking support for a transmission line, the utility building the infrastructure would need to provide a letter. If the applicant is the infrastructure builder, a letter of support from the mining company would be needed. An agreement elaborating the specific contributions of each project partner could be required as an application assessment progresses^{Footnote 5}.

Eligible activities

Eligible activities are limited to activities that are directly attributable to and required to achieve a project’s objectives. They fall under the following parameters:

Stream 1 – Preconstruction

• Infrastructure-specific prefeasibility and feasibility studies; engineering, planning and design work; energy and resource modelling; and climate change and/or environmental reviews and assessments:
  • demonstration activities may be eligible, provided they are appropriately scoped as a means of testing commercially available technologies to verify deployment in a site-specific context, allowing for scaling at the shovel ready stage
• Infrastructure-specific engagement activities, such as knowledge sharing, capacity building, job training, and/or consultation with local and Indigenous communities and organizations
• Inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) plans that support participation in the critical minerals sector^{Footnote 6}

Stream 2 – Shovel ready

Site preparation, construction, rehabilitation, and improvement (e.g., upgrade or enhancement) of energy or transportation infrastructure assets that enable or expand critical minerals development projects as follows:

Transportation infrastructure projects

• Creation or enhancement of fixed transportation infrastructure (e.g., road, bridge, rail, and marine) that enables the development or expansion of critical minerals resource production and connects resources to critical minerals value chains
• Upgrades/enhancements of transportation infrastructure are eligible only if the applicant can demonstrate they are necessary to enable critical minerals production and connect resources to value chains (i.e., existing infrastructure is insufficient)
• Where transportation infrastructure already exists, alternative transportation routes that significantly increase efficiency to the extent that they are necessary to enable critical minerals production and connect resources to value chains may also be considered if duly corroborated
• Non-permanent structures such as ice or winter roads are not eligible. Some elements of winter road networks that are permanent – such as bridges and culverts – may be eligible where applicants can substantiate that they are an economically viable and sustainable option to enable the development and transportation of critical minerals

Clean energy infrastructure projects

• Clean energy generation, distribution, transmission, and/or storage infrastructure projects that have demonstrated commercial viability in Canada to supply renewable energy to enable the development or expansion of critical minerals resource production (including, but not limited to, hydro, solar, and wind^{Footnote 7}
• Construction, retrofit or upgrades of energy infrastructure (e.g., transmission and distribution lines, and associated infrastructure) that provide a connection to an electrical grid
• Retrofits of existing renewable energy generation projects, including hardware and software, that enable the connection and integration to an electrical grid

All shovel-ready projects

• IDEA plans that support participation in the critical minerals sector
• Infrastructure-specific engagement activities, such as knowledge sharing, capacity building, job training, and/or consultation with local and Indigenous communities and organizations

Recipients may further distribute funding to one or more entities to conduct approved project activities. A maximum of 15% of the total contribution may be used for activities that directly contribute to the distribution of funding. Eligible activities may include coordination of CFPs, selection of entities to which funding will be further distributed, and the management of funding agreements with these additional entities.

Eligible expenditures

Eligible expenditures are limited to expenses that are directly attributable to and required to achieve an eligible project’s objectives. Examples of eligible expenses include materials and equipment; most professional services, including research and engineering; salaries and benefits; some administrative costs; and others. Some expenditures such as land acquisition, litigation fees, and general operating and maintenance costs are not eligible for reimbursement.

Applicants should consult Annex D: List of eligible and ineligible expenditures for a full list of eligible expenses and examples of ineligible expenses and must limit the CMIF-requested funding portion of their costs to eligible expenditures. In determining the amount of funding for a successful application, the CMIF will be guided by the following parameters:

Maximum funding amount

The maximum funding available per project under this CFP is $50 million, unless the applicant is a provincial or territorial government^{Footnote 8}, in which case the maximum is $100 million.

Maximum percentages

For most contributions under the CMIF, the maximum contribution amount per project will be up to 50% of the project’s total eligible expenditures, with the following exceptions^{Footnote 9}:

• Arctic and Northern projects may have up to 75% of total eligible expenditures funded. These projects are those that are located in an Arctic or Northern region as defined by the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework (includes Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, the Nunavik Region of Quebec, and the Nunatsiavut region of Newfoundland and Labrador) and that are submitted by:
  • a public sector organization (e.g., provincial, territorial, or municipal government and their departments and agencies), an Indigenous community or government, or a not-for-profit organization
  • a for-profit private sector organization where one of the aforementioned public sector organizations would have ultimate ownership of the asset following completion of the project
• Indigenous-led projects may have up to 75% of total eligible expenditures funded. These are projects where the applicant organization is an Indigenous recipient as outlined in the Eligible recipients section above

Stacking of assistance and coordination of investments

The maximum level of total Canadian government funding (federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal, including Crown corporations) permitted under the CMIF is 100% of total eligible project costs. Applicants must disclose all anticipated sources of funding for the proposed project, including approved in-kind funding, and must clearly identify contributions from other Canadian government sources, including Crown corporations such as Export Development Canada. If actual total government assistance exceeds 100% of eligible expenditures, the CMIF will adjust its level of funding (and seek reimbursement, if necessary) so that the stacking limit is not exceeded.

The CMIF complements existing federal programming such as the NRCan Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways (SREPs) and Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities (CERRC) programs, Transport Canada’s (TC) National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) and the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s (CIB) Critical Minerals Investments and Indigenous Community Infrastructure Initiative (ICII). All applications received under the CMIF will be shared with the CIB for an assessment of potential for CIB investment. In cases where financing would be offered by the CIB, the CMIF’s potential contribution to a project will be scaled accordingly. Applications may also be shared with other federal, provincial and/or territorial partners to support assessments and investment coordination, as applicable. In cases where a provincial or territorial government organization is also an applicant to the CMIF, consultation with that government will deal with government- and privately sponsored applications separately. Any sharing of proposals or application information will be carried out in a way that would avoid any conflict of interest or competitive advantage for the government applicant.

Conditionally repayable and non-repayable contributions

The CMIF will provide non-repayable and conditionally repayable contributions. Recipients will be informed at the time of a conditional funding offer whether a non-repayable or conditionally repayable contribution is offered. The parameters for determining whether a contribution will be conditionally repayable or non-repayable are as follows:

Conditionally repayable contributions

Funding provided to projects where the recipient is a for-profit organization and that is intended to allow profit generation will be conditionally repayable. Profit in relation to the project means net operating profit as determined by generally accepted accounting principles and encompasses profits generated over several years by both the infrastructure being developed and any mining activities that it directly enables.

• Generally, infrastructure will be considered to directly enable mining activities when its use is tied to any specific mining operation (e.g., a direct access road)
• Generally, infrastructure projects of regional scale that would enable multiple, potentially unrelated future mining operations will not have the expected profitability of their mining-related activities considered when determining profits (e.g., a regional road)

Projects with conditionally repayable contributions will be monitored for up to 10 years following their commissioning to determine the amount to be repaid to Canada. Within this time, if profits are generated, the recipient will be required to repay funds based on terms outlined in the contribution agreement. The maximum repayment would be equal to the program’s contribution, and no interest would be charged, except in the case of default of payment.

The requirements that may trigger repayments will be detailed in the contribution agreement, along with the process for repayment.

Non-repayable contributions

The following projects and recipients will generally qualify for non-repayable contributions:

• Indigenous recipients listed in the Eligible recipients section above^{Footnote 10}
• provincial, territorial, and municipal governments
• provincial Crown corporations
• other public organizations
• non-profit organizations
• projects that qualify for less than $100,000 in contribution funding
• projects that are not intended to allow a business to generate profit

Contributions may also be partially non-repayable for profit-enabling projects that also provide a broader public benefit (e.g., energy generation or road connectivity for a mine and local communities).

Application and program process

The application process involves the following steps:

NRCan funding portal registration

To begin a project application, applicants are asked to create a profile in the NRCan funding portal. This portal will be the primary means for collecting and storing application information.

To submit an EOI and/or a full application, you will need a Government of Canada–issued GCKey to access the NRCan funding portal. A GCKey is a unique electronic credential provided by the Government of Canada that allows you to communicate securely with online programs and services.

If you do not already have one, you will be prompted to sign up and create a GCKey as part of registration in the NRCan funding portal.

Expression of interest (EOI)

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit an EOI via the secure NRCan funding portal. The CMIF will aim to provide feedback on a submitted EOI according to a 10-business day service standard and will provide an opportunity to discuss any potential issues with CMIF staff.

EOIs can be submitted until April 30, 2025 at 8 p.m. PST, for Stream 1 – Preconstruction applications, and until January 5, 2026 at 8 p.m. PST, for Stream 2 – Shovel ready applications.

The EOI will be used to establish the applicant’s profile and advise potential applicants on whether their proposed project fits within the scope of the CMIF call for proposals. The program will also use EOIs to determine whether a proposed project may fit within the parameters of the CMIF directed call, which will consider projects on an expedited basis where they meet certain strategic criteria.

Please refer to Annex B: EOI form companion guide for EOI form questions and guidance.

Full application

Applications may be submitted at any time while the CFP window is open.

Stream 1 – Preconstruction

Applicants can submit a full application until June 27, 2025, at 8 p.m. PST. Full applications will be assessed and ranked together as a single cohort.

Stream 2 – Shovel ready

Full applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until March 4, 2026, at 8 p.m. PST, and considered for funding as they are received.

Preparing an application

Applications can be developed in the NRCan funding portal over multiple sessions. Applicants should consult the step-by-step application guide in Annex C: Full application form companion guide thoroughly and regularly while preparing a project application. Applicants will be asked to provide information about their organization, their project, expected outcomes, and other information required for project assessment, administration, and reporting purposes.

Applicants must also provide any additional information that NRCan deems necessary to assess the eligibility and merits of an application, and to undertake due diligence as part of a project assessment, which may be requested under certain circumstances.

Submitting an application

An application can be updated or changed until it is submitted. Applicants are advised to ensure that applications are complete and final before submitting. Once submitted, changes cannot be made.

Draft, unsubmitted, or incomplete applications will not be considered and no changes (updates to the application in the portal) will be permitted beyond the closing of the application intake window of this CFP.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to verify receipt of a submission confirmation email for each application they submit. These emails are automatically sent to the primary contact email listed in the application upon submission.

Completeness and eligibility screening

After submitting a full application, applicants will receive a notification of whether their application meets basic completeness and eligibility criteria. In the context of this current call for proposals, for Stream 1 – Preconstruction, this notification will come after the application window closes. For Stream 2 – Shovel ready, which will have a continuous intake approach, it will come shortly after the application is submitted. Applications that meet the eligibility criteria will be retained for a full assessment. For both Streams, applications that do not pass this screening will be returned to the applicant along with an indication of the area(s) of insufficiency. For Stream 2, applicants may choose to revise and resubmit their application, provided the CFP is still open and the area(s) of insufficiency can be rectified.

An applicant may withdraw their application at any stage of the evaluation process by notifying NRCan in writing via email at cmif-fimc@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

Sharing of applications with the CIB

The CIB provides financial support for revenue-generating infrastructure projects that are in the public interest. Under its Critical Minerals Investments, the CIB targets new investments to facilitate the construction of enabling and supporting infrastructure, including access roads, and clean power generation and transmission, to unlock critical minerals development.

To maximize the availability and flexibility of federal funding support for critical minerals-enabling infrastructure projects, the CMIF program works in conjunction with the CIB to assess projects and identify best fit funding solutions. Every application submitted to the CMIF will be shared with the CIB for an assessment of investment opportunities. In cases where financing would be offered by the CIB, the CMIF’s potential contribution to a project will be scaled accordingly. Applicants will be notified if their application is being considered for financial support from the CIB.

The CIB offers a range of financing tools at or near market rates, with considerations of tenor and seniority. In addition to clean energy and transportation infrastructure, the CIB can finance additional categories of supporting infrastructure necessary to enable the development and expansion of Canada’s critical minerals production. This includes ancillary infrastructure such as broadband connectivity, and water/wastewater infrastructure. The extent to which a project can generate revenues and could be financed by private sources is an important consideration for the CIB when assessing investment opportunities. The CIB may therefore request additional information from an applicant to assist in determining eligibility.

Assessment

CMIF funding decisions will be based on a two-step assessment of screened-in applications:

1. Prioritization assessment: Applications will be prioritized for funding consideration based on an assessment of the project’s expected benefits and contributions to advancing the CMIF program objectives and CFP priorities. Prioritization criteria and considerations are detailed in Tables 1–4 below.
2. Preliminary due diligence assessment: An assessment of the proposed project’s overall quality, readiness, feasibility, and risks, including confirmation that the project meets all CMIF program requirements. Key due diligence checks and considerations are detailed in the next section.

Assessments will rely on information submitted as part of a project’s funding application, as well as other information available to assessors via public or government sources, including Provincial and Territorial partners. Application assessments will involve an interdepartmental process engaging expertise from relevant federal organizations to make recommendations on applications. Consult Annex C: Full application form companion guide for further direction on what information to include in an application to support these assessments.

Prioritization assessment criteria and considerations

The CMIF will target funding to the highest quality and most impactful projects, taking into consideration their expected contribution to increase Canada’s critical minerals production, as well as their anticipated economic, environmental, and Indigenous reconciliation benefits.

Tables 1, 2, 3, and 4 below outline the prioritization criteria and key considerations for this assessment. To be considered for a conditional approval, projects must demonstrate merits across all four prioritization criteria areas outlined below.

• Stream 1 – Preconstruction project prioritization assessment results will support the ranking of applications for funding consideration. Depending on the total number of applications received and the availability of funding, lowest-ranking applications may be removed from funding consideration
• Stream 2 – Shovel ready project applications will be assessed on their individual strengths and merits. To be successful in this assessment, projects must adequately demonstrate that they will both enable an increase in Canada’s critical minerals production and substantively advance other call priorities in terms of economic development, Indigenous reconciliation and environmental considerations.

Table 1. Support for critical minerals resource production in Canada

Sub-criteria

Assessment considerations

Critical minerals production potential

Assessment of the new critical minerals production potential and development prospects of the mining project(s) to be enabled by the proposed infrastructure Considerations: the expected volumes and/or value of new critical minerals resource production that the proposed infrastructure project would enable, either from planned or existing mines (e.g., in estimated annual and total lifetime production figures) the anticipated production mix (critical minerals and other mineral products) of the enabled mining project(s) the overall level of advancement of the mining projects to be enabled, as indicated by technical reports and key project milestones completed (e.g., environmental assessment, permitting, and capital commitments) potential barriers that could significantly delay or block the development of the proposed critical minerals mining projects to be enabled (e.g., regulatory or permitting uncertainties, social licence, and access to capital) for regional infrastructure projects proposed to enable multiple new critical minerals mining opportunities, in addition to mining project stage of development, the assessment will consider the scope of potential opportunities enabled, including number of mining projects expected to leverage the infrastructure, and anticipated impacts in terms of unlocking a critical minerals–rich region for future development Projects scoring strongly on this criterion may align with one or more of the following examples: would enable one or more advanced stage critical minerals mining projects that have completed most major development thresholds (i.e., are positioned to make a final investment decision, or to begin construction of a mine, in the short term) demonstrate the critical minerals mining opportunity to be unlocked or enabled by the proposed infrastructure is high value (i.e., in terms of resource size, and ore grade, identified proven and probable reserves) either for Canada’s supply or in the context of international trade, with a high degree of geological knowledge and confidence (as indicated by the level of technical analysis completed) would directly contribute to enabling multiple new critical minerals development opportunities in a critical minerals–rich region

The CMIF program targets its funding to support projects with broad benefits responding to the objectives of the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy. In addition to establishing the proposed infrastructure project would support new critical minerals production in Canada, all applications will have to demonstrate their economic, Indigenous reconciliation, and environmental benefits and impacts, as shown in tables 2, 3, and 4.

All applications will be subject to these three sets of assessment criteria. However, the sub-criteria and considerations applied may be tailored to account for differences between project types. This includes differences between transportation and energy infrastructure, and between Stream 1 – Preconstruction and Stream 2 – Shovel ready projects (e.g., to recognize the various levels of development of preconstruction projects).

Table 2. Economic development considerations criteria

Sub-criteria	Assessment considerations
Support for the growth and resilience of integrated critical minerals value chains within Canada and with trading partners	Assessment of the enabled critical minerals production’s value for the growth of midstream and downstream economic activities within Canada, or integrated critical minerals value chains with trading partners Considerations: the planned and anticipated processing/manufacturing destinations of new critical minerals production to be enabled by the infrastructure, including any established partnerships or offtake agreements the expected benefits of the new critical minerals production to growing or strengthening integrated domestic value chains, including midstream processing and downstream industries in Canada the expected benefits of the new critical minerals production to growing or strengthening integrated value chains with trading partners Projects scoring strongly on this criterion may be those, for example, where the critical minerals production enabled: will be processed in Canada and/or provide inputs to Canadian manufacturing as part of an integrated domestic value chain
Support for other socio-economic opportunities and development	Assessment of the proposed infrastructure project’s anticipated social and economic benefits beyond the mining sector Considerations: any additional intended uses or confirmed users of the proposed infrastructure, including communities or businesses, outside of mining projects (e.g., a road or energy project for a mine that would also serve a community) the anticipated benefits of the proposed infrastructure for these users (e.g., unlocking new economic activities, increasing economic competitiveness, and enabling improved access to essential goods and services) any linkages of the proposed infrastructure to existing or planned transportation and energy systems, or other capital works by public and private sector entities Projects scoring strongly on this criterion may be those, for example, that: are proposing publicly accessible, multi-use infrastructure with multiple and/or significant confirmed secondary economic or community users in addition to the enabled mining project(s)

Table 3. Indigenous reconciliation considerations criteria

Sub-criteria	Assessment considerations
Support for Indigenous participation and engagement in the development of the proposed infrastructure	Assessment of the project’s degree of Indigenous participation, involvement, and engagement in the development of the proposed infrastructure and the mining activities it will enable Considerations: the quality and scope of past, ongoing, or planned Indigenous participation, partnerships and/or engagement in the project and the proposed infrastructure development the level of support or objection from any potentially impacted Indigenous communities or organizations Projects scoring strongly on this criterion may be those, for example, that: can clearly demonstrate Indigenous participation and engagement have been integrated into the project activities (e.g., via agreements providing for Indigenous inclusion in project development and/or decision-making processes) can demonstrate support from impacted Indigenous communities/partners
Benefits for Indigenous Peoples	Assessment of the anticipated benefits for Indigenous communities and organizations from the infrastructure project and the critical minerals production it will enable Considerations: the number of Indigenous communities or organizations potentially impacted the benefits to Indigenous communities and organizations of the proposed infrastructure and/or the critical minerals projects that will be enabled by the infrastructure via, for example: impact benefit agreements or other agreements (e.g., socio-economic; and participation agreement or Indigenous participation via environmental monitoring, royalties and long-term revenue) procurement agreements job creation (including short- and longer-term positions) Projects scoring strongly on this criterion may be those, for example, that provide documentation to support benefits to Indigenous Peoples, including, but not limited to: Indigenous-led projects projects with partnerships with Indigenous communities, businesses, and organizations (i.e., Indigenous equity ownership) and local benefits

Table 4. Environmental considerations criteria

Sub-criteria	Assessment considerations
Reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated from the production of critical minerals ENERGY PROJECTS ONLY	Assessment of the proposed infrastructure’s anticipated impact on GHG emissions from critical minerals resource extraction activities Considerations: potential GHG reduction/prevention as substantiated by information requested in the GHG template and supporting documents (e.g., assumptions) Projects scoring strongly on this criterion will be those that provide high quality supporting documentation clearly and confidently demonstrating: a sizable net change in the GHG emissions directly attributable to critical minerals resource extraction activities would result from the infrastructure (versus the current baseline, or alternative scenarios using a GHG-emitting source of energy)
Support for clean and zero-emissions technology manufacturing	Assessment of the degree to which critical minerals resource development supported by the project will contribute to the growth of downstream clean and zero-emissions technology manufacturing (e.g., batteries; and wind, solar, and nuclear energy) Considerations: relevance/importance to clean and zero-emissions technology manufacturing of the critical minerals to be enabled any known midstream or downstream destinations for the critical minerals to be enabled Projects scoring strongly on this criterion will be those that support critical minerals production that is significant for clean and zero-emissions technology manufacturing.
Potential for impacts on the environmentFootnote 11	High-level assessment of the degree of potential environmental impacts related to the proposed infrastructure Considerations: whether the proposed project will be located on or near sensitive lands, including, but not limited to: wildlife areas and bird sanctuaries (consult the National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries map on the Canada.ca website) conserved areas (consult the conserved areas page and the open maps viewer on the Canada.ca website) wetlands (consult the open maps viewer on the Canada.ca website) the estimated surface area (footprint) to be impacted by the proposed infrastructure supporting critical minerals development the proposed actions/initiatives/approach planned to minimize the project’s disturbance of the environment at its location Projects scoring strongly on this criterion may be those that are well positioned to minimize their environmental impact (e.g., those that avoid sensitive lands, have a smaller footprint, or utilize brownfield sites or existing rights of ways).
Climate change resiliency STREAM 2 PROJECTS ONLY	Assessment of the infrastructure project’s consideration of future climate conditions/implications for longer-term climate resilience of the project Considerations: the quality of the applicant’s self-assessment of climate-related risks to the proposed infrastructure project (e.g., changes in permafrost, and extreme weather events), including likelihood and severity the quality and comprehensiveness of the proposed climate change risk mitigation measures integrated into the life cycle of the project to reduce risks associated with disruptions and damage from climate change impacts Projects scoring strongly on this criterion may be those, for example, that demonstrate that climate change projections and impacts have been considered and addressed to increase the climate resilience of the infrastructure through its operating life cycle.

Additional criteria

For Stream 1 – Preconstruction, the assessment will consider additional factors such as provincial and territorial development priorities, co-funding opportunities with domestic or international jurisdiction, geographical distribution of projects across Canada, diversity of critical minerals supported by the program, and other strategic considerations, as part of overall ranking.

Preliminary due diligence assessment checks and considerations

This assessment will evaluate overall application quality as well as project readiness, feasibility, risks and likelihood to contribute to CMIF program objectives, including enabling critical minerals production in Canada.

To be considered for funding, applications must be complete, and proposed projects must meet program requirements. Project risks, including those related to recipient capacity, the work plan, and potential barriers to both the infrastructure and enabled mining projects, will be assessed. If the due diligence assessment identifies significant issues in these areas, NRCan may remove the application from further funding consideration. Assessment of project risks will take into consideration the scope of anticipated project benefits – greater project uncertainties can be accepted where the application strongly demonstrates substantial benefits.

Following a conditional funding offer, additional due diligence will be undertaken to confirm project compliance with all CMIF program requirements as part of the negotiation of a contribution agreement.

The preliminary due diligence assessment will evaluate, as applicable:

Infrastructure project readiness: Confirmation that there are no barriers preventing the infrastructure project from proceeding. This will vary by stream.

• For Stream 1 – Preconstruction, the proposed project activities must be able to begin as planned without additional steps being required.
• For Stream 2 – Shovel ready, the proposed infrastructure project must be shovel ready (i.e., it has all necessary permissions, including access to project lands, has completed all regulatory and permitting approvals [i.e., impact assessments and/or environmental assessments^{Footnote 12}] and is ready to begin construction). Projects with minimum outstanding development thresholds may be considered sufficiently shovel ready for the purposes of assessment if applicants can demonstrate that they are forthcoming within 12 months of application submission. No funding agreement can be signed if all the necessary permits and approvals have not been obtained.

Infrastructure project feasibility: Assessment of the proposed infrastructure project’s implementation plan and key project elements, including:

• the project’s technical feasibility and logistical details
• the project’s work plan and proposed timelines
• the project’s budget, financial plan and commitments from other funding partners
• the experience and expertise of the proposed project management team
• the applicant organization’s capacity to undertake the project
• the applicant’s understanding of project risks and the proposed risk mitigation strategy
• the proposed monitoring and reporting plan for project progress and outcomes
• any legal risks that may affect the project or applicant
• social acceptability risks that may affect the project or applicant

Project funding rationale: Assessment of the impact federal funding will have on the infrastructure project, and its importance to realizing the project’s proposed outcomes, including enabling increased critical minerals production. Applicants must clearly explain how CMIF funding would facilitate project timeline acceleration, scope expansion, and/or viability.

Infrastructure decommissioning or succession plan: Assessment of the applicant’s plan for the decommissioning, disposal, transfer, or ongoing use and maintenance of the proposed infrastructure after its intended use for critical minerals development has finished.

IDEA plan: For applicants with 20 full-time equivalent employees or more – confirmation that the applicant organization has an adequate IDEA plan or a commitment outlining the measures it will take to foster inclusive work environments, and to advance progress on IDEA in implementing the proposed project.

Conditional approval

Upon a positive review of an application, and subject to all other CMIF conditions, including availability of funds, NRCan will inform the applicant of a conditional project approval and proceed to negotiate a contribution agreement, subject to any final due diligence or information required.

Costs incurred prior to conditional project approval will not be considered as part of total project costs for the purpose of reimbursement.

Indigenous consultation

NRCan has a duty to consult with Indigenous groups when the Crown contemplates an action, such as the provision of funding or the issuance of permits, that may have an adverse impact on existing or potential Aboriginal or treaty rights (e.g., if the project involves activities on the land). The applicant should use the Aboriginal and Treaty Rights Information System (ATRIS) to assess consultation requirements and to identify Indigenous groups that may be impacted by its proposed project. During the due diligence process, which will occur after conditional approval of the project, but before a contribution agreement is signed, the federal government will, as appropriate, follow up with the applicant or the Indigenous communities to assess the sufficiency of the Crown duty to consult. Even after the signing of a contribution agreement, NRCan reserves the right to withhold program funding if a project activity requiring additional consultation occurs during project implementation.

Contribution agreement (only for approved projects)

Any funding under the entire CMIF submission, review, and assessment process will be contingent upon the execution of a contribution agreement. Until a written contribution agreement is signed by both parties, no commitment or obligation exists on the part of NRCan to make a financial contribution to any project, including any expenditure incurred or paid prior to the signing of such a contribution agreement.

Basis and timing of payments

Payments will be made based on evidence of eligible expenditures incurred on a regular basis (e.g., quarterly), upon receipt of the documentation as defined in the contribution agreement. The total amount of contribution funding paid to a recipient under a funding agreement must not exceed the total eligible expenditures actually incurred by the recipient.

Retroactivity

In certain cases where an approved project must commence in advance of the signing of a contribution agreement in order to ensure its success (e.g., where project activities are dependent on seasonal or other external timelines), contribution payments may be made for eligible expenditures incurred retroactively to the date that the recipient was informed of conditional project approval, or April 1 of the federal fiscal year in which the contribution agreement is signed, whichever comes later.

Any costs incurred in this period would be at the recipient’s risk that an agreement may not be signed. Payments will only be issued once a contribution agreement is signed and must be supported by satisfactory documentation of eligible expenditures having taken place. Retroactive payments will be limited to a maximum of 30% of total eligible project expenses.

Holdbacks

In order to ensure appropriate project oversight, a holdback amount, based on project and applicant risk, may be applied to each payment. The holdback will not be released until progress to meet all requirements outlined in the contribution agreement is deemed acceptable to NRCan.

Reporting (only for approved projects)

Project progress, milestone, and outcome reporting requirements

The recipient must report regularly to NRCan as a condition of funding. To this end, the applicant organization must have effective control of or legal rights to access the necessary information to fulfill any reporting requirements for the duration of the project, repayment period (in the case of conditionally repayable contributions), and reporting period. Contribution agreements will detail reporting requirements for each project.

For the purposes of having expenditures reimbursed, the recipient will submit the following on a regular basis (e.g., quarterly) during project execution using templates provided by the program:

• an expense report signed by the Chief Financial Officer or Duly Authorized Officer of the organization, which outlines eligible expenditures incurred
• an updated project cash flow statement and/or budget for the upcoming quarter
• an update on project activities that includes tasks completed and expected in the next quarter, and any project-related issues and how they are being addressed

Recipients will also be required to report on performance and progress during the project, using project indicators to be determined during and after contribution agreement development.

At the end of the project, the recipient will submit:

• a financial report on how the contribution was spent, including a declaration as to the total amount of contributions or payments (including in-kind) received by the recipient from other sources in respect to the project and certification that the claims for payment of eligible expenditures have been incurred and paid by the recipient
• a narrative report to describe how project activities have contributed to the achievement of the objectives, benefits, and key performance measures of the project, including the results of the project in comparison to the original deliverables and work plan, with explanations of any deviations
• where applicable, a commissioning report signed by a professional engineer or duly authorized officer, indicating the date of commissioning

For up to 10 years following project commissioning or completion, recipients of conditionally repayable contributions will submit annually an outcome report indicating the infrastructure- and mining-related profits directly enabled as a result of the project. The parameters of these reporting requirements will be included in the contribution agreement.

Performance measurement reporting requirements

As part of program performance monitoring, reporting against program performance indicators will be required from all recipients during project implementation and the 5–10 years following project completion, in accordance with the terms of the contribution agreement. Consult table 5 below for the list of performance indicators. In addition to the program indicators outlined below, recipients may also be requested to report on agreed-upon project-specific indicators. Performance reporting requirements could change as the project is undertaken.

Table 5. Performance indicators

Indicator	Methodology	Reporting frequency	Applicability
Provide the number of lane-kilometres built or upgraded, broken down by: total built upgraded	Number of lanes multiplied by the length (km) of transportation infrastructure built or upgraded (e.g., roads, and bridges)	Annual (quarter 4 [Q4] claim) reports and final project reports	Stream 2 – Shovel ready projects (transportation)
Provide the number of MW of energy generated or distributed, broken down by: total generated distributed amount generated directly for critical minerals mining operations amount distributed directly to critical minerals mining operations	Number of MW of energy generated or distributed	Annual (Q4 claim) reports and final project reports	Stream 2 – Shovel ready projects (energy)
List all critical minerals mining operations supported by the project that have completed the construction and/or deployment phase	List of critical minerals mining operations	Final project reports	Stream 2 – Shovel ready projects (transportation and energy)
List, and provide corresponding quantities of, proven and/or probable reserves of critical minerals unlocked by the project, if available, broken down by: total probable reserves proven reserves	List, by critical minerals (including amounts, where possible)	Annual (Q4 claim) reports and final project reports	Stream 2 – Shovel ready projects (transportation and energy)
Provide the percentage reduction in project-site GHG emissions resulting from commissioned clean energy infrastructure projects funded	Percentage of GHG reductions = 1 - (post project emissions divided by baseline emissions) x 100%	Annual (Q4 claim) reports and final project reports	Stream 2 – Shovel ready projects (energy)
Provide the number of job-years of employment generated by the supported infrastructure project	Number of job-years = number of jobs x the number of years each job would be in effect All employment should be specifically for the infrastructure project	Annual (Q4 claim) reports and final project reports	All projects
Provide the total number of people employed in positions supported with project funding	Number of people employed reported through a separate, yearly workforce demographics survey	Annual reports	All projects
Provide the number of people employed by the proponent, broken down by: total gender Indigenous identity racialized people persons with a disability	Number of people employed reported through a separate, yearly workforce demographics survey	Annual reports	All projects

Additional information for applicants

Audit rights

Recipients may be audited during the contribution agreement period or after project completion. Financial audits will be tied to financial compliance and project performance assessments will be evaluated in relation to outcomes identified in the contribution agreement. Contribution agreements will specify reporting periods. Recipients will be required to:

• keep proper accounts and records and permit Government of Canada representatives to audit, inspect and make copies of those accounts and records at all reasonable times for:
  • three years after the project completion date for non-reimbursable contributions
  • three years following the completion of the repayment period for conditionally repayable contributions
• grant the Government of Canada’s authorized representatives access to audit and inspect the qualifying project and related facilities
• furnish the Government of Canada’s representatives with such information as they may reasonably require with reference to the specified documents
• promptly refund any overpayments of the contribution disclosed by an audit to NRCan

The applicant must have effective control of all constituent elements of the project, including ownership of or legal rights to access the necessary information to fulfill any audit requirements.

Tax treatment

All questions concerning the tax treatment of funds received under the CMIF should be directed to the Canada Revenue Agency.

Intellectual property

All intellectual property that arises in the course of a project shall vest in, or be licensed to, the recipient. The recipient will grant to Canada a non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free licence in perpetuity to use the data and information contained in reports and modify such reports and documents for non-commercial governmental purposes.

Confidentiality and security of information

Subsection 20(1) of the Access to Information Act requires government institutions, including NRCan, to protect confidential information – financial, commercial, scientific, or technical – supplied by an applicant to NRCan so long as the applicant treats the information as confidential in their own establishment, but subject to disclosure requirements established by the criteria for protecting confidential information pursuant to section 20 of the Access to Information Act.

Accordingly, NRCan will protect the applicant’s confidential information in its possession to the same extent as the applicant protects said confidential information in their own establishment. NRCan will use a secure online funding portal as the primary means to collect confidential information from applicants. NRCan may also use email and written correspondence to the applicant for non-confidential matters.

NRCan recognizes that email is not a secure means of communication, and NRCan cannot guarantee the security of confidential information sent via email while it is in transit. Nonetheless, applicants who regularly use email to communicate confidential information within their own organizations may choose to communicate confidential information by email while corresponding with NRCan for the purposes of an application or funding agreement under the CMIF.

For more information on this subject, please refer to Section 20 of the Access to Information Act.

Regulatory and legal requirements

Prior to entering into a contribution agreement, where applicable, projects will be required to complete various federal, provincial, and/or territorial impact and/or environmental assessments, obtain approval from regulatory bodies and/or obtain necessary permits (such as construction permits), and will be subject to relevant federal, provincial, and territorial laws and acts. Applicants will be expected to comply with all federal, provincial, and territorial regulatory and legal requirements applicable to their projects, or CMIF funding may be withheld. For further clarity, a decision regarding CMIF funding is separate and independent from any necessary regulatory approvals from NRCan, other federal authorities, or other orders of government.

IDEA plan or commitment

NRCan recognizes the importance of an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workforce to the resilience of Canada’s economy and to advancing Canada’s path towards reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, including in the construction, electricity, and natural resources sectors. The CMIF aims to advance the participation of multiple underrepresented groups, including, but not limited to, women; 2SLGBTQ+ persons; First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples; racialized people; youth; and persons with disabilities. The program also aims to address the Calls for Justice from the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).

The CMIF requires recipients to either provide an IDEA plan for their organization or to participate in a public commitment. Activities for fulfilling the commitment or IDEA plan could include reporting on progress, gathering relevant data, promoting the sectors relevant to the program as a post-secondary option, and promoting workforce IDEA through collaboration or by addressing MMIWG calls for justice.

Further details about this requirement are available in Annex D: List of eligible and ineligible expenditures.

Other conditions

• No Member of the House of Commons shall be admitted to any share or part of the contribution agreements, or any resulting benefit.
• The applicants and recipients will comply with the Conflict of Interest Act and the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders.
• Funding may be cancelled or reduced in the event that departmental funding levels are reduced by Parliament. Agreements will include provisions to this effect.
• Recipients will be required to acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada in all public information produced as part of the project.
• As part of project monitoring requirements, NRCan will have the right to visit and inspect all project sites upon providing a reasonable notice to project recipients.
• Contribution agreements will include requirements for joint communications activities, such as public information products, news releases, public announcements, and other joint events, as well as official languages.
• NRCan programs are subject to Gender-based Analysis Plus considerations. As such, NRCan requests that applicants and recipients report on the number of women and other identity groups that will be employed on the proposed project.

Program contact information

To ensure that all applicants have access to the same information and that there is a written response to every question, all questions and answers will be sent and received via the program email inbox at cmif-fimc@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

Disclaimer

NRCan reserves the right to alter or cancel any CFP, funding amounts and/or deadlines associated with any program component, or to cancel any CFP process at its sole discretion. Any changes will be communicated to applicants via the program website.

All applications received under the CMIF will be shared with the CIB for an assessment of potential for CIB investment. Applications, or a portion thereof, will also be shared with other Government of Canada organizations and initiatives, and considered for support under those organizations and initiatives, as applicable. Any Government of Canada institutions with which applications may be shared would also be subject to the confidentiality and security of information provisions in the Access to Information Act.

Any costs incurred for the submission of a project application, including EOIs, are at the applicant’s own risk and cannot be considered as part of total project costs. In all cases, any funding under any submission, review and assessment process will be contingent upon the execution of a contribution agreement.

Until a written contribution agreement is signed by both parties, no commitment or obligation exists on the part of NRCan to make a financial contribution to any project, including any expenditure incurred or paid prior to the signing of such contribution agreement.

Annex A: Definitions

Applicant

The organization that submits an application to the program.

Application

A written project application signed and submitted by the applicant to the program, comprised of information solicited via the NRCan funding portal, including attachments requested by the program.

Arctic and Northern project

A project located in an Arctic or Northern region as defined by the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework, which includes Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, the Nunavik Region of Quebec, and the Nunatsiavut region of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Capacity building

Activities that build knowledge, skills, and capabilities among a relevant group related to critical minerals infrastructure development processes. Capacity building includes IDEA activities.

Clean energy infrastructure

Infrastructure that generates, stores or transmits electricity from a renewable or alternative source that have demonstrated commercial viability in Canada. It includes the deployment of renewable energy technologies, battery storage projects and electric vehicle charging stations for mining equipment.

Climate resilience assessment

Assessment that explores climate-related risks, which, for shovel-ready projects, could include how climate change projections are considered or addressed to increase the climate resilience of the proposed infrastructure.

Conditional project approval

The post-evaluation date on which the applicant was notified by the program that the application has succeeded to the contribution agreement negotiation stage.

Critical minerals

Elements on Canada’s critical minerals list, which can be found on the Critical Minerals in Canada website. To be deemed critical in Canada, a mineral must be essential to Canada’s economic security and its supply be threatened, be required for our national transition to a low-carbon economy, or be a sustainable source of highly strategic critical minerals for our partners and allies. Critical minerals can change with time based on supply and demand, technological development and shifting societal needs. For this CFP, a subset of critical minerals is in scope for consideration.

Critical minerals mining operation

A mining operation focused on producing one or more of the critical minerals eligible under this call for proposals. As a general guideline, critical minerals should comprise at least 50% of the mine’s production by volume.

Diversity

The acceptance and respect of various human dimensions including race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, socio-economic status, religious beliefs, age, physical abilities, political beliefs or other ideologies.

Eligible expenditures

Costs, incurred by the recipient within the eligible expenditure period, that are cash disbursements made with respect to the activities set out in the funding agreement. Expenditures must be reasonable, directly and clearly related to the project, and agreed to in the funding agreement’s budget.

Eligible expenditure period

The period starting on the date on which the applicant was notified of conditional project approval and ending on the earlier of the project completion date or March 31, 2030. Expenses made within this period, but prior to the signing of a contribution agreement, are incurred at the applicant’s risk and may amount to a maximum of 30% of overall reimbursable expenses.

Emissions reduction

The net negative impact of a project on the production of GHGs (e.g., related to one or more mining operations), measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Enabling infrastructure

The transportation and energy assets necessary to render critical minerals mining operations possible or to render them more environmentally sound or sustainable and economic.

Equity

A condition or state of fair, inclusive, and respectful treatment of all people. Equity does not mean treating people the same without regard for individual differences.

Fixed transportation infrastructure

In the context of a transportation infrastructure project, this term refers to infrastructure that is not subject to change throughout the year. Ice or winter roads would not be considered fixed.

Grid connectivity

In the context of an energy project, infrastructure (e.g., transmission and distribution lines, transformer stations, and substations) that allows an end-user to draw electrical power from an existing network, or “grid”, that transmits electricity from producers to consumers. This may be an electrical grid operated by a system operator, a public or private utility, or a behind-the-meter supplier.

Inclusion

The extent to which diverse members of a group (society/organization) feel valued and respected.

Indigenous

Understood to include Inuit, Métis, First Nations, Status Indian, and non-Status Indian individuals, or any combination thereof.

Indigenous applicant/recipient

An Indigenous community, group, or government; tribal council; national and regional Indigenous councils; and tribal organizations; and majority owned and controlled for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.

In-kind contribution

A non-monetary contribution, including goods or services that would otherwise constitute an expense to the project, but is provided for free. In-kind contributions cannot be counted toward overall eligible project expenditures.

Other public organization

Bodies established by or under provincial or territorial statute or by regulation, or that are wholly owned by a province, territory, or municipality. This includes provincial Crown corporations, public utilities, and certain port authorities.

Profit

Net operating profit as determined by generally accepted accounting principles.

Project

The applicant’s infrastructure project identified in the application, as approved by NRCan. It encompasses all activities and funding directly related to achieving the deliverables described in the application (i.e., both eligible and ineligible activities and expenditures). A project could be scoped to include a single phase of a larger, multi-phase infrastructure development initiative. An infrastructure project also includes outcomes related to supported critical minerals production and associated mining activities for the purposes of reporting and to determine repayment requirements.

Project completion date

The date of project completion, commissioning, or commercial operation, whichever is later.

Project start date

The date on which project activities begin, and is usually accompanied by the commencement of project spending. As above, a project could be scoped as a single phase of a larger, multi-phase infrastructure development initiative.

Recipient

A successful applicant that has entered into a contribution agreement with NRCan.

Renewable energy

Energy derived from natural processes that are replenished at a rate that is equal to or faster than the rate at which they are consumed.

Retrofit

The installation of new software or hardware to an existing renewable energy or storage site to enable grid service capabilities. Addition of capacity to an existing site is not a retrofit for the purposes of the program and instead is considered a capacity build-out project.

Shovel ready

A project that has completed all prerequisite steps (e.g., regulatory approvals, including environmental/impact assessments, permits, and land-access rights) and has no remaining barriers to commence construction or deployment of a clean energy or transportation infrastructure asset.

Stacking

The maximum limit of total Canadian government funding (i.e., federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) that is permitted under a contribution agreement for a project.

Total project cost

The sum of all expenditures under an infrastructure project, from the project start date to the project completion date. At the time of application, this will be based on best-available estimates and will include both CMIF-eligible costs and any other costs directly related to the project’s execution.

Transportation infrastructure

Fixed installations, structures, and networks that provide a framework for the movement of people, commodities, and/or goods, including in the context of a critical minerals value chain. It may include roads, bridges, rail, ports, and other assets.

Utilities

Entities that own, establish, maintain, and operate power system equipment (e.g., poles, wires, and transformers) within the transmission and/or distribution systems, as defined by provincial/territorial regulations.

Annex B: EOI form companion guide

Section 1: Applicant information

The information provided in this section will be used to establish the applicant’s profile and to determine some elements of basic eligibility in order to determine whether submitting a full application would be advisable.

Question	Guidance
Applicant profile	Provide the organization’s name as it appears on official documents such as a proof of registration. For-profit and not-for-profit applicant organizations must be legally incorporated or registered in Canada. The head office address must be complete and located in Canada.
Type of organization	Use the drop-down menu to select the option that applies to your organization (consult the Eligible recipients section above).

Section 2: Project information

This section collects information about the project and will be used to understand the basic eligibility of core project elements.

Question	Guidance
Infrastructure project name	Provide a succinct name for the project that reflects the project’s objective (e.g., Alpha Mine Access Road, Beta Mine Wind Farm, and Region X Highway / Transmission Line Development). This name will be used to refer to the project in communication between NRCan and the applicant, and in any public communication materials that may be developed.
Infrastructure type	Use the drop-down menu to select: Energy Transportation Energy and transportation
Application stream	Use the drop-down menu to select: Stream 1 – Preconstruction Stream 2 – Shovel ready These streams are mutually exclusive, and projects cannot fall under both. Stream 1 projects: This stream supports preconstruction activities necessary to advance clean energy and transportation infrastructure projects towards a shovel-ready state. Stream 2 projects: This stream supports shovel-ready clean energy and transportation infrastructure projects.
Province/territory	Indicate in which province or territory the project will be located. Select all that apply.
Infrastructure project description	Briefly describe (2,000 characters) the proposed infrastructure the project will advance or build, including the key work activities for which funding is requested. For energy infrastructure, include any available information about the expected scale of power generation/transmission (MW/kW). For transportation infrastructure, explain how the infrastructure would be used to transport critical minerals commodities. Include a description of uses for the infrastructure that are beyond supporting critical minerals mining projects. For example: This project will undertake front-end engineering and design studies, location selection, environmental baselining, regulatory and permitting approvals, and outreach to Indigenous groups to advance a six-turbine wind farm [capacity in kW or MW] to power the [name] [commodity] mining project. The wind farm will supplement grid power to facilitate an increase in production from the mine. OR This project will advance route selection, design and engineering; environmental assessment and permitting; and work toward benefit agreements with Indigenous groups regarding a new access road for the [name] [commodity] mining project. The access road is necessary to enable development of the mine and will transport new [commodity] production to downstream destinations.
Infrastructure project status	For Stream 2 – Shovel-ready projects briefly describe the status of the infrastructure project, including regulatory and permitting steps completed or pending as applicable (e.g., environmental assessment), and when the proposed project work activities could start. Identify all completed regulatory and permitting approvals for the infrastructure project and describe any major approvals and/or permits that are still needed before construction could start (e.g., if an impact or environmental assessment is currently underway). For Stream 1 – Preconstruction projects, indicate N/A.
Is the infrastructure project part of an ongoing or planned impact assessment under the Impact Assessment Act (IAA)?	Confirm whether this project is part of, or is expected to be part of, an impact assessment, either on its own or as part of a broader project. Note: The CMIF cannot enter into a funding agreement for infrastructure projects that are undergoing or will need to undergo an assessment under the IAA. Further information will be requested of applicants at the full application stage.
Infrastructure project timeline	Confirm that the proposed project activities would be complete by March 2030. For Stream 1 projects, this applies only to the work for which funding is being requested, and not to the full construction of the proposed infrastructure.
Infrastructure project cost a. Total proposed project cost b. Total eligible proposed project costs c. Total requested CMIF funding	Indicate the total expected cost of this project, the total project costs that would be eligible for CMIF contribution funding, and the total amount to be requested from the CMIF. Limit estimates to the stream and activities for which you are applying (i.e., do not include construction costs for Stream 1 projects). All amounts should be in Canadian dollars (CAD).
Support from other government organizations	Briefly indicate any funding applications currently in process or approved for this infrastructure, the supported mine(s), or any integrated midstream or downstream activities from another government jurisdiction (i.e., Canadian provinces and/or territories, other Canadian federal departments, or departments of the United States or other foreign government). Include the funding program and application status.

Section 3: Enabling critical minerals development

Question	Guidance
List the critical minerals to be enabled by this infrastructure project.	Use the check boxes to indicate which critical minerals will be directly supported by the proposed infrastructure.
List the mining projects that would be served (end-users) by this infrastructure project.	Use the text box (max 3,000 characters) to list the critical minerals mines / mining project(s) that will be the end-user(s) of the infrastructure. For each, include: the mining project’s name owner(s)/operator(s) status (e.g., exploration, the mine is in development, the mine is under construction, the mine is currently in production, or the mine is in care and maintenance) which technical reports have been completed for the mining project, and their respective dates (i.e., PEA, PFS, and FS) any information about actual, planned, or potential offtake or processing agreements related to the mining project(s), as applicable (Note: Include any plans for integration with domestic and/or strategic value chains as noted in the call parameters.) for infrastructure projects where the applicant is different from the mine developer/operator, indicate if the mining project owner/operator has confirmed documented intent to use the proposed infrastructure.

See guidance in Annex C: Full application form companion guide for Section 5: Confirmations and consents and Section 6: Conflicts of interest.

Annex C: Full application form companion guide

This Annex provides step-by-step guidance to complete each section of the full application form. Applicants should refer to this guide early and often when preparing a funding application. Applications must adhere to this guidance.

The NRCan funding portal allows applicants to upload attachments near the end of the application. The required attachments may be referred to multiple times throughout this companion guide, as the attachments may be used as supporting documentation for more than one question. Applicants should archive/zip attachments according to the categories and appropriate file prefixes outlined in Annex F: Application document checklist and templates to keep the attachments organized.

Section 1: Applicant information

The information provided in this section will be used to establish the applicant’s profile and to determine some elements of basic eligibility, including that the applicant is eligible.

No.	Question	Guidance
1	Applicant profile	Provide the organization’s name as it appears on official documents such as a proof of registration. For-profit and not-for-profit applicant organizations must be legally incorporated or registered in Canada. The head office address must be complete and located in Canada.
2	Type of organization	Use the drop-down menu to select the option that applies to your organization. Private-sector and not-for-profit organizations must provide relevant information to prove that they are legally registered in Canada. This can be a combination of information (e.g., registration number from a provincial corporate registry) and uploads (e.g., articles of incorporation). The applicant organization type must be among those eligible for CMIF funds. Attachment: O.01 – Articles of incorporation or proof of registration
3	Number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff employed in the organization	“Full-time equivalent” means the total hours scheduled for all employees according to their work contract (including consultants and temporary staff) divided by the employer’s hours for a full-time work week (typically 40 hours). For example, a company with 2 part-time staff who each work 20 hours per week would have one “full-time equivalent” staff. Organizations employing at least 20 full-time equivalent staff must upload an IDEA plan or commitment. Attachment: O.04 –IDEA plan or public commitment (mandatory only for organizations that employ at least 20 full-time equivalents) IDEA plan or public commitment requirements can be found in Annex E: IDEA plan or commitment requirements.
4	Preferred official language of communication	Select whether you would prefer to receive communication in French or English. This applies to both written and oral communication.

Section 2: Contacts

The information provided in this section will be used to facilitate contact between NRCan and the application organization.

No.	Question	Guidance
5	Secondary contact a. Name b. Title c. Phone number d. Email	Provide an alternative contact within the organization who is best positioned to interact with program officials when the primary contact is unavailable.
6	Financial contact a. Name b. Title c. Phone number d. Email	Provide the organization’s contact who is best positioned to answer questions on the financial aspects of the project. Program officials will interact with this contact regarding the financial aspects of this project, as necessary.

Section 3: Project information

This section collects detailed information about the project. It will be used to determine the project’s eligibility and, if eligible, to assess it against CMIF funding criteria.

3.1 Project overview

No.	Question	Guidance
7	Infrastructure project name	Provide a succinct name for the project that reflects the project’s objective (e.g., Alpha Mine Access Road, Beta Mine Wind Farm, and Region X Highway / Transmission Line Development). It is recommended that you do not include your organization’s name in the project name. This name will be used to refer to the project in communication between NRCan and the applicant, and in any public communication materials that may be developed.
8	Application stream	Use the drop-down menu to select: Stream 1 – Preconstruction Stream 2 – Shovel ready These streams are mutually exclusive, and projects cannot fall under both. Stream 1 – Preconstruction projects: This stream supports preconstruction activities necessary to advance clean energy and transportation infrastructure projects towards a shovel-ready state. Stream 2 – Shovel ready projects: This stream supports shovel ready clean energy and transportation infrastructure projects.
9	Infrastructure project type	Use the drop-down menu to select: Energy Transportation Energy and transportation
10	Infrastructure project description	Maximum response length: 20,000 characters Describe the proposed infrastructure the project will advance or build, including the key work activities for which funding is requested. The description should also identify: the primary end-users of the infrastructure (including any non-mining users) any revenue-generating aspects of the infrastructure (e.g., tolls) any linkages to, or interdependencies with other infrastructure projects (completed or planned) Attachment: I.01 – Detailed work plan The detailed work plan template can be found in the NRCan funding portal and Annex F: Application document checklist and templates of this guide. Identify and describe each major project activity. Sub-activities may be highlighted and described within a major activity. Applicants should align the activities and sub-activities included in the work plan to those included in the budget template. The focus of the work plan should be on CMIF-eligible activities and sub-activities. Complementary activities that are not eligible under the CMIF may be included, but should be clearly identified as being outside the scope of the application request and that the associated costs are listed as part of total ineligible project costs, as in the budget. Ideally, the project work plan would comprise six major project activities or less, each containing up to six sub-activities. Provide descriptions that are sufficiently non-technical, accurately demonstrate the scope of work, and enable project monitoring and measurement of outcomes. Each project activity description should include expected and verifiable outcomes, performance indicators, risks associated with each major activity and sub-activity, mitigation measures, total costs of the major activity, start and end dates, and a general description of the costs in each of the categories below: Salaries and benefits Overhead and administrative Professional, scientific and contracting services Travel, including meals and accommodations Equipment Materials Other expenses
11	a. How many lane-kilometres of transportation infrastructure will be built or upgraded as a result of the project? b. Provide the anticipated increase in cargo capacity and, if known, a breakdown of cargo movements (i.e., volume and/or frequency) that will be enabled by this transportation infrastructure project.	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters These questions are required for transportation infrastructure projects and hybrid (energy/transportation) projects only. For part a., a lane-kilometre means a kilometre-long segment of roadway that is a single lane in width. A four-lane highway that is 10 kilometres long would total 40 lane-kilometres. If the transportation asset is not a road, indicate this. For part b., identify and quantify the project’s anticipated impact on overall economic activity and market access for the proposed infrastructure’s users. Your response should include data on the anticipated new volumes and/or values of the goods that will transit the proposed infrastructure on an annual basis. If the project involves the expansion or improvement of an existing transportation asset, provide both the current baseline of quantities, values and commodities that transit the infrastructure per year, as well as the anticipated new quantities, values and commodities after the project is completed. Attachment: I.13 – Cargo capacity and movement estimates Provide the methodology and assumptions used to derive these estimates.
12	a. Quantify the total number of kilometres of transmission lines that will be built for this project. b. Quantify the total number of MW of electricity that this project will generate and/or distribute. c. Quantify the number of MW of electricity generated and/or distributed from this project that is anticipated to be directly transmitted to critical minerals mining operations. d. Describe how the energy project will improve energy security for the anticipated end-users. e. Does the proposed energy infrastructure project use biomass to generate electricity? f. Describe the supply plan to secure biomass feedstock used for the infrastructure project, including its source and time period covered. g. Describe any impact of the infrastructure project on the biomass supply chain in the proposed region.	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters These questions are required for energy infrastructure projects and hybrid (energy/transportation) projects only. For part a., provide the total distance of transmission lines that are to be built for this project. Applicants that are not building transmission line projects can enter 0 or leave this question blank. For part b., for energy generation projects, provide the total capacity of electricity in MW to be generated by the entire project. For energy projects that are exclusively providing grid connectivity services, provide the total capacity of electricity in MW that can be distributed from the grid for all end-users. For part c., provide the same information as in part b., but specifically for the portion of electricity that would serve critical minerals mining operations. For part d., provide information about the current or alternative potential energy options, and describe how the proposed infrastructure is a better choice for providing energy security (e.g., based on reliability or cost effectiveness). For Stream 2 projects: Attachment: I.14 – Energy infrastructure feasibility and/or options analysis studies The feasibility and/or options analysis studies uploaded should support the information provided. Part e. only needs to be answered by applicants with a Stream 2 energy or hybrid (energy/transportation) project. Parts f. and g. only apply to Stream 2 energy projects that would use biomass to generate electricity. Biomass projects may be eligible if biomass is sourced following plans that comply with the principles of sustainable forest management.
13	Briefly describe the status of the infrastructure project.	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters The description should include the following: costs incurred towards the infrastructure project to date, or any legal commitments made in relation to the project list of all regulatory and permitting steps completed or pending for the infrastructure to date identification of key risks that may cause delays or prevent the project from being completed (e.g., mine development uncertainty, personnel shortages, and capacity issues with project delivery partners) and associated mitigation measures for Stream 1 projects (preconstruction activities), an explanation of the overall anticipated outcome of the project activities proposed for CMIF funding (e.g., the proposed activities will complete X remaining major regulatory and permitting milestones, leaving only Y outstanding before the infrastructure project is shovel ready) for Stream 2 projects (shovel ready projects), list of all major approvals or permissions still needed before construction could start (e.g., an impact or environmental assessment). For each, provide the most recent status, next steps required, and anticipated timeline to completion. In addition, list the type of studies and assessments that have been completed for the infrastructure project, including technical drawings Attachment (1 of 5): I.07 – Proof of regulatory and permit approvals for the infrastructure project Provide copies of all received regulatory and permit approvals, feasibility studies, engineering assessments, and other relevant technical documentation for the infrastructure project as attachments to your application. Attachment (2 of 5): I.03 – Risk management plan See the NRCan funding portal or Annex F: Application document checklist and templates of this guide for the risk management plan template. The plan should include a description of each risk, its potential severity, its likelihood of materializing, the related mitigation plan, and an indication of post-mitigation residual risk. Examples of risks include, but are not limited to, schedule, costs, supply chain constraints, potential litigation and human resource availability. For energy projects, identify and describe any cyber security risks as well as the controls, standards, tools, and practices that may be implemented to protect the energy infrastructure from cyber security incidents. Attachment (3 of 5): I.16 – Infrastructure feasibility assessments/studies Attachment (4 of 5): I.17 – Infrastructure engineering assessments/studies Attachment (5 of 5): I.18 – Other relevant technical documentation (e.g., conformity with industry standards) If not already part of attachments I.16 or I.17, below is a non-exhaustive list of examples of technical information that you should include: schematic diagrams, including single-line diagrams energy resource assessments site engineering design package interconnection agreements power purchase agreements site operating philosophy Any other technical characteristics, including project assessments that confirm the project’s conformity with industry standards such as those of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the CSA Group (formerly the Canadian Standards Association), the Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada (ULC) or others, should also be included.

3.2 Project details

No.	Question	Guidance
14	Project location (province/territory)	Indicate in which province or territory the infrastructure project will be located. Select all that apply.
15	Project location a. Infrastructure project latitude b. Infrastructure project longitude	Provide the geographic coordinates for the approximate centre of the infrastructure site(s) in decimal degrees for latitude and longitude (e.g., 45.4215296,-75.6971931). Attachment (1 of 2): I.04 – Site maps/plans If applicable, identify any portion of the site where the project will occur on reserve land, federal land or traditional territory of an Indigenous group. Attachment (2 of 2): I.05 – Maps with transmission line / road / train route (KML or SHP formats are highly encouraged) For linear infrastructure, ensure the map includes both start and end coordinates. If the route of the proposed infrastructure is still under consideration, the map can include potential routes as well as approximate start and end coordinates.
16	Project timeline a. Start date b. End date	Select dates that best reflect when the proposed infrastructure project activities could start, and when they would be completed. The project’s start date should align with when expenditures could commence, which would be following confirmation of conditional approval. The project start and end dates must fall between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2030. For larger Stream 2 projects taking a multi-phased approach to development, the application may be scoped to a single phase provided the parameters of that phase (e.g., activities, expenses, and outcomes) meet CMIF criteria. Attachment: I.02 – Gantt chart or similar project timeline diagram
17	Cost summary a. Total estimated costs of the project b. Total estimated eligible costs of the project c. Total requested funding from the CMIF	The figures provided in this section should flow from the associated budget template and should be in Canadian dollars. For part a., provide the best estimate of the total project costs, including both CMIF-eligible and ineligible costs over the life of the project. For part b., provide the best estimate of total expenditures that would be considered eligible under the CMIF over the life of the project, according to the list of eligible and ineligible expenditures (consult Annex D: List of eligible and ineligible expenditures and subject to program approval. These include project-related, non-recurring costs that are necessary to achieve the project objectives. For part c., this should be calculated as total eligible costs that the applicant seeks to have funded by the CMIF, according to the percentage funding to which you are potentially eligible (e.g., 50% or 75% depending on applicant type and geographic location). Consult the Eligible expenditures section of this applicant guide for this information. Attachment (1 of 2): F.01 – Detailed budget, cash flow projections, and sources of funding Consult the NRCan funding portal or Annex F: Application document checklist and templates of this applicant guide for the budget template. Guidance for completing the template: provide detailed breakdowns for the project’s entire capital expenditures and eligible expenditures that would be funded by the CMIF. Consult the list of eligible and ineligible expenditures (Annex D: List of eligible and ineligible expenditures) contained in this applicant guide describe the ineligible project costs, including their related work activities and relevance to the project provide confirmed and unconfirmed sources of funding from other federal programs (including from Crown corporations and tax incentives), other levels of government (i.e., provincial, territorial, and municipal), and other funders (i.e., bank loans), as well as associated documentation include details on the funder, noting if it is another government jurisdiction (i.e., Canadian provinces and or territories, other Canadian federal departments, or departments of the United States or other foreign government); the amount requested; date applied; and where possible, the anticipated response date For projects of duration greater than one year, provide quarterly cash flow breakdowns for a period covering the first government fiscal year of the project (April 1–March 31) and estimated annual cash flows thereafter. For projects of one year and less, provide a monthly cash flow covering the duration of the project. Note: Eligible expenditures period starts on the date on which the applicant is notified of conditional project approval and ending on the earlier of the project completion date or March 31, 2030. Expenses made within this period, but prior to the signing of a contribution agreement, are incurred at the applicant’s risk and may amount to a maximum of 30% of overall reimbursable expenses. Attachment (2 of 2): F.02 – Audited financial statements Provide the organization’s audited financial statements for the past three years. For consortia, provide the audited financial statements of each constituent organization. If an organization has not been in existence for 3 years, provide all available audited financial statements. If the applicant organization does not produce audited financial statements, explain why and provide other documentation demonstrating the financial situation of the organization.
18	Explain why CMIF funding is required for this infrastructure project and the impacts to the project if the organization does not receive this funding.	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters Include a description of alternative funding options considered and how CMIF funds are expected to facilitate project implementation, enhance the project scope, or accelerate the timing of the project.
19	a. Does the organization own the land or have the authorization to undertake work at the proposed location? b. Provide a description of land tenure and access at the proposed location of the project.	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters For part a., select the option that best applies to the project. For part b., include descriptions of the boundaries or footprint of the project site and type of tenure, e.g., leases, mining rights, surface rights, patents, right of ways and land use on the surrounding lands. If land tenure or access is not yet secured, provide a detailed plan for how this will be accomplished. Attachment: I.06 – Proof of land ownership or land-use authorization This attachment can include maps, lease agreements, and other documents.
20	Will the infrastructure project (either in full or in part) be carried out on federal lands?	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters Indicate your response as yes or no. If yes, include the following information: describe the federal lands that the infrastructure is to be located on (either in whole or part) provide a map as an attachment that clearly shows what portions of the project will be on federal lands provide the name the federal land administrator and their contact information confirm the status of the project’s assessment under the IAA If the environmental evaluation has been completed provide a date and the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry (CIAR) number for the evaluation. Refer to the IAA for the definition of federal lands and the ATRIS to find the location of Indigenous groups. Note: A completed Section 82 federal lands assessment is not required as part of a CMIF application. Program officials will inform you if this assessment needs to be completed at a later stage. Attachment: I.04 – Site maps/plans
21	Does the “infrastructure project” (either in full or in part), include one or more physical activities that are designated by the Physical Activities Regulations (PAR)?	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters This question relates to federal impact assessments. A subsequent question will ask about environmental/impact assessments under provincial, territorial or Northern jurisdiction. Indicate your response as yes or no. If yes, describe: the physical activities of the proposed infrastructure project that are designated by the Physical Activities Regulations whether the project is to be located in a wildlife area, as defined in section 2 of the Wildlife Area Regulations, a migratory bird sanctuary, as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Migratory Bird Sanctuary Regulations or a protected marine area established under subsection 4.1(1) of the Canada Wildlife Act the status of the project’s assessment under the IAA, including the CIAR number for the project any communications that you have made with the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) in determining the above listed points If the infrastructure project is incidental to and part of a mining project that includes physical activity described in the PAR, include: the name of the designated mining project, and the project type the CIAR number If there is no CIAR number, provide a description of the mining project. Note: It is the responsibility of proponents to determine whether their proposed infrastructure project (either in full or in part) includes physical activities that are described in the PAR. Contact the IAAC or consult their Guide to Preparing an Initial Project Description and a Detailed Project Description for further guidance. Note that the PAR includes physical activities. “Infrastructure projects” that are limited to non-physical activities, such as feasibility studies and consultations, are not activities described in the PAR.
22	Do the infrastructure or any enabled mining projects, either in full or in part, require a provincial environmental/impact assessment, or an environmental/impact assessment under a Northern regime?	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters Indicate yes, no, or to be determined. Provide the current status of any provincial/Northern environmental or impact assessments required for both the proposed infrastructure project and for the mining project(s) the infrastructure will enable. The description must include: the name of the environmental or impact assessment process the start date, or date of certification (as applicable) the most recent completed step in the process, and the result if applicable, a brief overview of the remaining steps to be completed, with anticipated timelines to complete them and explanation of any anticipated challenges or risks that could impact project certification/approval an explanation of any significant conditions attached to a received environmental/impact assessment certificate (e.g., the deadline for a project to be “substantially started”) which must be addressed before construction can begin If complete, provide a copy of the environmental/ impact assessment certificate or approval letter. Attachment: I.07 – Proof of regulatory and permit approvals for the infrastructure project
23	Provide details on how the organization will monitor the project’s progress, milestones, and outcomes, as well as meet the CMIF performance reporting requirements.	Maximum response length: 20,000 characters See the Reporting requirements section of this applicant guide for information about the requirements that recipients must meet related to expense reporting, performance measurement, and conditionally repayable contributions. Potential responsibilities related to NRCan audit rights must also be considered in this section. Descriptions can include, but are not limited to, details on the accounting systems, teams, programs, and methodologies that the applicant will use to track costs, profits, and other project metrics, allowing for reporting, measurement, and audits. Provide information about how the productivity of any mining directly supported by the infrastructure will be tracked and reported. Where applicable (e.g., for mine-site infrastructure where the applicant organization differs from the mine operator), provide information and supporting documentation to substantiate that the applicant has effective control of all constituent elements of the project, including ownership of or legal rights to access the necessary information to fulfill reporting requirements. The table provided in the Reporting requirements section of this applicant guide outlines the program-level performance indicators that projects will be expected to report against either annually or at the end of the project. Review the applicable indicators and methodologies and provide confirmation on how data will be collected, monitored and reported during and after the project is completed. Indicate what processes are in place to ensure data availability and accuracy of reporting. Attachment: O.05 – Letter of intent from project partners to cooperate with the applicant to provisionally satisfy effective control requirements at the application stage This letter of intent is required where the infrastructure or supported mine(s) may be owned by another entity than the applicant (e.g., applicants who are seeking funding for grid connection where the utility company would own the infrastructure).
24	a. Describe the cybersecurity elements of the energy infrastructure project and the approach to addressing any additional cybersecurity needs. b. Complete the Canadian Cyber Security Tool (CCST) virtual assessment and summarize the lessons learned. Describe how the assessment results will be used to improve cyber security throughout the course of the infrastructure project.	These questions are only required for energy or hybrid (energy/transportation) projects. Maximum response length: 1,000 characters For part a., the response should address how the project adheres to relevant technical standards and how cyber security tools will be employed. Relevant tools and standards include: the CCST the North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection Standards the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework and Smart Grid Framework the Cybersecurity Capability Maturity Model relevant provincial tools such as the Ontario Energy Cybersecurity Framework and Self-Assessment Questionnaire the MITRE ATT&CK Framework For part b., all applicants are required to complete the CCST 2.0. Contact cyberassessments-evaluationscyber@ps-sp.gc.ca to request access to CCST 2.0. In your request, mention that you are looking to submit a proposal under the NRCan CMIF call for proposals.
25	Describe the operation, maintenance, and decommissioning and/or succession plan for the project’s infrastructure assets.	Maximum response length: 1,000 characters Provide the estimated duration of use by mining-related and other end-users, and how the infrastructure will be operated and maintained over that period. (Note: The CMIF will not fund operation and maintenance costs. This information will be used to assess project feasibility and risks). If applicable, ensure the description includes an estimate of the cost that the organization will allocate towards operation and ongoing maintenance or decommissioning. A succession plan is expected to describe how the infrastructure could be used, repurposed, or decommissioned after being leveraged by mining end-users (e.g., beyond the lifespan of a mine). It could include reuse by another party and/or resale of the infrastructure assets.

3.3 Other project considerations

No.	Question	Guidance
26	Describe the organization, its mandate, and business/ownership structure.	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters For consortia or other partnerships (e.g., special purpose vehicle), provide this information for each organization involved. Attachment: O.02 – Business/ownership structure
27	a. Provide the project’s governance structure, including any partners, their roles, and how they would contribute to project delivery. b. Identify the members of the project management team and describe their qualifications, including relevant experience, to undertake this project. c. List and describe other relevant projects that the organization has successfully completed, including by highlighting those that were supported by federal and/or provincial or territorial programs in the last 10 years.	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters per question For part a., if the project is being advanced by a consortium or other partnership, clearly outline the roles of each organization with respect to the project. Partners should include any external organizations whose involvement is necessary to satisfy the CMIF reporting requirements (e.g., around mining profitability). For part b., describe the experience of the management team that would lead the project. Include their areas of expertise, experience with comparable projects, number of years of experience, and other relevant details. Include a list of persons registered to lobby on behalf of the organization relative to the project. For part c., include the source, type, and amount of funding for each project as well as the current status or final outcomes. Attachment: O.03 – Organizational chart Governance flowcharts, and responsible, accountable, consulted, informed (RACI) matrices may also be included.
28	Provide summaries of any known legal action or claim filed against you (or a member of your consortium), your infrastructure project, the company or companies of critical minerals mining operations to be supported by the proposed infrastructure project, or any supported critical minerals mining operation in the last 5 years that could have any bearing on, or increase the risk of, the technical, financial, governance, or regulatory compliance or feasibility aspects of the project.	Maximum response length: 5,000 characters Where applicable, include details of actual or contemplated litigation related to the applicant organization, parent company, subsidiaries and partnerships. Any omission or misrepresentation of fact could result in the application’s withdrawal from consideration at any point in the assessment and approvals process.

3.4 Enabling critical minerals development

No.	Question	Guidance
29	Identify the critical minerals to be enabled by this infrastructure project.	Use the check boxes to indicate which critical mineral(s) will be directly supported by the proposed infrastructure (consult the selections from the Canada’s Critical Minerals List enumerated above). The mineral(s) selected should correspond only to the expected mining production that will be enabled by the proposed infrastructure, and/or to the known critical minerals deposits that are anticipated to be developed within the life cycle of the proposed infrastructure.
30	List and describe the critical minerals mining projects (including expansions of an existing mine) that will be enabled by the proposed infrastructure project.	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters List and describe the critical minerals mine(s)/mining project(s) that will be the end-users of the infrastructure. The description of each mining project should include: the mining project’s name owner(s)/operator(s) the geographic coordinates (latitude/longitude) the primary new critical minerals commodity production to be enabled from the mine by the proposed infrastructure, including the percentage value and volume of the mine’s total production it will make up (e.g., 50% copper and 50% gold) the status of the mining project (i.e., exploration, advanced development, the mine is under construction, expansion of a mine currently in production, or the mine is in care and maintenance) the technical reports that have been completed for the mining project, and their respective dates (i.e., MRE, PEA, PFS, and FS) for infrastructure projects where the applicant is different from the mine developer/operator, confirmation that the mining project intends to use the proposed infrastructure as part of its project development plan. Include copies of any supporting documentation (e.g., letter of support/intent, and road use or power purchase agreement) as attachments to your application detailed map(s) that show proposed critical minerals mining project location(s), including scale and National Topographic System map sheet number, as an attachment to your application any documented support for the proposed mining project from stakeholders (e.g., local communities, and governments). Include this documentation as an attachment to your application Infrastructure projects that would enable the construction or expansion of a single mine are expected to provide more detailed and specific information about the enabled mining project and its development status, including: the estimated start date of new critical minerals production to be enabled by the proposed infrastructure the status of all completed and pending regulatory approvals and permitting for the mining project (e.g., environmental assessments, and land-use permits). Include copies of any major permits and regulatory decisions received to date (e.g., environmental assessment certificate or decision letter), as attachments to your application, as applicable all technical reports completed for the mining project to date (e.g., MRE, PEA, PFS, and FS). Include copies of these reports as attachments to your application a short overview of the project financial plan, including the estimated capital cost to bring the mining project to production, any confirmed sources of funding, and project partners most recent company financial statement and management discussion and analysis (MD&A) Note: Mining projects intended to be the end-users of the infrastructure project must meet the minimum development threshold set out in this applicant guide. The technical reports attached as part of the application will be used to assess whether this requirement is met. Include the following, as applicable, with your application as attachments: Attachment (1 of 6): I.15 – Attestation letters or copies of agreements with infrastructure end-users Attachment (2 of 6): Mining project technical reports These technical reports would include the following: M.01 – Feasibility study M.02 – Prefeasibility study M.03 – Preliminary economic assessment M.04 – Maiden or mineral resource estimate Attachment (3 of 6): M.05 – Mining project map for each critical minerals mining operation referenced in your application Attachment (4 of 6): M.06 – Copy of project permits and regulatory approvals for each critical minerals mining operation referenced in your application Attachment (5 of 6): M.07 – Most recent company financial statement and MD&A for each critical minerals mining operation referenced in your application Attachment (6 of 6): M.09 – Letters of support or non-objection from key partners (e.g., Indigenous groups) and stakeholders (e.g., provincial, territorial, and/or municipal governments; and regional organizations) for each critical minerals mining operation referenced in your application
31	Explain the significance of the new critical minerals production that will be enabled by the proposed infrastructure, including the quantity and quality of the critical minerals resources that will be extracted at existing or planned mines, and the anticipated trade and market values of the extracted resources.	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters This description should provide an overview of the critical minerals production that would be enabled by the proposed infrastructure project, including: the anticipated net new critical minerals production volumes the proposed infrastructure would directly enable, as compared with a current baseline, for each of the critical minerals indicated. Provide a breakdown of these production values as an overall total, by year and by mining project, as applicable an assessment of the market and/or trade value of the total critical minerals production to be enabled by the proposed infrastructure, including details on ore quality, market trends, and current or anticipated national or global supply and demand for each mineral, as applicable an assessment of the critical minerals mining potential of the geographic areas that the project and proposed infrastructure will open for development. Identify and describe the size, quality, and accessibility of significant known deposits that would be unlocked an assessment of the confidence level in the estimates, as substantiated by the available technical reports provided
32	Describe how the critical minerals production to be enabled by the proposed infrastructure would support integrated critical minerals value chains either within Canada or with trading partners.	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters The description should include the following information about the new critical minerals production to be enabled by the proposed infrastructure: the known or anticipated industry partners and market destinations (both domestic and international) for the critical minerals resource production to be enabled by the proposed infrastructure (i.e., where the mineral resource production will be processed or refined, and where it will be used in manufacturing) details on any signed, planned, or potential offtake agreements for new critical minerals resource production enabled by the infrastructure. Include copies of any supporting documentation (e.g., letters of intent, memorandums of understanding, and signed agreements), as an attachment to your application explanation of any anticipated benefits of the proposed infrastructure, and the new critical minerals production it would enable, for midstream and downstream Canadian critical minerals processing and manufacturing sectors (e.g., addressing domestic demand gaps, reducing import reliance, increasing material supply or making it more resilient, and lowering production costs) explanation of any additional investments in new domestic processing, refining, or manufacturing capacity in Canada that are directly linked to the critical minerals production to be enabled by the proposed infrastructure (e.g., investment in new facilities to process the new critical minerals production into refined products) Attachment: M.08 – All supporting documentation to confirm the value or supply chain destinations of the new critical minerals production enabled (e.g., attestation letters; memorandums of understanding; and copies of agreements with each mining, processing, and manufacturing companies)
33	Identify and describe any other major steps to be completed before the mining project(s) to be enabled could begin construction.	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters Provide an assessment of key remaining project dependencies or development thresholds, other than the proposed infrastructure, that need to be completed before the critical minerals mining projects to be enabled could begin. This explanation should include identification of any other additional infrastructure assets needed (e.g., access roads or transmission lines to connect the mine to regional infrastructure), confirmation of project partner or financing for the project, or any pending regulatory decisions. Include any information on the status of these dependencies and planned next steps, as applicable.

3.5 Other economic benefits

No.	Question	Guidance
34	Provide the anticipated number of jobs (in job-years) that the infrastructure project will generate.	Maximum response length: 4,000 characters Include an estimated breakdown of new jobs directly attributable to the infrastructure project, including for the implementation and operation of the proposed infrastructure project itself, and the anticipated new employment for the mining projects the proposed infrastructure will enable, where available. Where possible, figures should be provided by job type (i.e., permanent and temporary) and project phase (i.e., work phase, operation and maintenance phase), and include an overall total number of job-years of employment (i.e., number of jobs times the number of years each job would be in effect).
35	Identify and describe any broader anticipated economic and/or social benefits of the proposed infrastructure project, beyond benefits for critical minerals mining.	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters Explain any anticipated benefits the proposed infrastructure would have for communities and other non-mining economic activities. This explanation should identify other confirmed end-users of the proposed infrastructure (e.g., communities, and businesses), and the anticipated benefits (e.g., supporting the growth of other industries, creation of new economic opportunities, increased community safety, more affordable/reliable community resupply, improved services, improved Indigenous participation and addressing calls to action from the Final Report of the National Inquiry into MMIWG). Proposed benefits of the infrastructure should be backed by clear quantitative evidence and/or documented support (e.g., letters of support) from the identified end-users. Local communities can include Indigenous communities, but this information will also be sought in subsequent questions. You can refer to your answers to other questions for additional details, where relevant. Attachment: M.09 – Letters of support or non-objection from key partners (e.g., Indigenous groups) and stakeholders (e.g., provincial, territorial, and/or municipal governments; and regional organizations) for each critical minerals mining operation referenced in your application

3.6 Advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples

No.	Question	Guidance
36	Describe the status and outcomes of any engagement activities to date with Indigenous communities, governments, or organizations, including all identified concerns and potential impacts and how these will be mitigated or addressed.	Maximum response length: 10,000 characters Include a description of the past, ongoing or planned engagement activities with Indigenous communities, governments, or organizations. Include details about how these groups have been or will be engaged and/or consulted on the project(s), project governance, and relationships established. Include any opportunities, issues, and concerns that Indigenous communities, governments, or organizations have raised regarding the project and, as applicable, the supported critical minerals mining operations. The project location will most likely be governed by treaties that define specific rights, benefits, and obligations, which can include but are not limited to land ownership, participation in land use, financial compensation (e.g., annuities), and hunting and fishing rights. Include the outcomes or positions (e.g., final, preliminary, or conditional) of the communities that demonstrate their level of support or objection and concerns related to the infrastructure project and, as applicable, the supported mining projects, referenced in your application, as available. If no engagement or consultation has taken place, provide an explanation. The organization may wish to consult the Map of modern treaties and self-governing First Nations of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Attachment: I.10 – Consultation and/or engagement logs with Indigenous communities and/or groups related to both the infrastructure and mining projects Attachment (options): I.08 – Letters of support or non-objection and/or band council resolutions from Indigenous and local communities OR I.09 – Attestation letters or copies of agreements with Indigenous and local end-users that are not mines Supporting documentation for this question can be attached to I.08 and/or I.09, as appropriate. Examples include, but are not limited to, band council resolutions, and attestation letters signed by the Indigenous community leadership.
37	Identify and describe the anticipated benefits of the project to Indigenous groups.	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters Unless confidential, include details on the benefits to Indigenous groups stemming from the infrastructure project and, where available, the supported critical minerals mining projects enabled by the infrastructure. Benefits may materialize, for example, through: partnerships (equity) impact and benefit agreements or other agreements (e.g., socio-economic or participation agreement; or Indigenous participation via environmental monitoring, royalties and long-term revenue) Indigenous procurement, i.e., contracting of an Indigenous engineering firm or construction company job creation (with a description of the length, i.e., short- versus long-term positions), dedicated training and job opportunities expansion of a local industry/service sector Attachment (options): I.08 – Letters of support or non-objection and/or band council resolutions from Indigenous and local communities OR I.09 – Attestation letters or copies of agreements with Indigenous and local end-users that are not mines Supporting documentation for this question can be attached as I.08 and/or I.09, as appropriate. Applicants are not required to upload confidential benefits agreements.

3.7 GHG emissions

No.	Question	Guidance
38	Briefly describe the GHG emissions reductions that are expected to occur due to your infrastructure project.	This question is required for energy infrastructure projects and hybrid (energy/transportation) projects only. Maximum response length: 4,000 characters Complete the GHG emission template that can be found in the NRCan funding portal and Annex F: Application document checklist and templates. Choose the most appropriate case and provide the information requested in the template so NRCan can calculate the GHG reductions. Note: Biomass projects may be eligible if biomass is sourced following plans that comply with the principles of sustainable forest management. Attachment: I.11 – Estimated GHG reductions

3.8 Other environmental impacts and climate resiliency

No.	Question	Guidance
39	Potential for impacts on the environment	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters Describe the footprint (surface area) of the proposed infrastructure and the actions/initiatives/approach to minimize the project’s disturbance of the environment at its location. Indicate whether the proposed project will be located on or near sensitive lands, including but not limited to: wildlife areas and bird sanctuaries (consult the National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries map on the Canada.ca website) conserved areas (consult the conserved areas page and the open maps viewer on the Canada.ca website) wetlands (consult the open maps viewer on the Canada.ca website) If no environmental impacts are expected, provide a rationale. Attachment: I.05 – Maps with transmission line / road / train route (KML or SHP formats are highly encouraged)
40	Climate-related risk(s) identification	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters For Stream 2 – Shovel-ready projects, describe and provide documentation (e.g., climate risk assessments and studies) that identify and describe current and projected climate-related hazards/risks given the project’s location and life cycle. Potential hazards may include flooding, decreasing water levels, wildfire risk, permafrost thaw, coastal erosion, temperature and precipitation changes, extreme weather events, strong winds, etc. Assess high or medium climate risks (in likelihood and severity) to the infrastructure project and how those risks may impact the services provided by the infrastructure over its life cycle. Provide the analysis, studies and/or reports that have supported the identification and determination of the risks to the infrastructure project. Include the list of climate data and tools that were used to determine the climate risks to the infrastructure project. Some resources that applicants may find helpful to identify the risks include: Resources for Resilience Assessments, Climate Lens Canadian Centre for Climate Services The Climate Atlas of Canada Climate Data for a Resilient Canada Climate Insights Platform the Canada in a Changing Climate reports under the Canada in a Changing Climate: National Assessment Process assessment If no climate-related risks are expected, provide a rationale. Attachment: I.12 – Climate risk and/or environmental assessments/studies
41	Describe all the risk mitigation measures that will be taken to improve the climate resiliency of the infrastructure project.	Maximum response length: 8,000 characters For Stream 2 – Shovel-ready projects, identify and describe measures that will be implemented to reduce the climate risks identified and support the proposed infrastructure to withstand climate change impacts over its life cycle. Some examples include, but are not limited to: implementing structural and physical (engineering) adaptations by adopting building standards that incorporate climate resilience into the design integrating smart technologies including nature-based solutions such as restoring wetlands to address flooding, providing firebreaks to decrease the severity of wildfires, etc. changing operations and maintenance practices Resources that may be useful include: Map of Adaptation Actions Guide on Climate Change Adaptation for the Mining Sector Road Infrastructure Climate Risks and Adaptation Practices for the Canadian Transportation Sector 2016 Infrastructure Canada – Codes, Standards and Guidance for Climate Resilience Energy Infrastructure Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) – Climate Adaptation and Extreme Weather: A Guide to Adaptation Planning for Electricity Companies in Canada If no measures are being taken to improve the climate resiliency of your project, provide an explanation. If climate risk reduction measures were identified but not implemented, provide an explanation. Attachment: I.12 – Climate risk and/or environmental assessments/studies

Section 4: Attachments

No.	Question	Guidance
42	a. Provide documents related to the organization. b. Provide financial documents related to the organization and the project. c. Provide documents related to the infrastructure project. d. Provide documents related to mining and value chains.	Attachments (multiple) For all questions, refer to Annex F: Application document checklist and templates for the full list and description of attachments. When uploading the documents, provide a description of any files not submitted and explain why they have not been submitted (i.e., not applicable or not available). For part a., upload attachments O.01–O.04 in .zip format. For part b., upload attachments F.01–F.02 in .zip format. For part c., upload attachments I.01–I.18 in .zip format. For part d., upload attachments M.01–M.10 in .zip format. For attachment I.18 – Other relevant technical documentation (e.g., conformity with industry standards), examples of technical information include, but are not limited to: schematic diagrams energy resource assessments site engineering design package interconnection agreements power purchase agreements site operating philosophy Any other technical characteristics, including project assessments that confirm the project’s conformity with industry standards such as those of the IEEE, the CSA Group, the ULC or others should also be included. Note: These documents will be reviewed to ensure program requirements are met. For greater certainty, NRCan’s approval of a project should not be construed as: a warranty of merchantability or fitness of the information contained in said documents for any purpose whatsoever other than for a funding decision certainty that all submitted documents were reviewed in full.

Section 5: Confirmations and consent

This section includes mandatory confirmations and consents. If you are not able to agree with the statements, your application cannot proceed.

No.	Question	Guidance
43a	The signatory listed is a representative of the applicant organization duly authorized to make this declaration in submission of a funding application to the NRCan CMIF.	N/A
43b	By signing and submitting this application, the signatory attests that they have read and agree to the terms and conditions in this applicant guide, and that this application has been prepared in good faith and to the best of their ability. The applicant organization acknowledges that any omission or misrepresentation of fact could result in their withdrawal from consideration at any point in the process. The applicant organization is the owner of the information – proprietary, confidential, or otherwise – provided as part of the application, or has obtained written consent to disclose information belonging to a third party to NRCan.	N/A
43c	By signing and submitting this application, the signatory attests that they understand that this proposal does not constitute, nor should it be construed as creating, in any manner whatsoever, an obligation on NRCan to fund the proposed project. Any costs incurred to prepare and submit this application are at the organization’s own risk and expense. Project funding decisions will only be made following receipt, review, and selection of projects and the successful completion of due diligence. No liability, commitment or obligation exists on the part of NRCan to make a financial contribution to the project unless or until a written funding agreement is signed by both parties.	N/A
43d	By signing and submitting this application form, the signatory understands that NRCan reserves the right to alter the currently envisaged process and deadlines, or to cancel the entire application process at its sole discretion.	N/A
43e	Handling of information and privacy: The use and distribution of information collected through this call for proposals will comply with both the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act. Pursuant to the Privacy Act, the program will keep confidential any personal information that it may collect and will not disclose or transmit the said information without your written consent. Because information provided is subject to Access to Information Act, the program can only protect information from disclosure when it falls within one of the listed exemptions of the Acts, such as information of a financial, commercial, scientific or technical nature that it collects from you, provided that you treat the said information as confidential in your own establishment. If you choose to send such information or other confidential information to the program by email, the program will respond by email. Similarly, if your correspondence is carried out through regular mail, the program’s response will be in like manner. However, in all cases, the program will use email correspondence with you for all non-confidential matters.	For more information about the legislation referenced, see the following links: Privacy Act Access of Information Act
43f	By signing and submitting this application, the signatory agrees that this proposal will be considered as the organization’s comprehensive project proposal to the CMIF program for assessment and consideration for a final funding decision by NRCan. The signatory, on behalf of the organization and any applicable third parties, provides consent to the CMIF program to use the submitted information and share it with the program’s employees, external consultants, review committee members, and/or officials in other government organizations (e.g., federal, provincial, territorial and municipal organizations; and Crown corporations) for the purposes of assessing the proposal (i.e., eligibility and prioritization) under the CMIF open or directed call or other funding programs, for program and policy development, and for audit and evaluation of the program. The signatory confirms that this application may be shared with other government funding programs to which this application may be eligible.	Federal funding programs for which CMIF-eligible projects may also be eligible include, but are not limited to Transport Canada’s National Trade Corridors Fund and two NRCan programs: Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways and Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities programs.
43g	By signing and submitting this application, the signatory acknowledges that NRCan will refer the application to the CIB for further consideration and that the CIB application process will be separate from the CMIF process.	For further information on the CIB, visit its website.
43h	By signing and submitting this application, the signatory attests that the organization proposing the project has effective control of all the constituent elements of the project, including that they have or have secured the legal rights to access the necessary information to fulfill any reporting requirements under the terms of conditionally repayable contributions for up to 10 years following project completion, as where applicable.	N/A
43i	By signing and submitting this application, the signatory understands that Canada may withhold the payment or payments until Canada is satisfied that any legal duty to consult with, and where appropriate, to accommodate Indigenous groups has been met and continues to be met to Canada’s satisfaction.	N/A

Section 6: Conflicts of interest

This section asks for information about potential conflicts of interest. The identification of a potential conflict of interest will not immediately disqualify applicants. In the case of a potential conflict of interest, NRCan will use the information provided to determine whether a funding agreement would be possible in light of the requirements of the Conflict of Interest Act and the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders.

No.	Question	Guidance
44a	Are any current or former Government of Canada employees, excluding the program point of contact, working on or associated with the development of this proposal?	If yes, provide the names of current or former Government of Canada employees as well as their past (governmental) and present roles.
44b	Is anyone within the organization a friend or business acquaintance of any member of the Government of Canada program team that could result in you or the organization receiving preferential treatment?	If yes, provide the names of the individuals in the organization and the members from the Government of Canada program team. The Government of Canada program team includes individuals employed in the NRCan Minerals Program Branch and Electricity Resources Branch, individuals working in Transportation and Infrastructure Programs at Transport Canada, and individuals employed by the CIB who work on the critical minerals infrastructure initiative.
44c	Will a current or former public servant or any of their relatives or friends be receiving a personal or financial benefit of any kind as a result of the Government of Canada entering into an agreement with the organization?	If yes, provide the names and contact information of the public servant and relevant relatives or friends.
44d	Have you, any individual working in the organization, or any individual working in your partners’ organizations, formerly provided consultancy services to the Ministers or departments that are related to this project, particularly any services associated with developing this proposal?	If yes, provide the names of the individuals who provided consultancy services to NRCan, Transport Canada, Infrastructure Canada, the CIB, or their respective Ministers.

Annex D: List of eligible and ineligible expenditures

Contributions will be made towards eligible expenditures, directly related to eligible projects, that are deemed reasonable and required to achieve the objectives and results of the program. For any type of project under any CMIF program stream, eligible expenditures may include:

• salaries and benefits for employees of the recipient for time working on the project, where the recipient can demonstrate value for money
• professional and technical services such as, but not limited to, research, consulting, engineering, trades, and laboratory services
• expenditures related to public or Indigenous engagement/consultation, including facilities rental, dissemination of information, communications materials, and other associated costs
• costs associated with Indigenous ceremonies (excluding hospitality)
• honoraria for Indigenous Elders
• capacity building, workshop, and training costs, including facility costs for seminars and conference room rentals
• expenditures related to environmental assessments, follow-up programs, remedial activities, mitigation measures, and follow-up identified in any environmental assessment
• licencing and permit fees
• travel expenses, including transportation, accommodation, and meals, in accordance with federal policies and directives
• expenditures related to site preparation, construction, rehabilitation, and improvement of infrastructure assets (e.g., prefeasibility and feasibility studies, planning, engineering, and design work, modelling, project capital/material costs, equipment, software, data systems and technology deployment)
• data collection services, including processing, analysis, validation, and management
• GST, PST, and/or HST, net of any tax rebate to which the recipient is entitled
• administrative expenditures provided they are incremental, directly related and essential to the conduct of the project, up to 15% of the eligible expenditures. Administrative expenditures include:
  • administrative support provided directly to the project by the eligible recipient employee or employees, valued on the same basis as professional staff time
  • routine laboratory and field equipment maintenance, based on the actual expenditure to a recipient
  • office expenses (e.g., office equipment rental, faxes, telephone, photocopies, heat and hydro)
  • project signage costs
• costs associated with further distribution of funding may be up to 15% of the eligible expenditures

The maximum reimbursement amount for specific eligible expenditures will be reviewed regularly and may be capped at a maximum percentage of the project’s proposed total eligible expenditures, as needed, to ensure funding contributions remain aligned with the program’s objectives and results.

NRCan reserves the right to reject any expenditure it deems unrelated to or unnecessary for the implementation and conduct of a project.

Project costs that are not eligible for reimbursement under the CMIF program include, but are not limited to:

• land acquisition costs and associated real estate fees
• costs of leasing land, buildings, and other facilities
• legal costs related to litigation
• project application preparation or development costs
• tax preparation costs
• financing charges and interest payments on project loans
• salary, benefits and incentives deemed unrelated to the project (e.g., employee bonuses)
• fossil-fuel energy generation equipment
• purchase of rolling stock or mobile equipment
• general repairs or maintenance of project work and related structures
• services or works normally provided by the recipient
• hospitality
• contingencies, i.e. costs set aside to cover unexpected expenses in a project
• general operating and maintenance
• costs incurred after the project completion date, or after March 31, 2030, whichever is earlier

NRCan will not fund activities that duplicate services, studies or written materials funded by other public or private sources, such as documents located on the Internet, or services, studies, or written materials that have already been completed.

Annex E: IDEA plan or commitment requirements

Applicants must complete at least one of the following options to meet the IDEA criteria:

1. submit an IDEA plan with clear objectives, activities, metrics, and timelines
2. sign on to a public commitment for IDEA that supports the program’s objectives, along with details on how the applicant will meet that commitment

Applicants who choose to complete both options must submit the organization’s IDEA plan and fulfill submission requirements for the public IDEA commitment.

Option 1: IDEA plan

To promote a focus on IDEA in Canada’s construction, electricity, or natural resources sector, applicants who select option 1 are required to include the following in their plan:

• Anti-discrimination policy – This policy should reference applicable human rights codes and may include processes and procedures to ensure safety and inclusion in the workplace
• Diversity policy – This policy can include anti-racism, lateral violence, and inclusion policies where relevant to your organization
• Staff education requirement – The applicant should outline actions, with specific timelines, for educating staff on policies, practices and activities chosen to enable a safe, inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace

Note: Indigenous-led organizations may substitute traditional teachings and practices in place of policies. For 100% Indigenous-owned projects, there is flexibility in how policies and education plans are presented as long as an intent is sufficiently demonstrated to implement tangible IDEA practices under the project.

Required activities

Each applicant is required to select activities to be pursued as part of the IDEA plan. The number of activities required depends on the applicant type. Applicants with fewer than 50 employees, or Indigenous-led organizations will be required to include two or more activities in their IDEA plan. Applicants with 50 or more employees are required to include a minimum of four activities.

Activities may be chosen from the lists below, or other planned activities can be provided, if relevant. Applicants are encouraged to include activities related to community engagement if their project will impact the local community. Any activities that provide additional benefits to Indigenous groups, governments or organizations, such as training programs, joint ownership, and other targeted benefit programs, may be included as part of the plan.

Ensure all included activities have clear metrics, goals and timelines. Include additional details as required to explain how IDEA goals will be met.

For example, “This project will aim to train 90% of all employees on anti-racism by the end of the year” or “This project will include IDEA criteria, including asking for an IDEA plan, as part of the supplier selection process up until project commissioning”.

Category	Examples of eligible IDEA plan activities
Governance and policies	Adopt more inclusive training processes and policies to support IDEA in the workplace in addition to required policies Create policies, practices, and strategies that consider the safety and equitable benefit of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons per call for action 13.1 in the Calls for Justice following the Final Report of the National Inquiry into MMIWG
More inclusive, equitable, diverse and accessible workforce representation	Create policies, practices and strategies to increase workforce representation of underrepresented groups Hire women and other marginalized genders Hire members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community Hire racialized people Hire Indigenous people Hire persons with disabilities Hire youth
More inclusive, equitable, diverse and accessible management representation	Increase representation of women and other marginalized genders in managerial roles Increase representation of racialized people in managerial roles Increase representation of Indigenous people in managerial roles Increase representation of persons with disabilities in managerial roles
Workforce advancement and retention	Commit to retention and advancement of diverse genders, racialized people, Indigenous people, youth and/or persons with disabilities within the organization
Training to educate and empower the workforce	Develop training methods that are inclusive Train on IDEA within the organization Support representation in training programs (e.g., college, and university) Provide career development opportunities Organize sessions to speak out against violence towards Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons; and/or other forms of discrimination (e.g., racism, sexism, ignorance and transphobia)
Supplier selection	Commit to working with one or multiple companies that are committed to IDEA through their policies and practices Contract significant work to Indigenous companies or companies owned by members of an underrepresented group
Reporting	Gather internal workforce IDEA data in a confidential manner Facilitate anonymous company-wide surveys Conduct employee exit interviews Measure and report to stakeholders on key IDEA performance indicators
Communication	Share results of data collection and lessons learned Communicate with internal and/or external stakeholders about IDEA in the organization
Workplace committees dedicated to IDEA	Facilitate a workplace committee on IDEA, consisting of a diverse group of individuals, who focus on inclusion, discrimination, and human rights concerns within the workplace Ensure employees are supported in their participation within these committees
Community engagement and benefits	Implement a community benefit agreement Hire and train members of the local community Fund advocacy groups that promote workforce IDEA Create a community fund to support local activities
Inclusion and accessibility	Implement elements in the workplace to support the needs of specific groups in the workforce, for example: opening a daycare for staff’s families and creating safe spaces for breastfeeding parents having gender-neutral washrooms making respectful spiritual spaces available provide flexible work arrangements

Option 2: Public IDEA commitment

Applicants who select option 2 choose to sign onto a public IDEA commitment. Eligible public commitments must be related, but not limited to, the following:

• advancing the roles of multiple underrepresented groups in the construction, electricity, and/or natural resources sectors, including, but not limited to, women; 2SLGBTQ+ persons; First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples; racialized people; and persons with disabilities
• reducing barriers to entry into the workforce
• commitments to workplace IDEA measures
• goals for representation in the workplace and leadership
• commitments to the advancement of underrepresented persons in the workplace

Required information

• Name of the public commitment
• Name of the organization delivering the public commitment
• Details of the public commitment:
  • objectives of the commitment
  • timeframes of the commitment
  • metrics to be measured
  • specifics of the commitment
• Written confirmation and proof of signing on to the public commitment from the coordinating organization

See Annex F: Application document checklist and templates or the NRCan funding portal for a sample template of a fully described public IDEA commitment.

Examples of eligible public commitments

Examples of eligible public engagements include, but are not limited to:

• the NRCan-led Equal by 30 Campaign
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s 50 – 30 Challenge
• Diversio Certification of Diversity and Inclusion
• becoming a Signatory of the Electricity Human Resources Canada Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Accord. (Note that only the Signatory status is permissible under the program. The Advocate status is not permissible.)

Annex F: Application document checklist and templates

Below is a list of documents required for a CMIF application. Archive/zip attachments according to the document categories below and ensure each attachment starts with the corresponding file prefix. In addition, when uploading your files, provide a description of files not submitted and explain why they have not been submitted (i.e., not applicable or not available). Consult Annex B: EOI form companion guide or Annex C: Full application form companion guide for further guidance on what to include for each attachment. Note: These documents may not be thoroughly reviewed in all cases, but may be used as part of assessments, including for reference.

Organizational documents

File prefix	File description	Stream 1 – Preconstruction requirement	Stream 2 – Shovel-ready requirement
O.01	Articles of incorporation or proof of registration (if available)	Yes	Yes
O.02	Business/ownership structure	Yes	Yes
O.03	Organizational chart	Yes	Yes
O.04	IDEA Plan or Public Commitment (mandatory only for organizations that employ at least 20 FTEs	Yes, if the organization employs at least 20 FTEs	Yes, if the organization employs at least 20 FTEs
O.05	Letter of intent from project partners to cooperate with the applicant to provisionally satisfy effective control requirements at the application stage	As applicable. This attachment may be requested from you following application submission.	As applicable. This attachment may be requested from you following application submission.

Financial documents

File prefix	File description	Stream 1 – Preconstruction requirement	Stream 2 – Shovel-ready requirement
F.01	Detailed budget, cash flow projections, and sources of funding	Yes	Yes
F.02	Audited financial statements	Yes	Yes

Infrastructure project documents

File prefix	File description	Stream 1 – Preconstruction requirement	Stream 2 – Shovel-ready requirement
I.01	Detailed work plan	Yes	Yes
I.02	Gantt chart or similar project timeline diagram	Yes	Yes
I.03	Risk management plan	Yes	Yes
I.04	Site maps / plans that show anticipated route/path of the proposed infrastructure	Yes	Yes
I.05	Maps with transmission line / road / train route (KML or SHIP formats are encouraged)	Yes	Yes
I.06	Proof of land ownership or land-use authorization	No	Yes
I.07	Proof of regulatory and permit approvals for the infrastructure project	No	Yes
I.08	Letters of support or non-objection and/or band council resolutions from Indigenous and local communities (including businesses) for the infrastructure project	Yes	Yes
I.09	Attestation letters or copies of agreements with Indigenous and local end-users that are not mines	No	Yes
I.10	Consultation and/or engagement logs with Indigenous communities and/or groups related to both the infrastructure and mining projects	Yes	Yes
I.11	Baseline and estimated reductions in fossil fuel usage and GHG emissions (energy or hybrid [energy/transportation] projects only)	Yes	Yes
I.12	Climate risk and/or environmental assessments/studies for the infrastructure project	No	Yes
I.13	Cargo capacity and movement estimates (transportation and hybrid [energy/transportation] projects only)	No	Yes
I.14	Energy infrastructure feasibility and/or options analysis studies (energy and hybrid [energy/transportation] projects only)	No	Yes
I.15	Attestation letters or copies of agreements from infrastructure end-users	Yes	Yes
I.16	Infrastructure feasibility assessments/studies	No	Yes
I.17	Infrastructure engineering assessments/studies	No	Yes
I.18	Other relevant technical documentation (e.g., conformity with industry standards)	No	Yes

Mining and value chain documents

File prefix	File description	Stream 1 – Preconstruction requirement	Stream 2 – Shovel-ready requirement
M.01	FS for each critical minerals mining operation referenced in your application	Yes, but attachments M.02–M.04 may be submitted if this attachment is unavailable	Yes, but attachments M.02–M.04 may be submitted if this attachment is unavailable
M.02	PFS for each critical minerals mining operation referenced in your application	Yes, if attachment M.01 was not submitted for a given critical minerals mining operation	Yes, if attachment M.01 was not submitted for a given critical minerals mining operation
M.03	Preliminary economic assessment for each critical minerals mining operation referenced in your application	Yes, if attachments M.01–M.02 were not submitted for a given critical minerals mining operation	Yes, if attachments M.01–M.02 were not submitted for a given critical minerals mining operation
M.04	Maiden or mineral resource estimate for each critical minerals mining operation referenced in your application	Yes, if attachments M.01–M.03 were not submitted for a given critical minerals mining operation	Yes, if attachments M.01–M.03 were not submitted for a given critical minerals mining operation
M.05	Mining project map for each critical minerals mining operation referenced in your application	Yes	Yes
M.06	Copy of project permits and regulatory approvals for each critical minerals mining operation referenced in your application	Yes	Yes
M.07	Most recent company financial statement and MD&A for each critical minerals mining operation referenced in your application	Yes	Yes
M.08	All supporting documentation to confirm the value or supply chain destinations of the new critical minerals production enabled (e.g., attestation letters; memorandums of understanding; and copies of agreements with each mining, processing, and manufacturing companies)	Yes	Yes
M.09	Letters of support or non-objection from key partners (e.g., Indigenous groups) and stakeholders (e.g., provincial, territorial, and/or municipal governments; and regional organizations) for each critical minerals mining operation referenced in your application	Yes	Yes
M.10	Environmental assessments/studies for each critical minerals mining operation referenced in your application	Yes	Yes