Global Partnerships Initiative

Advancing Canada’s global leadership on critical minerals

Canada is recognized worldwide for its leadership in responsible mining and mineral sourcing. Between 2023 and 2030, the Global Partnerships Initiative (GPI) is investing in strategic international alliances that advance joint research and development; strengthen environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards; and address national security priorities.

Recent incremental funding is accelerating investment-ready projects that strengthen secure, ESG-aligned critical minerals supply chains. These supply chains provide essential inputs to advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defence, and other high-technology sectors, while also enabling clean energy transitions and broader economic growth. To date, $135.6 million has been allocated to the GPI program, including targeted new investments supporting secure and resilient supply chains.

The GPI provides:

• non-repayable contributions for joint research and development (R&D)
• non-repayable contributions for critical minerals development projects in Canada carried out in collaboration with international partners
• grants for activities that improve the transparency and traceability of critical minerals supply chains
• support for international organizations and projects that promote responsible resource development
• targeted support for dual-use technologies and strategic minerals projects that enhance supply chain security, innovation, and international collaboration

The GPI is a key driver in evolving ESG standards and upholding Canada’s responsibilities under the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act.

The GPI is a key driver in evolving ESG standards and upholding Canada’s responsibilities under the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act.

GPI areas of focus

Market development and investment

The GPI supports improving the accuracy, transparency and usefulness of Canadian critical minerals data. It supports collaboration with international partners to advance global critical minerals data collection and sharing, and contributes to a national project inventory on Canadian minerals. Current investments also focus on developing secure and traceable supply chain data to support strategic industries and allied coordination in critical minerals sourcing and use.

The GPI supports projects that:

• improve data survey methodologies and data sharing mechanisms
• improve online critical minerals data mapping
• develop resources and reserve data by expanding the national survey initiative

International R&D

The GPI strengthens Canada’s capacity to conduct critical minerals research collaboratively with other countries. Joint investments under the GPI with the United States serve North American advanced manufacturing, clean energy and defence sectors to achieve economic benefits on both sides of the border.

The GPI provides funding for projects that:

• help Canadian companies advance new critical minerals processing technologies through pilot and demonstration plants, in collaboration with international partners
• advance new critical minerals production technologies toward commercialization through research partnerships with other countries
• support objectives of the Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative, an international collaboration between Geoscience Australia, the Geological Survey of Canada and the U.S. Geological Survey that aims to promote critical minerals discoveries in all three countries
• are part of the Centre for Resource Recovery and Recycling, an international research consortium focused on materials recovery and recycling
• accelerate the development and deployment of critical minerals technologies that support both commercial and defence applications (“dual-use”), including projects aligned with allied industrial and security priorities such as those aligned with allied supply chain cooperation

Canada’s international leadership

The GPI positions Canada as a global leader in the sustainable development of critical minerals supply chains by advancing its ESG commitments and leveraging its bilateral and multilateral partnerships. The Initiative contributes to allied efforts such as the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan, the Minerals Security Partnership, and broader cooperation among trusted partners to promote secure and sustainable global supply chains. These actions strengthen economic and energy security, support innovation, and reinforce Canada’s role in advancing shared strategic and industrial objectives.

The GPI enhances Canada’s global leadership by contributing to:

• the World Bank Climate-Smart Mining Initiative
• the University of British Columbia’s efforts to advance the Energy Resources Governance Initiative
• the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development
• the implementation and enforcement of the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act
• the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

Directed application intake

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) may consider projects through a directed intake process and the approach will be informed by program priorities and available resources. Projects may be identified by NRCan through engagement with proponents and in collaboration with provincial, territorial, or international partners. Participation in the directed intake is by invitation only; unsolicited applications will not be accepted. NRCan may consider projects that:

• demonstrate international collaboration with trusted partners
• focus on critical minerals essential for defence and dual-use applications – particularly those that are strategically important to allied security, not currently produced in Canada, or subject to foreign control
• align with the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy and Canada’s broader economic and security objectives
• provide clear benefits to Canada’s critical minerals value chains, including early investments in strategic materials such as rare earth elements, titanium, tungsten, gallium, germanium, and other allied-priority minerals
• include co-funding or joint RD&D collaboration with international partners

NRCan will expedite assessment of projects in the directed intake. Projects under consideration for the directed intake will undergo the same comprehensive assessment, prioritization, and due diligence as those received through an open call, with timelines expedited where appropriate.

GPI funded projects

The following is a list of projects that have received contributions or grant funding under the GPI. These initiatives advance Canada’s domestic interests by strengthening strategic critical minerals value chains with international partners, promoting responsible resource practices, enhancing traceability, and/or building capacity through international collaboration and training.

Contribution funding

Cyclic Materials Inc.

Funding of up to $9.1 million to support Cyclic Materials Inc. in establishing a fully integrated and economically viable rare earth elements (REEs) recycling value chain in Canada by advancing REEs processing, separation and metallization technologies to produce rare earth metals from end-of-life materials.

E3 Lithium Ltd.

Funding of up to $36.5 million to advance E3 Lithium’s Clearwater Project to commercial readiness and a final investment decision by completing a lithium refining demonstration program, engineering design, and feasibility studies.

First Phosphate Corp.

Funding of $16.7 million to support advancing First Phosphate’s Bégin-Lamarche deposit by demonstrating the production of phosphate concentrate that meets lithium iron phosphate cathode active material specifications through piloting test work, and feasibility and engineering studies.

Frontier Lithium Inc.

Funding of up to $2.3 million to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of a technology that processes sodium sulphate by-product into a value-added product.

Rio Tinto Alcan Inc.

Funding of up to $18.95 million to support establishing a secure North American source of gallium by recovering it from Bayer liquor produced at the Vaudreuil alumina refinery through laboratory testing, piloting, demonstration and deployment.

Scandium Canada Ltd.

Funding of $6.9 million to advance Scandium Canada’s Crater Lake project to bankability by scaling up the companies process and conduct co-development applied research with end users of aluminum-scandium alloys.

Ucore Rare Metals Inc.

Funding of up to $26.3 million to engineer, build, test, commission, and commercially demonstrate a total rare earth oxide, focused on producing samarium and gadolinium oxides from samarium-europium-gadolinium feedstock.

Focus Graphite Inc.

Funding of $14.06 million to pilot and commercially demonstrate a green, chemical-free electrothermal purification process for natural flake graphite sourced from Focus Graphite’s Lac Knife and Lac Tétépisca deposits.

Northcliff Resources Ltd.

Funding of $8.2 million to advance the proposed development of a tungsten-molybdenum mine by completing feasibility and engineering studies and activities in New Brunswick through its Sisson Project. These key minerals help produce lightweight, durable components for industrial purposes and are essential components in steel production, with a key role in defence and aerospace applications.

Fortune Minerals Ltd.

Funding of $7.5 million, with an additional investment of US$6.4 million under the United States Department of Defense’s Defense Production Act, to advance engineering and processing to ensure a reliable North American supply of bismuth, cobalt, copper and gold.

University of British Columbia

Funding of $1 million to support the development and increased offering of the University’s Executive Micro Certificate in Economic Leadership for Mining program to provide virtual training around the globe and in-person training to mining professionals in Chile and Argentina.

Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

Funding of $325,000 to support International Secretariat activities. Contributions will be ongoing.

Grant funding

Mining Industry Human Resources Council

Funding of up to $1.5 million to strengthen international collaboration, enhance skills development, support knowledge transfer, and leverage Australia’s global leadership in mining education to strengthen Canada’s professional capacity, economic competitiveness, supply chain resilience, and security, as well as allied security.

Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

Funding of up to $865,544 through a Minerals Skills Network grant to create and deliver a hybrid modular course for technical, operational, political and prospective capabilities that provides a conceptual, analytical and practical framework to equip participants with the expertise required to address issues surrounding critical minerals in Latin America and the Caribbean.

International Institute for Sustainable Development

Funding of up to $5 million to further support the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) and strengthen global mining governance. The initiative will support analytical work on critical mineral value chains and the convening of governments, industry and civil society, including from the 86 member countries of the IGF.

International Institute for Sustainable Development

Funding of up to $1.15 million through a Minerals Skills Network grant to build institutional and professional capacity, and global collaboration in mining governance through the IGF.

University of British Columbia’s Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining

Funding of up to $1.99 million through a Minerals Skills Network grant to support the Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining and strengthen collaboration with South and Central America.

University of Toronto

Funding of up to $984,400 through a Minerals Skills Network grant to expand training in mining economics and finance, with a focus on ESG standards.

International Institute for Sustainable Development

Funding of $5.4 million to support the Institute’s ongoing role as Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development. This includes governance and technical capacity building with developing countries through outreach and promotion, Mining Policy Framework assessments, and training sessions and technical assistance.

International Energy Agency

Funding of $325,000 for an analytical research study on supply chain traceability.

World Bank

Funding of $1.95 million to support the Climate-Smart Mining Initiative, which aims to decarbonize and reduce the material footprint of minerals needed for the clean energy transition and help advance the United Nations sustainable development goals.

Quartech Systems Ltd.

Grant of $55,000 under the Critical Minerals Traceability Program (CMTP) to enhance the interoperability of a commercial-stage application of an open-source technology to enable critical minerals supply chain traceability and create meaningful global climate action and environmental protection.

Aisimpro Inc.

Grant of $123,750 under the CMTP to develop and implement a blockchain-powered system for critical minerals traceability and ESG measures in mining, with a specific focus on the uranium value chain.

Peer Ledger Inc.

Grant of $165,300 under the CMTP to offer an online regulatory technology sandbox to support up to 20 critical minerals sector companies and their supply chains to deploy digital circular value chains.

Optel Group (Optel Vision Inc.)

Grant of $165,300 under the CMTP to establish the preliminary greenhouse gases and ESG performance of a Canadian nickel-manganese-cobalt battery supply chain in a transparent and traceable manner.

Northern Block

Grant of $165,300 under the CMTP to transform the Canadian critical minerals industry by improving the availability and value of Towards Sustainable Mining Initiative data, in partnership with the Mining Association of Canada.

Contact us

For more information about the GPI, contact the Critical Minerals Centre of Excellence, at cmce-cemc@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.