Critical Minerals Geoscience and Data Initiative – Call for proposals

Introduction

Boosting Canada’s critical minerals potential through data and digital technologies

Closed for applications

The Critical Minerals Geoscience and Data (CMGD) Initiative provides funding to enhance access to important data and insights into the location, quality and economic feasibility of critical minerals resources. By harnessing the power of geoscience and data, we will pave the way for the responsible growth of industries that rely on these minerals, from technology and energy to defence and infrastructure.

Amount available: Up to $500,000 per project

Federal government funding cannot exceed 75% of the total project cost.

Type of funding: Non-repayable contributions

Application deadline: 11:59 p.m. PDT, on May 31, 2024

Program timeframe: April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2027

Eligibility

• one or two year projects
• Led by provincial or territorial governments, or their departments or agencies (limit of two proposals per province or territory)
• Must meet the CMGD Initiative objectives and expected outcomes below, in support of mandates from the Pan-Canadian Geoscience Strategy

CMGD Initiative objectives

• Provide geoscience support to accelerate the development of 14 critical minerals to reduce the risk associated with investment decisions made by public and private sectors, while enhancing Canada’s competitive edge in harnessing its critical minerals resources
• Foster the growth of critical minerals expertise within Canada, thereby reducing the country’s dependence on foreign suppliers
• Accelerate access to national and international markets for key Canadian critical minerals
• Improve access to markets with model supply scenarios that will link critical minerals resource and mining data with market analysis to optimize responsiveness to market changes
• Safeguard public and private sector investments and bolster Canada’s competitiveness in critical minerals development by providing top-tier geoscience services to the public

Expected CMGD Initiative outcomes

• Enhanced data assets and modelling of Canada’s critical minerals resources, taking into account environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria, to outline economic and environmental pathways as well as value chains
• Improved economic benefit to Northern and isolated communities through access to accurate, up-to-date data for decision-making on critical minerals exploration and mining infrastructure projects
• Comprehensive geo-environmental and ESG characterization of critical minerals resources
• Increased awareness of critical minerals opportunities for mineral processors
• Improved understanding of the value of mine waste as a potential source of critical minerals
• Training and mentoring of the next generation of highly qualified geoscience professionals

How to apply

Step 1: Request a project proposal package (i.e., CMGD Initiative Contribution Project Proposal Template and CMGD Initiative Contribution Proposed Budget Template) from the CMGD Initiative Coordination Office, at cmgd-gdmc@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

Step 2: Email or mail your completed CMGD Initiative Contribution Project Proposal Template and CMGD Initiative Contribution Proposed Budget Template to the CMGD Initiative Coordination Office. The receipt of each submission will be acknowledged via email. Incomplete submissions will be automatically rejected and receive no further consideration. Additional documentation will not be considered in the evaluation.

Email address: cmgd-gdmc@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

Mailing address:
Critical Minerals Geoscience and Data Initiative Coordination Office
Geological Survey of Canada
601 Booth Street, Room 461
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E8

Please note that Natural Resources Canada (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.

After you apply

Review procedures and assessment criteria

All submissions that include both a completed and signed CMGD Initiative Contribution Project Proposal Template and a completed CMGD Initiative Contribution Proposed Budget Template will be evaluated by scientific experts and senior program managers. After a weighted assessment (see table below), CMGD Initiative management will determine the successful proposals and decide whether the work is best done under the auspices of a renewable single-year contribution agreement or a two-year contribution agreement. There will be no appeal process. Only applicants who are successful at this stage will be invited to negotiate the terms and conditions of a subsequent contribution agreement.

Project proposal assessment criteria

Weighting	Category	Considerations
30%	Alignment with CMGD Initiative objectives and Pan-Canadian Geoscience Strategy	Does the submission clearly demonstrate how the proposed project would benefit and support critical minerals development in Canada?
40%	Scientific merit, work plan and budget	Is the proposed project scientifically sound and technically feasible? Is the work plan reasonable and effectively costed?
10%	Research competence	Does the research team have the expertise required to achieve their objectives competently and complete the project successfully?
10%	Collaborations, partnerships and leveraging	Are there other collaborators or partners involved in the project? If so, what cash or in-kind contributions are being made to the project by the recipient and other collaborators or partners? Proponents should target at least 50% cash or in-kind support for their project.
10%	Development of highly qualified personnel	Does the submission indicate how the knowledge and experience gained by involved students, postdoctoral fellows, research assistants or others (including industrial personnel) help develop the next generation of highly skilled geoscientists who might be employed by the Canadian minerals industry, research institutes or universities?

Reporting requirements

Regular communication between NRCan and the recipients will be established to monitor progress.

Proponents may be asked to provide reports identified in the recipient’s original project proposal for the purposes of determining program performance and assist in evaluation of the program. Frequency of reporting will be established as per the recipient/project risk assessment.

All recipients of a contribution agreement shall provide the following:

• financial reports with every claim for payment
• a final accounting of eligible expenditures as defined in the contribution agreement
• a narrative report to describe how project activities have contributed to the achievement of the objectives of the project
• an assessment of any key performance measurements identified in the agreement

Eligible expenditures

Eligible expenditures must be directly related to the approved projects and may include:

• salaries and benefits
• professional, scientific and contracting services
• travel expenditures, including meals and accommodation, based on National Joint Council rates (For academic institutions, travel expenditures may be in accordance with their established policies and directives.)
• laboratory and field supplies, and materials, including transportation rentals and leases
• field-related services and equipment rental
• licence fees and permits
• facility rentals and appropriate expenses related to the staging of stakeholder engagement seminars, conferences, workshops, etc.
• communications materials, including translation, printing and binding promotional materials for workshops, and publishing project reports
• data collection services, including processing, analysis and management
• office operating and maintenance expenditures that directly support the project (e.g., materials, supplies and equipment, including computer software and computer support services)
• overhead expenditures^{Footnote 1}, provided they are directly related to the conduct of the project and can be attributed to it (Overhead expenditures are not to exceed 15% of total eligible project costs.)
• goods and services tax (GST), provincial sales tax (PST) and harmonized sales tax (HST), net of any tax rebate to which the recipient is entitled^{Footnote 2}

Ineligible expenditures

• The purchase of land or payment of property taxes
• Ongoing fees beyond the duration of the project (e.g., maintenance fees and service contracts)

About the CMGD Initiative

The CMGD Initiative is one part of the Government of Canada’s strategy to strengthen the supply chains of critical minerals that are needed for a green and digital economy. The Initiative will provide up to $2.8 million in contributions funding from 2025 to 2027 to provide essential knowledge and data to support the sustainable development of Canada’s critical minerals resources.

Visit the CMGD Initiative web page to learn more about the program.

Contact us

For further information, please send an email to the CMGD Initiative Coordination Office, at cmgd-gdmc@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

Disclaimer

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

Any costs incurred for the submission of a project application 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.