Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF) is sponsored by Natural Resources Canada. Supports infrastructure projects that advance critical minerals development in Canada.

Applicant guide: Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund – 2025–26 call for proposals - Canada. ca 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 following updates to the applicant guide were made on August 07, 2025: Minimum development thresholds : Clarification added that in exceptional circumstances, mine development thresholds may be demonstrated by equivalent forms of evidence other than a recent NI-43-101 feasibility study for Stream 2 applications.

Stream 2 - Shovel ready : Clarification added that applications to Stream 2 can be submitted even if some regulatory or permitting approvals are pending, provided they would be obtained within 6 months of the submission date.

Expression of interest form companion guide (Annex B): Clarification added that some preconstruction activities may be funded via the CMIF in Stream 1 even if they are part of a broader project that is subject to a current or future assessment under the Impact Assessment Act. 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.

Eligible infrastructure projects Minimum development thresholds Conditionally repayable and non-repayable contributions Application and program process NRCan funding portal registration Expression of interest (EOI) Contribution agreement (only for approved projects) Reporting (only for approved projects) Additional information for applicants Confidentiality and security of information Regulatory and legal requirements Program contact information 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 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 .

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 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 : 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.

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. 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.

Applications to Stream 2 can be submitted even if some regulatory or permitting approvals are pending, provided the applicant can substantiate that they are obtained within 6 months of the submission date 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 Footnote 3 .

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).

Note that technical reports listed to satisfy the minimum development thresholds should be recent (i.e., within the last 3–5 years) and prepared according to National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

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).

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 4 Indigenous Footnote 5 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 6 .

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 7 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 8 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 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: The maximum funding available per project under this CFP is $50 million, unless the applicant is a provincial or territorial government Footnote 9 , in which case the maximum is $100 million.

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 10 : 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 11 provincial, territorial, and municipal governments provincial Crown corporations other public 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. Note: To ensure security, the portal times out after 10 minutes of inactivity.

As such, we strongly encourage applicants to save often and prepare responses in a word processing application prior to accessing the portal. Please refer to Annex B: EOI form companion guide or Annex C: Full application form companion guide for a list of the questions that applicants will have to answer in the 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. 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.

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.

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.

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

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