Junior Exploration Assistance Program
NL, Canada
Money for the discovery of new mineral districts in Newfoundland and Labrador
grant_single_labels|summary
grant_single|eligibleFinancing
- grant_single|maxCount
- grant_single|projectCostPercent
grant_single|deadlines
- grant_single|timelineUnspecified
grant_single|financingType
Grant and Funding
grant_single|eligibleIndustries
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
grant_single|grantors
- Department of Industry, Energy and Technology (NL)
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
grant_single|status
grant_card_status|open
grant_single_labels|preview
Financial support of up to $225,000 per project for mineral exploration and/or mining.
grant_single_labels|projects
The grant supports a variety of eligible exploration activities aimed at growing the province's mineral inventory, including both grassroots and non-grassroots activities.
- Qualified Person services
- Surface drilling
- Underground core drilling
- Other drilling
- Borehole surveys (electromagnetic, radiometric, televiewer, etc.)
- Surface and underground bulk hard rock sampling
- Property-scale prospecting
- Geological mapping
- Bio-geochemical sampling
- Soil sampling
- Till sampling
- Lake sediment sampling
- Ground geophysical surveys
- Trenching
grant_single|admissibleProjectsExample
$225,000
St. John's
Surface and underground bulk sampling for nickel exploration in St John's
$195,000
Red Lake
Geophysical surveys and borehole surveying at a mineral exploration site
$225,000
Thunder Bay
Drilling and geological mapping of an undeveloped mineral site near Thunder Bay
$155,000
Yellowknife
Till and soil sampling to identify mineral prospects
$225,000
Sudbury
Surface and underground bulk hard rock sampling in a potential gold mine near Sudbury
grant_single_labels|admissibility
To be eligible for the Junior Exploration Assistance grant, companies primarily engaged in mineral exploration must meet specific criteria related to registration, standing, approvals, and operational status.
- Registration with the Provincial Registry of Companies.
- Status of "In Good Standing" with the Provincial Registry of Companies.
- Possession of a Supplier Number from the Department of Finance, Financial Systems Control Division.
- Hold mineral rights to the exploration lands or have a registered agreement with the mineral rights holder.
- Receipt of Exploration Approval (ExA) or a Letter of Acceptance (LxA) from the Mineral Lands Division before commencing exploration activities.
- Primarily engaged in mineral exploration and can either not receive mineral revenue or receive direct/indirect revenue from mineral/mining operations.
- Exploration activities on Mining Leases with active operations are ineligible.
grant_eligibility_criteria|who_can_apply
Companies primarily engaged in mineral exploration and/or mining are eligible for the Junior Exploration Assistance (JEA) grant. These companies can be in receipt of direct or indirect revenues from mineral/mining operations.
- Primarily engaged in mineral exploration
- Primarily engaged in mining
- Can be in receipt of direct or indirect revenues from mineral/mining operations
grant_eligibility_criteria|eligible_expenses
Yes, there are eligible expenses for this grant. The activities and associated expenditures eligible for assistance include, but are not limited to:
- Qualified Person services for project supervision and report writing
- Surface and underground core drilling
- Borehole surveys
- Surface and underground bulk hard rock sampling
- Property-scale prospecting, geological mapping, and various types of sampling
- Field support, fuel, and travel costs
- Geochemical, bio-geochemical, and lithogeochemical analysis
grant_eligibility_criteria|zone
The eligible geographic zones for the Junior Exploration Assistance grant are the Island of Newfoundland and Labrador, with higher maximum funding allocated for projects in Labrador.
- The Island of Newfoundland
- Labrador
grant_single_labels|criteria
JEA grants are evaluated based on exploration activities supporting mineral discoveries. Eligibility includes companies engaged in mineral exploration or mining to enhance competitiveness in exploration.
- Exploration activities supporting mineral discoveries
- Engagement in mineral exploration or mining
- Enhancing competitiveness in exploration
grant_single_labels|register
- Step 1: Review the JEA 2024 Guidelines
- Understand the objectives, form, and amount of assistance, eligibility requirements, and other conditions
- Step 2: Confirm Company Eligibility
- Ensure the company is registered with the Provincial Registry of Companies and "In Good Standing"
- Obtain a Supplier Number from the Department of Finance, Financial Systems Control Division
- Step 3: Secure Mineral Rights
- Ensure that company holds the mineral rights, or has a registered agreement with the holder of the mineral rights
- Step 4: Obtain Exploration Approval/Letter of Acceptance
- Ensure Exploration Approval (ExA) or a Letter of Acceptance (LxA) is received from the Mineral Lands Division
- Step 5: Submit a Completed Letter of Intent (LOI)
- Submit to the Mineral Incentive Program (MIP) no later than June 21st, 2024
- Notify the MIP of any significant changes to the exploration activities described in the LOI
- Step 6: Receive Response Letter
- Receive a response letter confirming eligibility for JEA funding on or before July 12, 2024
- Address any disagreements with the assessment of eligibility by July 19, 2024
- Step 7: Program Start Notification
- Notify the Program Manager no more than 14 days and no less than 24 hours before mobilization
- Step 8: Conduct Exploration Activities
- Ensure activities and associated expenditures are in accordance with the eligible activities and conditions in the guidelines
- Step 9: Submit Technical Report
- Submit a Technical Report containing required technical and financial information on or before January 31st, 2025
grant_single_labels|otherInfo
Additional information about the Junior Exploration Assistance (JEA) grant includes program contact details and eligibility criteria for critical minerals specific to Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Download Adobe® Acrobat® Reader software for PDF documents.
- Contact information for the Mineral Development Division is provided, including an email address and mailing address.
- The program administrator encourages parties interested in funding to review the latest guidelines and forms on the official website.
- Newfoundland and Labrador’s Critical Minerals List includes specific minerals eligible for additional support.
grant_single_labels|contact
MineralIncentive@gov.nl.ca
Apply to this program
Junior Exploration Assistance (JEA) 2024: Boosting Mineral Exploration in Newfoundland and Labrador
Junior Exploration Assistance (JEA) 2024 aims to enhance the mineral inventory of Newfoundland and Labrador by supporting companies engaged in the discovery of new mineral prospects, occurrences, and deposits. It also provides focused support for critical mineral exploration through the Provincial Critical Mineral Assistance (PCMA) and Critical Mineral Assistance (CMA) programs.
Overview and Objectives of the Junior Exploration Assistance (JEA) 2024
The Junior Exploration Assistance (JEA) program for 2024 is designed to stimulate mineral exploration within the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The goal is to grow the region's mineral inventory by discovering new mineral districts, occurrences, prospects, and deposits. Additionally, JEA aims to support the advanced stage of mineral discoveries to define National Instrument (NI) 43-101 compliant mineral resources. JEA 2024 also emphasizes enhancing Newfoundland and Labrador’s competitiveness globally as a premier mineral exploration destination. To achieve this, the program provides rebates for eligible exploration activities through a new combination of funding sources, including Provincial Grant funds, Critical Mineral Assistance (CMA) from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and the newly introduced Provincial Critical Mineral Assistance (PCMA).
New Features in JEA 2024: Emphasis on Critical Minerals
One of the exciting developments for JEA in 2024 is the focused support for critical mineral exploration through an additional contribution from the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology (IET). Known as Provincial Critical Mineral Assistance (PCMA), this initiative allocates an additional $1.3 million to fund rebates for eligible exploration activities. Together with the existing $1.3 million ACOA-funded Critical Mineral Assistance (CMA), which continues through 2024 and 2025, JEA now comprises a total of $3.9 million in funding. This amount is broken down as follows: - $1.3 million from Provincial Grant funds - $1.3 million from CMA - $1.3 million from PCMA Funding under these programs will be applied to projects in the following order: CMA, if eligible; PCMA, if eligible; and Provincial Grant funds. This structuring ensures that larger rebates are available for companies engaging in critical mineral exploration within the province, thereby supporting a higher rate of participation in this crucial sector.
Eligibility Criteria and Submission Requirements
To qualify for the JEA 2024 program, companies must be primarily engaged in mineral exploration and/or mining and can receive direct or indirect revenues from mineral/mining operations. However, it is important to note that exploration activities conducted on mining leases with active operations are ineligible. Eligible companies must: - Be registered with the Provincial Registry of Companies. - Be in good standing with the Provincial Registry of Companies. - Have a Supplier Number from the Department of Finance, Financial Systems Control Division. - Hold the mineral rights to the exploration lands or have a registered agreement with the mineral rights holder. - Obtain Exploration Approval (ExA) or a Letter of Acceptance (LxA) from the Mineral Lands Division before commencing exploration activities.
Eligible Exploration Activities and Funding Categories
Eligible exploration activities under JEA 2024 include a comprehensive range of initiatives essential for mineral discovery and development. These activities are categorized into grassroots and non-grassroots activities with specific funding percentages based on the type of company and exploration work. Grassroots Activities: - Defined as regional geochemical and geophysical surveys. - For companies not in receipt of mineral revenue, 75% of eligible grassroots costs up to a maximum of $150,000 per project on the Island of Newfoundland and up to $225,000 per project in Labrador. - For companies with mineral revenue, 50% of eligible grassroots costs up to the same maximum amounts. Non-Grassroots Activities: - Includes all exploration activities that are not regional surveys. - For companies not in receipt of mineral revenue, 50% of eligible costs up to the same maximum amounts. - For companies with mineral revenue, 40% of eligible costs up to the same maximum amounts. Funding is allocated across three exploration project categories: 1. Non-Critical Minerals as the Exploration Target. 2. Critical Minerals as a Primary Exploration Target. 3. Critical Minerals as a Secondary Exploration Target. If the total eligible JEA funding requests exceed available Provincial Grant funds, all projects will receive prorated rebates based on actual company expenditures, ensuring no project exceeds its maximum rebate amount.
Application Process and Important Dates
To apply for JEA 2024, companies must submit a completed JEA 2024 Letter of Intent (LOI) to the Mineral Incentive Program (MIP) by June 21, 2024. The MIP must be notified of any significant changes to the exploration activities described in the LOI, as failure to do so will result in funding being limited to initially described activities. A review process will confirm the eligibility of proposed activities for JEA (CMA, PCMA, and Provincial Grant) funding, with companies receiving a response letter by July 12, 2024. Should there be disagreements regarding the eligibility assessment, companies must address these by July 19, 2024. A finalized list of participating companies and their proposed budgets will be posted on July 26, 2024.
Additional Requirements
Companies must also meet several obligations to qualify for JEA 2024 funding: - Acknowledge financial support from the JEA Program in all public information activities related to the project. - Ensure geochemical surveys align with industry standards, with a minimum ICP-34 multi-element analysis for all geochemical samples. - Favor services and goods from within Newfoundland and Labrador, where competitive in terms of price, quality, and delivery. - Maintain and preserve all books, accounts, and records related to the project for potential audits and examinations. - Submit a detailed technical report, including all required technical and financial information, by January 31, 2025.
Contact Information
For more information or to address inquiries, companies can contact the Mineral Incentive Program at the following email: MineralIncentive@gov.nl.ca. The JEA 2024 program represents an excellent opportunity for companies engaged in mineral exploration to access significant financial support, invest in critical mineral discovery, and contribute to the growth of Newfoundland and Labrador's mineral inventory.
