Ontario Junior Exploration Program

• A copy of the applicant’s bank statement or a signed letter of attestation from the company’s signing authority
• Two maps: a regional-scale map and a project-scale map meeting ministry standards
• Activity Details Report, for a project activity that requires a plan or permit
• Copy of the permit issued by the ministry, proof of active plan, or a copy of a submitted plan or permit application
• Valid Certificate of Insurance including commercial general liability coverage at a limit of not less than $2 million per occurrence, a cross-liability clause, contractual liability coverage, and a 30-day written notice of cancellation

Who is eligible?

• Junior mining companies
• Prospectors

Who is not eligible

• Applicants listed under the Special Economic Measures Act or the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Sergei Magnitsky Law)
• Applicants operating in affiliation, collaboration, or association with a listed person, as determined at the ministry’s sole and absolute discretion
• Applicants associated with a junior mining company for claims receiving OJEP funding, under the Prospectors Stream

Eligible expenses

• Salaries and benefits for employees and temporary employees working on project activities
• Mandatory Employer Related Costs, including Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, and Workplace Safety and Insurance Board contributions
• Equipment rentals or supplies required for implementing the project activities
• Transportation of personnel, supplies, and machinery to and from the project site, as well as meals and accommodation that are explicitly project-related
• Indigenous Participation Eligible Expenses, including salaries and benefits, MERCs, skills training, and procurement from Indigenous suppliers

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Costs not directly associated with meeting the project milestones set out in the Transfer Payment Agreement
• Retroactive costs incurred before April 1, 2026 or on or after February 28, 2027
• Tangible capital costs such as land, buildings, vehicles, and equipment
• Costs related to proposal development and application development
• Meals associated with entertainment, gifts, alcoholic beverages, lobbying or government relations activities, taxes, legal fees, accounting, property acquisition, basic utility services, interest, finance charges, administrative costs, and prototyping

Eligible geographic areas

• Ontario

• Clarity of application, based on maps, synthesis of previous work, project description, and mineral exploration experience
• Project feasibility, based on the work plan and budget
• Alignment with the program objectives of OJEP

• Apply online through Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON)
• Use a My Ontario account to access TPON, if needed
• Complete the application online and upload all mandatory attachments
• Submit the application by June 26, 2026 at 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
• Wait for the confirmation email after submission; if none is received within 48 hours, contact TPON Client Care

• Successful applicants must sign a funding agreement with the ministry before any funding disbursement is made
• Recipients must provide proof of required insurance
• Recipients must report to the ministry by the due dates set out in the funding agreement using the ministry’s reporting mechanism
• Recipients must submit an itemized interim and final expense claim and keep all receipts for auditing purposes
• Interim and final reports include a project expense claim signed by the company’s signing authority

• Applications are assessed and approved on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Applicants can only apply for one project per intake period.
• Applicants may request accommodation or alternative formats by emailing OJEP@ontario.ca.
• When the program is funded, approved projects may receive an additional $15,000 for Indigenous Participation activities.