How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 25% of admissible expenses, capped at $5000000 per project.

What is the deadline to apply?

The deadline to apply is 2029-03-31T00:00:00Z.

Who are the financial supporters of the Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Innovation Incentive (SCMII)?

Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Innovation Incentive (SCMII) is funded by Government of Saskatchewan

What are Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Innovation Incentive (SCMII)'s eligibility criterias?

The innovation must be at a minimum "SCMII Technology Readiness Level” of 7, indicating a prototype ready for demonstration in an operational environment. The project must involve a minimum investment of CAD$1 million in eligible capital and operating costs. The proposed project must not be operational prior to the application submission.

Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Innovation Incentive (SCMII)

Last Update: May 13, 2025

SK, Canada

Transferable royalty credits for critical minerals innovations

Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Innovation Incentive (SCMII) at a glance

Eligible Funding

From $1,000,000 to $5,000,000
Up to 25% of project cost

Timeline

Open Date : August 1, 2024
Closing date : March 31, 2029

Financing Type

Tax Credits

Eligible Industries

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

Grant Providers

Government of Saskatchewan

Status

Open

Overview of the Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Innovation Incentive (SCMII) program

The Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Innovation Incentive (SCMII) offers transferable royalty credits up to a maximum of CAD$5 million for eligible innovation commercialization projects in the critical minerals sector, such as aluminum, cobalt, and lithium, among others. The program supports activities that improve material recovery, manage environmental impacts, increase processing capacity, and commercialize byproducts or waste.

Eligible projects & activities

The eligible projects under the SCMII program are focused on enhancing the recovery and processing of critical materials, managing environmental impacts, and commercializing byproducts. These initiatives aim to drive innovation and sustainable practices in Saskatchewan's critical minerals sector.

Projects that improve recovery of qualifying materials such as aluminum, cobalt, copper, and others.
Initiatives aimed at managing adverse environmental impacts effectively.
Increasing the value-added processing capacity for critical minerals.
Commercializing the byproducts or waste from production to maximize resource utilization.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 2,000,000

Implementing waste management systems in aluminum refining

$ 4,500,000

Development of eco-friendly cobalt processing methods

$ 3,000,000

Expanding copper production through innovative byproduct utilization

$ 2,500,000

Enhancing lithium recovery using advanced filtration techniques

$ 3,500,000

Improving processing capacity of aluminum plants

$ 3,000,000

Pilot project for scalable lithium recycling processes

Eligibility criteria of the Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Innovation Incentive (SCMII) program

The eligibility criteria for applying to the Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Innovation Incentive (SCMII) program are defined by specific requirements related to the innovation's characteristics, activity focus, and cost considerations.

The innovation must be new to Saskatchewan’s industry for a qualifying material or be demonstrated on a significantly different scale or under significantly different conditions.
The innovation must have a minimum "SCMII Technology Readiness Level" rating of Level 7, indicating it is a prototype ready for demonstration in an appropriate operational environment.
The project must aim to improve qualifying material recovery, manage adverse environmental impacts, increase value-added processing capacity, or commercialize production byproducts or waste for a qualifying material.
The project must involve a minimum investment of CAD$1 million in eligible capital and operating costs.
The project must not be operational prior to the submission of the application.

Who is eligible?

This grant targets companies or industries involved in the commercialization of innovations within Saskatchewan's critical minerals sectors. Eligible projects must focus on specified criteria related to innovative advancements and operational expansion.

Projects demonstrating new technologies specific to critical minerals like aluminum, cobalt, and lithium among others.
Initiatives aimed at scaling commercial operations or maximizing resource recovery.
Projects aiming to enhance environmental management or process efficiency within critical minerals extraction or processing.
Innovations in commercialization of byproducts or waste resulting from critical minerals production.

Who is not eligible

This grant does not exclude any specific types of companies or industries explicitly. The information provided does not specify particular restrictions based on the status or main activity of the company.

Eligible expenses

Eligible expenses for the SCMII grant focus on costs directly associated with implementing and advancing qualifying projects.

Costs that meet a minimum of CAD$1 million related to eligible capital and operating expenditures.
Costs incurred for activities aimed at improving qualifying material recovery.
Expenses for managing adverse environmental impacts related to the project.
Expenditures to increase value-added processing capacity.
Costs associated with commercializing production byproducts or waste for qualifying materials.

Eligible geographic areas

This grant program is open to companies potentially located across various regions as the funding body is a provincial government. However, no specific geographical limitations are mentioned in the available information.

How to apply to the Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Innovation Incentive (SCMII) program

Download Application Form

Visit the SCMII website to download the SCMII Application Form.

Prepare Application Document

Complete the SCMII Application Form with all necessary information.
Gather all relevant supporting documents to demonstrate project eligibility.

Submit Application

Email the completed SCMII Application Form and supporting documents to scmii@gov.sk.ca.

Application Confirmation

Receive confirmation from the Ministry of Energy and Resources indicating receipt of your application.

Application Assessment

The Ministry will assess whether the application meets the eligibility requirements.

Conditional Approval

Receive a Letter of Conditional Approval if eligible, providing further instructions for formal agreement.

Enter Formal Agreement

Sign a formal agreement with the Ministry detailing project execution parameters.

Execute Project

Carry out the project according to the terms outlined in the agreement.

Submit Royalty Credit Application

Submit a Royalty Credit Application via the IRIS platform once a minimum of CAD$1 million in eligible costs have been incurred.

Eligible Cost Review

The Ministry reviews submitted costs to confirm eligibility.

Approval and Credit Issuance

Receive a Certificate of Approval confirming the amount of credits earned based on eligible costs.

Transfer Credits

Execute a credit transfer through a Royalty Credit Transfer Application via IRIS if needed.

Additional information

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

The SCMII credits are fully transferable, allowing applicants who do not pay royalties to benefit from the program.
The program allows for the inclusion of costs incurred by firms other than the principal applicant within multi-company projects.
The credit cap is project-specific, with a maximum of CAD$5 million in credits, recognizing up to CAD$20 million in eligible costs per project.
The program allows for costs recognized from April 1, 2024, onwards, except for helium and lithium projects, where costs are recognized from January 1, 2018.
SCMII credits can be used alongside other incentive and grant programs available in Saskatchewan.
The program permits projects executed on multiple sites and those with multiple phases under a single application.

Contact Government of Saskatchewan

scmii@gov.sk.ca

Apply to this program

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