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Strategic Response Fund — Critical minerals
Supports innovative critical minerals projects
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Location
Canada
Who can apply
See full eligibility
Overview
The Critical minerals - Strategic Response Fund supports critical minerals projects in Canada through project-based reimbursement and the $1.5 billion targeted under Budget 2022. It prioritizes highly innovative work that strengthens domestic value chains and industrial capacity in processing, refining, recycling, and manufacturing.
Receipt of requests is now closed
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At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Increase production or service capacity
- Implement environmental initiatives
Eligible Funding
- Varies by project
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- All legal structures
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- All groups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
Availability timeline
2026
Periods: 1
Activities funded
- Critical minerals projects with manufacturing, processing, and recycling applications.
- Projects that integrate processing, refining, materials manufacturing, recycling, and reuse across the critical minerals value chain in Canada.
- Highly innovative projects that develop first-in-class technologies or new processing capacity.
- Projects in clean technologies, advanced manufacturing, ICTs, and semiconductors that support critical minerals inputs.
Sources and recorded changes
- Source change captured
- Change recorded
- Record updated
A captured source change or record update does not confirm eligibility. Check the funder’s current rules before applying.
SRF refocused on critical minerals
The Strategic Response Fund now presents a critical minerals stream with new project requirements, investment priorities, and application guidance.
The Strategic Response Fund content now focuses on critical minerals, including projects that target one or more of Canada’s 31 critical minerals and emphasize processing, refining, materials manufacturing, recycling, reuse, and other value-chain integration activities. It also adds project prioritization criteria, focus areas for clean technologies, advanced manufacturing, and ICTs and semiconductors, along with consultation-based application guidance. The updated page also states that Budget 2022 proposed $1.5 billion in targeted funds for critical minerals projects supported through SRF, and it introduces a new ITC-related assessment step where applicants must share the estimated impact and methodology of their tax credit calculations.
Program guide
Eligibility
Eligible expenses
- Direct labour, direct materials and equipment, and other direct costs.
- Overhead costs, subject to program limits.
- Subcontracts and consultants costs.
- Land and building costs that are necessary and reasonable to carry out project activities.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Advertising, except reasonable advertising of an industrial or institutional character placed in trade, technical or professional journals for the dissemination of information for the industry or institution.
- Interest on invested capital, bonds, debentures, bank or other loans, including related bond discounts and finance charges.
- Amortization of unrealized appreciation of assets, depreciation of assets, and unreasonable compensation for officers and employees.
- Donations, dues and other memberships other than regular trade and professional associations, entertainment expenses, fines and penalties, losses on investments or bad debts, losses on other projects or contracts, and premiums for life insurance on the lives of officers and/or directors.
- Product development or improvement expenses not associated with the project, provisions for contingencies, selling and marketing expenses associated with project products or services, and taxes including excess profit taxes or surtaxes, federal or provincial income taxes, goods and services taxes, and related special expenses.
Selection criteria
- Integration across the critical minerals value chain.
- New net industrial capacity in Canada.
- Strong private-sector investment interest.
- Advanced project stage and engineering maturity.
- Circularity and supply security benefits.
How to apply
- Review SRF project requirements, check your eligibility online, and pitch your project during a consultation meeting.
- If SRF officials recommend it, submit the Statement of Interest using the application form emailed by SRF officers.
- If invited, submit the full application with the additional project information requested by SRF.
Processing and Agreement
- After the Statement of Interest is submitted, SRF acknowledges receipt, assesses the information, and notifies the applicant of the result.
- The result may include a request for additional information, an invitation to the full application phase through a Letter of Intent, or a notice that the project will not be further considered for support.
- Full applications undergo due diligence and benefits assessment, including technical feasibility, additional benefits to Canada, greenhouse gas impact if applicable, managerial, technical and workforce capability, equity, diversity and inclusion practices, and financial and market risk.
- If the project passes due diligence, SRF may negotiate a Term Sheet, recommend the project to the Minister for approval, and develop a Contribution Agreement once approvals are in place.
- After the Contribution Agreement is signed, the program is claim based, costs are typically claimed quarterly, regular reporting and monitoring continue throughout the project life, and SRF may audit claimed costs, reported royalties, and compliance with the Lobbying Act and the Impact Assessment Act during negotiations.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Strategic Response Fund — Critical minerals Program
What is the Strategic Response Fund — Critical minerals?
The Critical minerals - Strategic Response Fund supports critical minerals projects in Canada through project-based reimbursement and the $1.5 billion targeted under Budget 2022. It prioritizes highly innovative work that strengthens domestic value chains and industrial capacity in processing, refining, recycling, and manufacturing.
Who is eligible for the Strategic Response Fund — Critical minerals program?
To be eligible for the Strategic Response Fund — Critical minerals program, you must:
Targets one or more of Canada’s 31 critical minerals
Promotes value-chain integration in processing, refining, manufacturing, recycling, and reuse
Demonstrates financial and technical capability to complete the project
What expenses are eligible under Strategic Response Fund — Critical minerals?
Direct labour, direct materials and equipment, and other direct costs.
Overhead costs, subject to program limits.
Subcontracts and consultants costs.
Land and building costs that are necessary and reasonable to carry out project activities.
Who can I contact for more information about the Strategic Response Fund — Critical minerals?
You can contact Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).
Where is the Strategic Response Fund — Critical minerals available?
The Strategic Response Fund — Critical minerals program is available across Canada.
Is the Strategic Response Fund — Critical minerals a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Strategic Response Fund — Critical minerals is a Grant and Funding
Who are the financial supporters of the Strategic Response Fund — Critical minerals?
Strategic Response Fund — Critical minerals is funded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)