Support for research and innovation for extraction, processing and recycling of critical and strategic minerals

• Letter of intent
• Application form
• Project context, objectives, expected results, and planned activities
• Project timeline
• Financial details and appendices such as CVs and letters of support

Who is eligible?

• CRITM regular members active in at least one transformation-metal sector linked to critical and strategic minerals
• CCTTs constituted as non-profit organizations or integrated into a college
• Quebec non-profit organizations active in research and innovation
• Groups of more than one CCTT or more than one OBNL, or a CCTT or OBNL in collaboration with a university
• Companies or groups of companies legally constituted under the laws of Quebec or Canada with an establishment in operation in Quebec

Who is not eligible

• Organizations of the Government of Quebec, state-owned corporations, federal public bodies, and sociétés d’aide au développement des collectivités are not eligible for Volet 1.
• Applicants controlled directly or indirectly by a government or a municipal entity, or majority-owned by a state-owned corporation, are not eligible for Volet 2.
• Applicants listed in the RENA register, including subcontractors listed in RENA, are not eligible.
• Applicants that have defaulted on obligations after formal notice linked to a prior government subsidy, do not meet the required integrity standards, or are insolvent, bankrupt, or under a proposal concordataire are not eligible.
• Universities cannot act as the sole applicant.

Eligible expenses

• Salaries, wages, and employee benefits; for Volet 2, employee benefits are limited to 20%
• Student scholarships, materials and supplies, and inventory
• Equipment purchase or rental, with Volet 1 capped at 25% of total eligible expenses and each equipment purchase limited to 25,000 $ before taxes; Volet 2 also allows direct equipment costs calculated according to project duration and useful life
• External or specialized service fees, subcontracting, IP management costs, travel and stay at Quebec public service rates, knowledge dissemination fees, platform fees, and participation in exhibitions and trade shows
• Indirect research costs at 27% for CCTTs, based on the MRNF contribution to salaries, scholarships, materials and supplies, equipment, and travel and stay

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Loan repayment, capital losses or replacement of capital, and capital payments
• Routine operating expenses unrelated to the project, recurring subscription and software update fees, and transactions between related companies or partners
• Land acquisition or development, building acquisition, construction, or expansion, and refundable TVQ and TPS/TVH
• For Volet 1, university teacher salaries assigned to the project, and expenses linked to preparing a commercialization plan or a technological showcase
• For Volet 2, intellectual property maintenance costs

• Applications are reviewed by an independent committee of experts.
• Evaluation criteria include pertinence, quality, and expected economic, social, or technological benefits for Quebec.
• Pertinence is weighted at 30%, project quality at 40%, and project impacts at 30%.
• Projects targeting critical and strategic minerals useful to the energy transition are prioritized, and innovations benefiting the energy transition receive an advantage in pertinence scoring.
• Projects that achieve 70% may be eligible for funding according to available funds.

• The project promoter must submit a letter of intent of up to 6 pages by 11 September 2026.
• Applicants retained after the letter-of-intent review may submit the funding application using the forms provided.
• The application must respect the call deadlines.
• Partners must complete an engagement form for the project.

• Admissible project dossiers are evaluated by an independent committee of experts.
• Projects are assessed against the program objectives, pertinence, scientific quality, and economic, social, or technological benefits for Quebec.
• Projects must reach a passing grade of 70% to be potentially eligible for funding, subject to available funds.
• For this call, projects targeting critical and strategic minerals useful to the energy transition are prioritized, and innovations benefiting the energy transition receive an advantage in relevance scoring.
• The CRITM board may adopt the project based on the committee’s recommendations and ensure follow-up.

• Applicants must be regular members of the CRITM.
• One application per call for proposals is allowed.
• Partnership agreements must address intellectual property and research results.
• The program is managed by the CRITM, with support from the MRNF.