Ontario Junior Exploration Program – Canada

Early exploration is key to the discovery of new and existing minerals, including critical minerals, which is a priority area for Ontario. The mines of the future depend on discoveries made by junior companies during the exploration phase. By funding the eligible costs associated with early exploration, OJEP can reduce risk for private investors, boosting Ontario’s appeal as a jurisdiction of choice for mining investment.

To support junior mining companies, Ontario is investing $13 million in 2024/2025 in the Ontario Junior Exploration Program. This includes $4 million for a critical minerals funding stream. Through the program, junior mining companies can apply for funding to cover eligible costs of up to $200,000 per mineral exploration.

Program Objectives

• Increase mineral exploration in Ontario
• Attract and increase investment in mineral exploration, development and mining
• Promote development of critical minerals
• Promote employment of Indigenous community members and businesses in early exploration

Program Streams

• Critical Minerals Stream: Projects under the Critical Minerals Stream are projects where a critical mineral, as identified in Ontario’s Critical Minerals List, is the primary or secondary mineral exploration target.
• Exploration Stream: Projects under the Exploration Stream include: Projects where a mineral not included in the list of critical minerals, is the exploration target.

Funding Information

• Non-producing junior mining companies in Ontario that meet the program’s eligibility requirements may apply for funding up to $200,000 for one project per intake period.
• Through OJEP, the ministry will provide 50 per cent of project costs up to $200,000 per project. Within the $200,000 maximum assistance, companies can include Indigenous participation expenses and receive 100% of funding up to $10,000.

What are eligible activities?

• Eligible Early Exploration Activities
  • OJEP supports grassroots mineral exploration, which involves the identification of new mineral exploration targets or the evaluation of existing targets in an area that is not known to host a mineral deposit with economic potential.
  • Note: Mineral exploration projects involving the recovery of minerals from mine waste will be considered on a case-by-case basis (for example, tailings or waste rock associated with abandoned or orphaned mining and/or mineral processing operations.).
  • Note: Exploration targets that are at the resource delineation stage, and exploration targets that have recorded past mineral production or contain historical mineral resources are not eligible for funding.
  • The following activities are eligible for funding:
    • The establishment of a grid by line cutting, including picketing and chaining, when such a grid has been approved and is used to carry out an eligible survey.
    • Geophysical surveys (airborne or ground), geological and geochemical surveys, when such activities include the preparation of maps and reports by qualified personnel.
    • Overburden stripping, trenching and test pitting, when such activities include the preparation of maps and reports.
    • Surface overburden and core drilling for exploration purposes only, including mobilization, demobilization and core logging and sampling, supported by the preparation of plans, sections, drill logs and reports.
• Eligible Indigenous Participation Activities
  • This category is intended to encourage applicants to employ Indigenous community members and/or procure goods and services from Indigenous suppliers as much as possible for their projects. The following activities are eligible for funding at 100% reimbursement up to a maximum of $10,000 (within the total approved funding for the project):
    • Skills training for Indigenous community members.
    • Employment of Indigenous community members in project-related activities.
    • Procurement from Indigenous suppliers for services related to exploration, supplies, accommodation and machinery rental, as well as transportation of personnel, supplies and machinery to fulfill activities under an approved OJEP project.

Eligibility Requirements

• To be eligible for OJEP funding, an applicant is required to:
  • Be a non-producing, junior mining company with a market capitalization of up to $100 million (or of a comparable value, if a private company) as of May 8, 2024, the opening date of the fifth intake period. An applicant must be registered on the Ontario Business Registry prior to entering into a Transfer Payment Agreement with the Province of Ontario.
  • Submit an application that proposes to undertake grassroots mineral exploration in Ontario, as follows:
    • Grassroots mineral exploration involves the identification of new mineral exploration targets or the evaluation of existing targets in an area that is not known to host a mineral deposit with economic potential.
  • Provide a copy of a valid Certificate of Insurance for this project which includes the following:
    • general commercial 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.
• Be enrolled in the Mining Lands Administration System (MLAS) and hold the necessary mining lands tenure required to carry out the project. Mining lands tenure is to be kept in good standing for the duration of the project (e.g., mining claims cannot lapse, be abandoned, cancelled or forfeited, and rent payments must be kept up to date on any lease or licence). The ministry is to be notified, in writing, if any mining lands tenure relevant to the project is transferred at any point during an approved project.
• In the event the plan/permit holder and/or tenure holder is not the applicant (for example, in the event of an option agreement or some other relationship between the applicant and the plan/permit holder and/or tenure holder), the applicant must have the approval of the plan/permit holder and/or tenure holder to apply for OJEP funding and carry out the project. Two applicants cannot receive funding for the same project.

For more information, visit Government of Ontario.