Round 1 - Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Exploration Program

To be eligible for grant funding, an applicant must meet all the following requirements:

1. be one of the following:
   • a company incorporated in Australia
   • a company limited by guarantee
   • an incorporated trustee on behalf of a corporate trust
   • an incorporated association or co-operative
   • a partnership
   • a sole trader
   • an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation incorporated under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006.
2. have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
3. be registered for GST
4. be a fit and proper person/legal entity
5. not be insolvent, bankrupt or subject to ongoing legal proceedings
6. hold a relevant title under the Mining Act 1992
7. hold or commit to obtaining public liability insurance of not less than $20 million per occurrence or hold equivalent or better self-insurance to the satisfaction of the Department, prior to executing a funding deed with the Department
8. if applicable, provide evidence of land access agreements in place to undertake the project
9. declare in the application form that the applicant is not aware of any issues which could cause reputational or other risks to the NSW Government
10. declare in the application form that the applicant is not aware of, or being subject to an active investigation under the Mining Act 1992
11. be financially viable and able to provide a minimum 50% co-contribution
12. be able to demonstrate technical capacity to deliver the proposed project
13. have previous project delivery experience

The intended recipients of grants under the Program include a range of active NSW exploration organisations who hold a relevant mining title in NSW under the Mining Act 1992.

The project/activities must meet all the following requirements to be eligible:

• Program: align with the objectives of the Program
• Support exploration for Group 1, 6 and 10 minerals under the Mining Act 1992
• Deliver, or have the potential to deliver, significant benefits to NSW
• Timeframe: The project must be completed by 30 September 2027.

The project must be completed by 30 September 2027.

The project costs must support the objectives of the Program.

The following types of project costs are eligible for funding: Direct third party costs of drilling, geophysical or geochemical survey costs as charged by a contractor and described in the relevant invoices. The work must be directly related to the target described in the application.

Some examples of eligible project costs are as follows (listed for guidance only):

• Exploration Geochemistry
  • Survey costs including data acquisition and supporting costs
  • Sampling costs including contractor costs
  • Analysis and assay costs
• Exploration Geophysics
  • Study costs including supporting costs
  • Acquisition and data processing
• Exploration Drilling
  • Costs relating to drilling including supporting costs such as mobilisation
  • Drilling costs
  • Sampling costs including drill hole sampling and assays

The following project costs are ineligible for funding:

• any expenditure incurred prior to the date the Department notifies applicants of successful application by a Letter of Offer
• capital works costs, civil costs, licence applications
• repayment of existing debts and/or budget deficits
• purchase of non-fixed assets
• capital and operational costs of existing equipment which may be utilised in the project
• statutory fees and charges, including overhead charges such as insurance and leases
• ongoing costs for business administration, operation or maintenance, including staff salaries
• costs associated with grant applications, monitoring and administration costs, including any funding provided to professional services to support application submission
• costs relating solely to marketing, advertising or product promotion, including education and information campaigns
• costs which require ongoing funding from the NSW Government, beyond the delivery timeframe for the Program
• legal costs
• staff training and development costs.

The following will not be eligible for funding:

• Resource definition drilling that is not exploration
• Works that have been completed prior to the date the Department notifies applicants of successful application by a Letter of Offer
• Rehabilitation of sites
• Research and academic studies
• Exploration for minerals not in Group 1, 6 and 10 minerals under the Mining Act 1992
• Geotechnical surveys.

All applicants must provide a co-contribution. Co-contributions must be at least 50% of the total project cost (unless otherwise approved by the Department in writing).

Other NSW Government grants cannot be used as co-contributions.

Quarterly project reporting is described in the funding deed. Reporting requirements in the funding deed must be completed before grant funds will be paid.

To claim, the Department must be invoiced after compulsory reporting is submitted to the Department and the project work has been completed and payments made to contractors. The applicant must invoice the Department and provide evidence of payment of costs for cross-referencing before grant payments will be made.