Funding to progress critical mineral development 

You can apply if you:

• have an Australian business number (ABN)
• have an Australian company number (ACN)
• are registered for the goods and services tax (GST).

You must also be one of the following entities:

• an entity incorporated in Australia and a trading corporation, where your trading activities:
  • form a sufficiently significant proportion of the corporation’s overall activities as to merit it being described as a trading corporation; or
  • are a substantial and not merely peripheral activity of the corporation
• an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust where your trading activities:
  • form a sufficiently significant proportion of the corporation’s overall activities as to merit it being described as a trading corporation; or
  • are a substantial and not merely peripheral activity of the corporation.

You can also apply if you're an Australian State/Territory Government agency or body and have an ABN.

You can’t apply if:

• your project has already received grant support from the Commonwealth Government for the project activity
• you are an organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the National Redress Scheme’s list of Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme
• you are an employer of 100 or more employees that has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act (2012)
• income tax exempt.

Partner with other organisations

You can partner with one or more other organisations that also meet the eligibility criteria. But you must decide who the lead organisation is.

The lead organisation must fill out the application form.

If we give your group the grant, the lead organisation:

• signs the grant agreement
• is responsible for making sure your group follows the rules in the grant agreement.

You must complete your project by 31 March 2025.

We can only accept applications:

• for projects producing or planning to produce critical mineral(s) as listed in Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategy that are in the early to mid-stages of development; including those activities undertaken post-exploration and before final investment decision
• where your project activities are substantially undertaken in Australia.

Eligible activities may include:

• business cases, feasibility studies, technical assessments, flowsheet design, engineering, and technical work for early stage projects
• pilot and/or demonstration projects and FEED studies for mid-stage projects
• commercialisation of technology and IP that benefits the sector
• integrating critical mineral processing technologies that support net-zero emissions by 2050
• development of downstream manufacturing capability.

We may also approve other activities.

You can apply for a grant between $1million and $30 million.

For more information about eligible expenditure see Appendix A of the grant opportunity guidelines.