Updated August 2026 · Verified against Natural Resources Canada guidelines
Milestone-Based Est. 2021
Grant Federal Active

Critical Minerals R&D and Demonstration Program

Natural Resources Canada
Maximum Funding
No published per-project maximum; typical awards $0.5M–$5M,...
Open — Expressions of Interest accepted on a continuous basis for the Contrib...
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Milestone-Based
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
—
Co-Funding
75%
Critical Minerals R&D and Demonstration Program provides up to No published per-project maximum; typical awards $0.5M–$5M, with conditional approvals on the public project list as high as $21.9M. Supports research, development and demonstration projects in critical minerals mining, processing and recycling, aiming to advance critical mineral supply chains. The program covers up to 75% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Real recipient data

Who actually receives this funding

3 businesses received this funding in 2025 — 35 awards since 2023. Typical award: $4.28M. Half of all awards fall between $1.9M and $4.94M. The advertised maximum is $21.9M — most awards land closer to $4.28M. 86% of recipients are for-profit businesses. Top provinces: Quebec 26% · British Columbia 23% · Ontario 23%. Covers: NRCan Critical Minerals R&D and Demonstration contributions to industry and research orgs. Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure data · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Data through Q3 2026.

The typical award here is $4.28M — the median of 35 awards since 2023, even though the program advertises up to $21.9M. In 2025, 3 businesses were funded; 86% were for-profit companies.

3funded in 2025
$4.28Mtypical award
35awards since 2023
86%for-profit

Most awards fall between $1.9M and $4.94M, with a typical (median) award of $4.28M. The program funds up to $21.9M for the largest projects — about 5.1 times the typical award.

Where awards land
typical $4.28M $1.9M $4.94M
up to $21.9M

Most awards land between $1.9M and $4.94M, with a typical award of $4.28M — and this program funds up to $21.9M for the largest projects.

Top provinces QC 26%BC 23%ON 23%
3 companies received this grant in 2025. See the 19 most recent — and how much each received. Included in Premium ↓

Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure

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Eligibility & Details

What this program funds and who can apply

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Program Description

Supports research, development and demonstration projects in critical minerals mining, processing and recycling, aiming to advance critical mineral supply chains.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Must be a legal entity incorporated or registered in Canada (a for-profit or not-for-profit, such as a company, industry or research association, or community group), an academic institution, a provincial, territorial, regional or municipal government, or an Indigenous community, government or organization
  • Project must focus on research, development, or demonstration related to critical minerals mining, processing, or recycling
  • Must demonstrate relevance to advancing Canadian critical mineral supply chains
  • Industry-led or collaborative projects involving industry partners preferred
  • Contribution funding may pay up to 100% of total project costs; for-profit recipients are expected to contribute 25 to 50% of the total project cost
Provinces
All Provinces
Industries
Natural Resources Technology
Business Stage
Startup Growth

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Hard
Competition
High
First-Timer
Not rated

Funding Details

Amount
No published per-project maximum; typical awards $0.5M–$5M, with conditional approvals on the public project list as high as $21.9M
Type
Grant
Level
Federal
Co-Funding
Up to 75% of eligible costs
Deadline
Open — Expressions of Interest accepted on a continuous basis for the Contribution funding stream (the federal R&D stream is closed).

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
High
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Competitive
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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How to Win

Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like

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Insider Tip

The CMRDD is a relationship-driven program disguised as a competitive process.

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Rejection Pitfalls 10

  • Project does not fit one of the call's three readiness bands: foundational research and feasibility (TRL 3-5), pilot and scale-up (TRL 5-7), or large-scale demonstration and deployment (TRL 7-9)
+9 more pitfalls
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Success Profile

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Evaluation Criteria

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What's in this Playbook

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Application Playbook

Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses

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Application Steps

1 Submit Expression of Interest (EOI) Submit an EOI via the NRCan applicant portal at any time. Includes organization details, project summary, TRL justification, budget overview, and team credentials. This is a screening step, not a funding decision.

Required Documents 16

✓ Expression of Interest via NRCan applicant portal (organization details, project summary, TRL justification, budget overview, team credentials)
✓ Full project proposal form (if invited — Section 7 of applicant guide)

Eligible Expenses 8

Ineligible Expenses 8

Intake Periods

Deadline Notes

Ineligible Organizations

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Funding Stack Strategy

Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential

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Compatible Programs

SR&ED Tax Credit Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) — Critical Minerals Stream Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF) IRAP (NRC-IRAP) Provincial Critical Minerals Programs (e.g., Ontario Critical Minerals Innovation Fund, Quebec Plan Quebec) Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) / NRC successor
Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Medium Risk
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How Critical Minerals R&D and Demonstration Pr... Compares

Side-by-side with similar programs

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Program Amount Difficulty Payment Deadline
Critical Minerals R&D and Demonstrati... No published per-project maximum Hard Milestone-Based Open — Expressions of...
NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program $100,000–$500,000 Hard Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Ongoing
Strategic Response Fund (formerly Str... Minimum $10 million contribution Hard Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Ongoing — continuous...
CanExport SMEs Up to $50,000 Moderate Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Between intakes — the...
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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Critical Minerals R&D and Demonstration Pr...

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Can sole proprietors apply?
Recipients must be legal entities incorporated or registered in Canada (for-profit or not-for-profit), academic institutions, provincial, territorial, regional or municipal governments, or Indigenous communities and organizations. A sole proprietor would need to incorporate or partner with an eligible organization.
What's the typical award amount?
Wave 1 average: ~$2.36M (range $725K-$5M). Wave 2 guide states 'good quality projects' request $500K-$3M. No published per-project maximum (not $10M as previously listed); the public project list shows conditional approvals as high as $21.9M.
Why do applications fail?
Common rejections: a project outside the call's readiness bands (TRL 3-5, 5-7 or 7-9), not targeting priority minerals (lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, copper, REEs), or no Indigenous engagement plan.
Do I need matching funding?
Yes. For-profit applicants must contribute 25-50% of project costs. Non-profits may have different requirements.
Can I stack with SR&ED?
Yes, but must disclose SR&ED on eligible R&D expenses. CMRDD contribution reduces cost base for SR&ED claims on same expenditures.

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