Ontario Critical Minerals Innovation Fund (CMIF)
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
A competitive, project-based grant program from the Ontario Ministry of Energy and Mines that funds up to 50% of eligible costs (maximum $500,000) for private-sector R&D and commercialization projects advancing critical minerals technologies. The fund targets the battery supply chain and advanced mining sectors and is administered through the Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON) portal. Disbursements follow a three-instalment schedule tied to agreement execution and interim/final reporting milestones. The 2026 intake is open, running June 30 to August 25, 2026.
Eligibility Requirements
- Applicant is a private-sector business, or a private-sector business collaborating with a public-sector academic or research institution, a non-profit organization, or an association
- Where two or more entities collaborate, one entity must be the lead applicant and the funding recipient
- Private-sector businesses incorporated in Ontario
- Projects must take place in Ontario and involve critical minerals technologies
- Eligible activities include R&D, prototyping, testing, IP protection, feasibility testing, and commercialization of critical minerals innovations
- Cannot receive concurrent funding from other Ontario government programs for the same project
- Applicants must not be listed under applicable sanctions legislation or affiliated with named research organizations of concern
- Only one project per applicant per intake round
- Successful applicants must carry $2M commercial general liability insurance
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $500,000 (50% of eligible project costs)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Open — 2026 intake runs June 30 to 5 p.m. ET on August 25, 2026
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win CMIF
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 8-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 5-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipFederal-provincial stacking is allowed but total government assistance cannot exceed 75% of eligible costs — this means a company using the federal CMRDD (id 69) alongside CMIF needs to ensure combined government support stays under that ceiling. Projects in battery minerals processing or recycling with a clear Ontario supply-chain story score best; pure mining exploration projects (no R&D component) are out of scope. Check the TPON portal rather than the Ontario.ca page for live intake status — the main page lags by a few days.
Success Profile
An Ontario-based mining company, processing firm, or battery materials manufacturer that has an existing technology ready for advanced prototyping, pilot-scale testing, or scale-up to a mine-site demonstration. The strongest candidates have a clear link to the battery supply chain or strategic mining innovation, a credible technical team, and matching funding already committed or secured from private partners.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications are scored on technical merit of the proposed innovation, economic benefit to Ontario's critical minerals and battery supply chain sector, project feasibility and milestone clarity, applicant's capacity to execute, and appropriateness of the budget. Federal-provincial alignment with the Critical Minerals Strategy is an advantage. The program is discretionary and non-entitlement — scoring well on all criteria does not guarantee funding.
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 8
Eligible Expenses 7
- Prototyping and pilot-scale testing costs
- Contracted R&D and engineering services
- IP protection and technology transfer costs
- Capital equipment purchased specifically for the funded project
- Building and renovation costs for mine-site or lab-scale demonstrations
- Certification and regulatory compliance costs tied to the innovation
- Commercialization feasibility studies
Ineligible Expenses 6
- Existing employee salaries and overhead
- General business administration and unrelated overhead
- Marketing and promotional materials
- Pre-project costs incurred before agreement execution
- Equipment unrelated to the funded project scope
- GST/HST portions of expenses
Intake Periods
Annual competitive intake. The 2026 round is open June 30 to August 25, 2026 (5 p.m. ET). The 2025-26 round is closed. Monitor TPON and the Ontario.ca page for future rounds.
Deadline Notes
The 2026 application period is OPEN — it runs from June 30 until 5 p.m. ET on August 25, 2026, and applications are submitted online through Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON). Applicants may submit only one project per intake round. Register your organization on TPON before you start, as that step alone can take several days.
Open Application Portal →Ineligible Organizations
- Non-profit organizations, charities and associations as the LEAD applicant / funding recipient (they may participate as collaborators on a project led by a private-sector business)
- Public sector bodies, municipalities and academic or research institutions as the LEAD applicant / funding recipient (they may participate as collaborators)
- Applicants currently receiving concurrent Ontario government funding for the same project
- Entities listed under applicable sanctions legislation
Applying for CMIF? Our Financial Projections Model ($29) covers the cost-share, matching-fund, and cash-flow math reviewers want to see. Or get all 4 templates in the Founder Pack ($59 · saves $27) →
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Medium RiskFunding is repayable if the project departs materially from agreed terms, eligible expenses cannot be substantiated, or the organization misrepresents eligibility information. The milestone-based instalment structure limits clawback exposure to the disbursed amounts at each stage.
How CMIF Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Critical Minerals Innovation ... | Up to $500,000 | Moderate | Milestone-Based | Open — 2026 intake runs... |
| 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.) | Applications accepted... |
| Ocean Supercluster | Up to $5 million | Hard | Reimbursement | Call-specific — no open... |
| Ontario Innovation Tax Credit | Up to 8% tax credit | Moderate | Tax Credit Offset | Ongoing |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about CMIF