Ontario Junior Exploration Program (OJEP)
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Grants up to $215,000 per company or up to $50,000 per individual prospector for mineral exploration in Ontario, with an additional $15,000 Indigenous participation bonus. Supports early-stage exploration including drilling, geophysical surveys, and geochemical sampling on valid mining tenure.
Eligibility Requirements
- Junior mining companies or individual prospectors
- Must hold valid mining tenure (claims or leases) in Ontario
- Exploration activities must take place in Ontario
- Companies must be Canadian-incorporated or individual Canadian residents
- Project must involve eligible exploration activities (drilling, geophysics, geochemistry)
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $200,000 per project for junior mining companies (50% of eligible costs); up to $50,000 per project for prospectors; +$15,000 Indigenous participation bonus (add-on)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- 2026-27 intake deadline June 26, 2026; next intake timing TBD — check ontario.ca/page/ontario-junior-exploration-program
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win OJEP
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 6-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 9-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 4-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 TipApply early in the fiscal year — funding is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and popular years see the $10M exhausted before year-end.
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 6
Eligible Expenses 7
Ineligible Expenses 6
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Applying for OJEP? Our Grant Proposal Template ($19) mirrors the section structure Canadian reviewers actually score on. 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 RiskHow OJEP Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Junior Exploration Program (O... | Up to $200,000 | Easy | Reimbursement | 2026-27 intake deadline... |
| Ontario Focused Flow-Through Share Ta... | 5% | Easy | Tax Credit Offset | Ongoing — claimed... |
| PrairiesCan (Prairies Economic Develo... | Varies | Hard | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| Mining Innovation Commercialization A... | Up to $500,000 | Moderate | Reimbursement | MICA operator challenges... |
| Critical Minerals R&D and Demonstrati... | No published per-project maximum | Hard | Milestone-Based | Open — Expressions of... |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about OJEP