Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Processing Investment Incentive (CMPII)
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Provides transferable Crown royalty and freehold production tax credits equal to 15% of eligible project costs for greenfield or brownfield value-added processing projects for 11 designated critical minerals in Saskatchewan. Credits are capped at $75 million per project (up to $500 million in eligible costs) and are claimed over three operational years (20%/30%/50%). Credits are fully transferable, enabling non-producers to participate.
Eligibility Requirements
- Value-added processing project for one or more of 11 designated critical minerals: aluminum, cobalt, copper, gallium, helium, lithium, magnesium, natural graphite, nickel, rare earth elements, or zinc
- Project must be a greenfield development OR a brownfield expansion that results in a significant increase in processing capacity
- Minimum $10 million in eligible project costs
- Project must not have become operational before the eligible project application is submitted
- Eligible costs must be incurred from April 1, 2024 onward (January 1, 2018 for helium and lithium)
- Credits are fully transferable — eligible costs can be incurred by firms other than the principal applicant, enabling multi-company projects
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- 15% of eligible costs, up to $75 million per project
- Type
- Tax Credit
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 15% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Applications accepted until March 31, 2029
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win CMPII — $19
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 5 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 6-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
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipThe full transferability of CMPII credits is a major structural advantage — companies that do not pay Crown royalties or freehold production taxes can still participate by selling the credits to eligible taxpayers at a discount. This opens the program to downstream processors who are not direct resource producers. Multi-company projects are explicitly encouraged — eligible costs can be incurred by a firm other than the principal applicant, enabling joint ventures where a developer incurs costs and a producer claims the credit. Stack CMPII with other Saskatchewan incentive programs including SCMII (for innovation projects) and federal critical minerals programs for maximum capital recovery.
Rejection Pitfalls 5
- Project is already operational at time of application
- Eligible costs are below the $10 million minimum threshold
- Mineral being processed is not one of the 11 designated critical minerals
Success Profile
Large-scale mining or processing company (or joint venture) establishing or significantly expanding a value-added processing facility for Saskatchewan's critical minerals. Greenfield lithium hydroxide plants, cobalt refining facilities, rare earth processing operations, and nickel sulphate production facilities are the target investment types. Project costs of $50M–$500M. Companies with non-royalty-paying structures benefit particularly from the transferable credit feature.
Evaluation Criteria
Non-competitive entitlement. Ministry of Energy and Resources reviews applications against eligibility criteria: (1) qualifying mineral and value-added processing activity, (2) greenfield or significant brownfield capacity increase, (3) minimum $10M eligible costs, (4) project not yet operational. No merit scoring — all qualifying projects receive the 15% credit up to the $75M project cap.
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 6
Eligible Expenses 9
- Real property acquisition and site preparation for the processing facility
- Depreciable assets (processing equipment, machinery, infrastructure)
- Construction and installation costs
- Engineering, procurement, and construction management (professional services)
- Equipment transport and logistics
- Utilities connections and regulatory compliance costs
- Capitalized interest during construction
- Front-end engineering and design (FEED) study costs
- Eligible costs incurred by partner firms in multi-company projects
Ineligible Expenses 5
- Costs incurred before April 1, 2024 (except helium/lithium pre-2024 from Jan 1, 2018)
- Exploration or mining extraction costs (processing only — not upstream mining)
- Operating costs after project becomes operational
- Projects for minerals not on the 11-mineral eligible list
- Projects already operational at application time
Intake Periods
Continuous intake from August 1, 2024 through March 31, 2029.
Deadline Notes
Applications accepted from August 1, 2024 through March 31, 2029. Eligible costs must be incurred from April 1, 2024 onward (January 1, 2018 for helium and lithium projects). Credits are claimed progressively over three operational years: 20% in year 1, 30% in year 2, 50% in year 3.
Ineligible Organizations
- Projects already operational at time of application
- Projects involving minerals outside the 11 designated critical minerals
- Pure mining/extraction operations without value-added processing component
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Medium RiskMedium. If a project does not achieve its stated processing capacity or eligible cost thresholds, previously claimed credits may be subject to recapture. Transfer of credits to ineligible parties could trigger reassessment. Consult legal and tax advisors before structuring multi-party credit transfers.
How CMPII Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Proces... | up to $75 million | Hard | Tax Credit Offset | Applications accepted... |
| Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund... | Up to $50 million | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Stream 2 March 2026... |
| Strategic Response Fund (formerly Str... | Up to $50 million | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing — continuous... |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Next deadline: May 29,... |
| Ocean Supercluster | Up to $5 million | Hard | Reimbursement | Call-specific — no open... |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about CMPII