📋 Tender Overview
Critical minerals are not just the building blocks of clean technology like solar panels and electric vehicle batteries — they are a key ingredient for creating middle-class jobs and growing a strong, globally competitive Canadian economy. As demand for critical minerals around the world continues to surge with the increased adoption of clean technologies, Canadian workers and businesses have a generational opportunity to be global leaders and suppliers of critical minerals.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced over $5.1 million in funding for 16 projects in the critical minerals sector, as part of the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy (CCMS), to position Canada as the reliable supplier of choice the world is looking for. This funding is provided through two key programs to increase the supply of responsibly sourced critical minerals and support the development of domestic and global value chains for the green and digital economy. This investment includes:
· Critical Minerals Geoscience Data Initiative (CMGD): over $4.1 million is provided to support 10 projects to enhance access to important data and generate new insights on the geological potential of critical mineral sources.
· Global Partnerships Initiative (GPI): close to $1 million is provided to support six projects that will reinforce Canada’s growing number of bilateral commitments and engagements in the critical minerals space.
Across Canada, clean energy solutions are providing enormous economic opportunity. The critical minerals sector is already highly valuable to the Canadian economy. In 2022, the minerals and metals sector directly employed 420,000 people and contributed $109 billion to Canada’s total gross domestic product (GDP). Since 2020, automotive and battery manufacturers have announced investments of over $40 billion in electric vehicle production and the battery supply chain. With government support and demand for critical minerals expected to double by 2024, these sectors will only grow. Today’s investments will help deliver jobs and economic opportunities for communities and businesses across the country.
Quotes
“Critical minerals are a generational economic opportunity for Canada. From exploration and extraction to advanced manufacturing to processing and recycling, we are making investments across the value chain. This second call for proposals will support Canadian innovators to drive economic growth and job creation in communities right across Canada.”
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
