Horizontal Initiative - Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy (CCMS)

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

National Research Council Canada (NRC)

Transport Canada (TC)

NRCan will continue to engage and work with partner departments and other stakeholders as required to implement and advance the initiatives of the CCMS. This includes continuation of foundational Strategy initiatives, as well as integration of new strategic direction and activities.

Critical Minerals Centre of Excellence (CMCE) - NRCan

• Work with partners to advance activities and projects under the G7 Critical Minerals Production Alliance, Critical Minerals Action Plan, and the Defence Industrial Strategy, as well as introduce new initiatives like the Critical Minerals Sovereign Fund.
• Continue to provide guidance via the Critical Minerals Concierge Service on federal programs and incentive applicability to external stakeholders seeking support for critical minerals projects.
• Engage with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, industry stakeholders, and international partners to strengthen collaboration on critical minerals development in Canada.
• Continue to manage the CCMS governance framework, including chairing the CCMS Horizontal Initiative Oversight Committee, coordinate across the federal family to track and report results of the Strategy, and implement recommendations from the Fall 2024 Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development audit report on the Strategy.

Technology and Innovation Initiative (TII) – NRCan and NRC

• Launch a new Expression of Interest (EOI) under the Critical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration (CMRDD) program to identify and advance transformative Canadian technologies in the extraction, processing, and refining segments of the value chain.
• Expand the new Rare Earth Development and Innovation (REDI) Program to include targeted private sector innovation projects and the Mining Value from Waste Program to include a Canadian community of practice.
• Continue to oversee current research and development and demonstration (RD&D) projects to their conclusion and pursue new funding to support future direction for Critical Minerals R&DD in alignment with GC priorities and strategies.
• Under the Critical Battery Materials Initiative (CBMI), NRC will:
  • Complete and launch the processing and materials discovery acceleration platforms in its Mississauga facility to accelerate battery value chain innovations. Areas of focus include precursor production from Canadian feedstocks, battery cathode material discovery, and battery materials recycling.
  • Launch further collaborative R&D projects with various industry and academic partners allocated grants or contributions with a focus on improved critical mineral processing, value-added battery materials production, and the application of artificial intelligence and robotics to accelerate commercialization of Canadian critical mineral products and processes.
  • Work on delivering projects under 3 international consortiums launched in 2025 with strategic partners through the Canada-Germany "3+2" Collaborative Call for proposals on battery materials discovery and processing.

Critical Minerals Geoscience and Data Initiative (CMGD) - NRCan

• Complete federal research and development projects that are advancing our knowledge of Canadian critical mineral sources as well as generating new data sets and predictive models to accelerate responsible exploration and development.
• Explore new funding opportunities for critical minerals geoscience R&D in alignment with GC priorities and strategies.
• Administer contributions agreements with provincial and territorial governments until end of program on March 31, 2027.

Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF)/First and Last Mile Fund (FLMF) – NRCan and TC

• Finalize project agreements under the 2025-26 Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF) call for proposals and launch the First and Last Mile Fund to support enabling infrastructure projects, as well as mine site development.
• Transport Canada will continue to support strategic governance of the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund and project evaluation for transportation related projects.

Global Partnerships Initiative (GPI) - NRCan

• Continue to administer Grants & Contributions related to international collaborations in geoscience, R&D, transparency, traceability and sustainability.
• Launch an Expression of Interest (EOI) to advance joint RD&D and project development with trusted international partners.

Indigenous Natural Resource Partnerships (INRP) - NRCan

• Continue supporting critical mineral-related projects until the program sunsets in March 2027, in accordance with the Critical Minerals Strategy.
• Continue to monitor the progress of approved projects against the activities, outputs and key performance indicators outlined in the contribution agreements and use this data, along with feedback from participants and the Partnerships Office, to inform recommendations for future Indigenous programming.

Strategic Response Fund (SRF) - ISED

• Continue to support critical minerals investments in processing, manufacturing, and recycling to strengthen Canada's long-term economic resilience and industrial capacity.
• Continue to collaborate with key partners on joint investments that advance shared priorities and strengthen secure, reliable supply chains.
• Continue to advance reconciliation and ensure that investments respect Indigenous communities and Treaty rights.

Northern Regulatory Initiative (NRI) – CIRNAC

• Continue to implement the program which seeks to create efficiencies in northern resource management processes while respecting and reflecting unique northern contexts. This includes continuing to administer contributions to otherwise unfunded Indigenous governments and organizations to support meaningful and informed Indigenous participation in impact assessments, land use plans, and regional, cumulative effects and baseline studies in areas of critical mineral and enabling infrastructure.
• Continue to advance opportunities for multi-party dialogues and information sharing among partners and support other federal departments in the implementation of northern elements of the CCMS.

• Allocated (from start to end date) (dollars): $3,865,840,853
• Planned spending to date (dollars): $861,016,685
• Actual spending to date (dollars): $292,876,049^{Footnote 2}

60% of key critical minerals increase production by 10% or more by December 2030, based on 2022 baseline

(2022 baseline: Production levels = 100 for 19 critical minerals that Canada produces and for which data are available, including aluminum, cobalt, copper, fluorspar, germanium, graphite, indium, lithium, magnesium, molybdenum, niobium, nickel, platinum group metals, potash, scandium, tellurium, titanium, uranium and zinc.)

At least 25% of key critical minerals that are net import reliant in 2022 show reductions in net import reliance

Baseline values were revised by the source for mined cobalt and lithium and refined copper. 2022 baseline taken as a five-year average of net import reliance values 2018-2022 for the six key critical minerals.

Mined cobalt = 40%; refined cobalt = net exporter; mined copper = net exporter; refined copper = net exporter; mined graphite = 67%; refined graphite = 100%; mined lithium = 60%; refined lithium = 100%; mined nickel = 12%; refined nickel = net exporter; mined rare earth elements = 100%; refined rare earth elements = 100%.)

Number of processing facilities for critical minerals in operation and under construction

(GBA Plus indicator)

Increased the share of U.S. imports from Canada by at least 5% compared to the period of 2018-21 for over 50% of critical minerals identified

(2018-21 baseline: Canada accounted for 50% of U.S. imports of aluminum, 16% of cobalt, 17% of graphite, 22% of indium, 45% of nickel, 25% of niobium, 52% of tellurium, 38% of vanadium (fero) and 66% of zinc)^{Footnote 8}

Outcome 1: Value is added by developing, expanding, and integrating Canadian value chains, including midstream processing and the circular economy

Outcome 2: Economic growth is enhanced through the anticipated increase in GDP growth

Outcome 3: High-quality and paying jobs are created in the critical minerals sector

Outcome 1: Nature and biodiversity-related commitments and standards are upheld by limiting the environmental footprint of mining activities and advancing exemplary ESG standards

Outcome 2: GHG emissions are reduced through the deployment of clean technologies and low-emission industrial processes, in line with Canada's Emissions Reduction Plan

Outcome 3: Indigenous knowledge is incorporated into sustainable critical mineral development (in line with Indigenous Knowledge Policy Framework for Project Reviews and Regulatory Decisions, and Indigenous guardian programs)

Outcome 1: Economic reconciliation is prioritized by enhancing Indigenous participation in jobs, businesses, and ownership of mining and enabling infrastructure projects

Outcome 2: Diversity and inclusion in the workforce are enhanced for employment equity seeking groups

Critical Minerals Centre of Excellence
(top-up) $10,556,112

Stockpiling (new, DIS) $8,272,202

Technology and Innovation Initiative (Activity 1) (top-up) $44,400,000
(Activities 2 and 3) (new) $58,865,360
(new, DIS) $3,887,972
(new, G7) $50,264,832

Critical Minerals Geoscience and Data Initiative (Activities 1, 2, and 4)
(new) $37,215,832

Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (Activities 1 and 2)
(new) $1,482,656,496
First and Last Mile Fund
(new) $323,818,767

Indigenous Partnerships Office and the Indigenous Natural Resource Partnerships Program
(expansion) $25,000,000

Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (Activity 3)
(new) $13,994,914
First and Last Mile Fund
(new) $48,000,000

Global Partnerships Initiative (new)
$68,517,524
(new, DIS) $55,564,300
(new, G7) $10,000,000

$23,747,741

(new) $2,536,300

Total: $26,284,041

Increased employment across Canada in the minerals and mining sector, by gender

(GBA Plus indicator)

20% women+ representation;

80% men+ representation^{Footnote 15}

(2021 baseline: women+ 16%; men+ 84%)

Increased employment across Canada in the minerals and mining sector, by Indigenous identity

(GBA Plus indicator)

10% Indigenous representation;

90% non-Indigenous^{Footnote 16}

(2021 baseline: Indigenous representation 7%; non-Indigenous representation 93%)

Increased employment across Canada in the minerals and mining sector, by racialization^{Footnote 17}

(GBA Plus indicator)

25% racialized representation;

75% non-racialized representation^{Footnote 18}

(2021 baseline: racialized representation 18%; non-racialized representation 82%)

95%^{Footnote 20 Footnote 21} of Yukon engagement opportunities where northern partners participate in sustainable northern resource management discussions on critical mineral development (2023 baseline: 0)

95% of NWT engagement opportunities where northern partners participate in sustainable northern resource management discussions on critical mineral development (2023 baseline: 0)

95% of Nunavut engagement opportunities where northern partners participate in sustainable northern resource management discussions on critical mineral development (2023 baseline: 0)

Total employment in funding recipient organizations subject to the workforce demographics survey, by gender

(GBA Plus indicator)

20% women+ representation; 80% men+ representation^{Footnote 27}

(2021 baseline: women+ 18%; men+ 78%)^{Footnote 28}

Total employment in funding recipient organizations subject to the workforce demographics survey, by Indigenous Identity

(GBA Plus indicator)

7% Indigenous representation;
93% non-Indigenous^{Footnote 29}

(2021 baseline: Indigenous representation 5%; non-Indigenous representation 95%)^{Footnote 30}

Total employment in funding recipient organizations subject to the workforce demographics survey, by racialization^{Footnote 31}

(GBA Plus indicator)

25% racialized representation; 75% non-racialized representation^{Footnote 32}

(2021 baseline: racialized representation 22%; non-racialized representation 78%)^{Footnote 33}

Rural/urban^{Footnote 34} distribution of projects for funding recipient organizations subject to the workforce demographics survey

(GBA Plus indicator)

90% rural; 10% urban

(2023 baseline: rural Not Applicable; urban Not Applicable)^{Footnote 35}

2025-27: 50 international engagements annually

2027-30: 3 international engagements annually

(2022 baseline: 0)

Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) (2025 – 2028): $67,724,476

G7 (2025- 2028): $60,264,832

First and Last Mile Fund (2026-2030): $371,818,767