Ontario Unleashing the Economic Potential of Critical Minerals
$10 million investment will help junior mining companies tap into Ontario’s vast reserves of valuable critical minerals deposits
The Ontario government is investing up to $10 million and launching the Ontario Junior Exploration Program (OJEP) for 2025 to support early-stage mineral exploration. To support the government’s plan to protect Ontario, this investment will help junior mining companies and licensed prospectors cover early exploration and development costs. These projects have the potential to become future mining operations that will boost Ontario’s economic growth and resilience, create jobs and build secure supply chains amid increasing global demand and economic uncertainty from U.S. tariffs.
“Ontario is sitting on some of the most valuable critical mineral deposits in the world – and the global economy is knocking at our door,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines. “Supporting early exploration is how we unlock that potential. Ontario has an ambitious plan to accelerate responsible resource development along with cutting permitting timelines in half and enabling more exploration of our vast country. Together, we are identifying the next major Canadian resource projects that will create good-paying jobs, strengthens our economy and delivers lasting prosperity for communities across the province.”
As jurisdictions around the world seek stable, responsible sources of the critical minerals needed for electric vehicles, clean energy and advanced manufacturing, Ontario is introducing two features in this intake that will help accelerate critical mineral projects:
- New Prospector Stream: Licensed Ontario prospectors can now apply for up to $50,000 per project, with additional Indigenous Participation Support bringing the total potential funding to $65,000 per applicant.
- Enhanced Indigenous Participation Funding: To support Indigenous employment and business opportunities has increased from $10,000 to $15,000 per project on top of core program funding.
Early exploration is often high-risk, with long odds of success - only about 1 in 1,000 chance of exploration projects becoming a mine. The uncertainty, combined with the need to operate in remote regions and challenging terrain, makes it difficult for companies to secure the necessary investment needed to move projects forward. By helping companies and prospectors offset these costs, Ontario is laying the groundwork for long-term growth in the mining sector.
The Ontario Junior Exploration Program (OJEP) helps cover up to 50 per cent of eligible costs for exploration and development projects. With the addition of the new funding stream and the enhanced Indigenous Participation funding, prospectors will now be eligible to receive up to $65,000 per project (including enhanced Indigenous Participation Support) and junior mining companies will be eligible to receive up to $215,000 per project (including enhanced Indigenous Participation Support). Applications for the sixth intake of OJEP will be accepted online through the Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON), beginning on July 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. EST and closing on July 31, 2025, at 4 p.m. EST. Funding through the program will be provided to approved projects on a first-come, first-served basis.
“We are protecting Ontario’s economic prosperity for future generations by unlocking our province’s vast critical mineral resources,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance. “This investment will help expand Ontario’s mining sector and support the growth and success of our workers and businesses as we work together to make Ontario the most competitive jurisdiction in the G7.”
Today’s investment supports Ontario’s Critical Mineral Strategy and builds on the $35 million already announced in November 2024. This includes the $23 million to support exploration of all types of minerals and $12 million to support the discovery and development of critical minerals that will help build an integrated supply chain for new technologies.
