The long-awaited Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF) launched on Monday, and several northern Ontario mining companies are hopeful their projects will be selected by Ottawa.
With $1.5 billion available over the next seven years, there is a lot of money at play. Up to $300 million is available in the first call for proposals, which ends in late February.
The program has two streams. One focuses on pre-construction and project development, and the other looks at infrastructure deployment.
It is a cornerstone of Canada’s critical minerals strategy, which aims to help the country become a major player in the global mining supply chain as the world tries to move towards a lower-carbon economy.
Selected companies could access up to $50 million in funding per project, a sum large enough to help “unlock” major deposits, according to Canada Nickel CEO Mark Selby.
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