The International Partnerships in Critical Minerals Program provides critical minerals business up to $20 million in funding to grow end-to-end supply chains with Australia’s international partners.

This program will support early to mid-stage critical minerals projects that contribute to building end-to-end supply chains with Australia’s international partners in the critical minerals sector. The program contributes to the implementation of the Australian Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy which outlines Australia’s bilateral and multi-lateral approach to partnerships in the sector. Activities to be funded include pilot plants, feasibility studies, capacity expansions, scoping work for infrastructure upgrades and research and development (R&D) collaboration.

These activities must be substantially undertaken in Australia and produce or are planning to produce critical mineral(s) as listed in Australia’s Critical Minerals List on the Department of Industry, Science and Resources website. Project activities must occur between the post-exploration and final investment decision stages of your project.

The grant opportunity will be open for applications for up to 2 years. Applications will be assessed against the selection criteria on an ongoing basis with meritorious applications being recommended for funding.

Funding available:  A grant of between $2 million and $20 million to cover up to 50% of eligible expenditure.

Eligibility:

You can apply if you:

• are an eligible entity
• have an eligible project
• have eligible expenditure
• can fund your share of the eligible expenditure
• have an eligible international priority project partner.

Eligible entities:

You can apply if you:

• have an Australian business number (ABN)
• have an Australian Company Number (ACN)
• are non-income-tax-exempt
• are registered for the Goods and Services Tax (GST)

and are one of the following entities:

• an entity incorporated in Australia and a trading corporation, where your trading activities:
  • form a sufficiently significant proportion of the corporation’s overall activities as to merit it being described as a trading corporation, or
  • are a substantial and not merely peripheral activity of the corporation
• an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust where your trading activities:
  • form a sufficiently significant proportion of the corporation’s overall activities as to merit it being described as a trading corporation, or
  • are a substantial and not merely peripheral activity of the corporation.

You can’t apply if you are:

• a company whose project has already received grant support from the Commonwealth Government for the same project activities
• an organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the National Redress Scheme’s list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme’
• an employer of 100 or more employees that has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act (2012)
• income tax exempt
• an individual
• a partnership
• an unincorporated association
• a trust (however, an incorporated trustee may apply on behalf of a trust)
• a Commonwealth, State, Territory or local government body (including government business enterprises)
• a corporate or non-corporate Commonwealth entity.

Grant projects must include an international partner. You can partner with one or more other organisations but you must decide who the lead organisation is.

The lead organisation must fill out the application form.

If successful, the lead organisation:

• signs the grant agreement
• is responsible for making sure your group follows the rules in the grant agreement.

• Phone: 13 28 46
• Email: enquiries@industry.gov.au