REGINA — Early-stage mineral exploration is getting a leg up from the Government of Saskatchewan.
The Ministry of Energy and Resources is expanding the Targeted Mineral Exploration Incentive (TMEI).
Launched in 2018, the TMEI program provides grants to exploration companies that undertake eligible drilling activities. The program is 小蓝视频 expanded to cover a wider range of exploration activities, such as ground-based and borehole geophysical surveys and important pre-sampling tasks like core logging. These changes aim to increase program uptake and enable more exploration for critical and emerging minerals, according to the ministry. Specifically, the changes are expected to improve the ability of smaller companies to raise private sector capital to undertake exploration activities, the ministry says.
With continuing advancements in helium, lithium, copper and zinc, and record production in uranium and potash, the Saskatchewan Government says it is responding to growing global demand for critical minerals.
"Expanding TMEI funding to include additional generative, early-stage exploration activities will help identify more drill targets, attracting greater investor interest and capital to Saskatchewan," Saskatchewan Mining Association President Pam Schwann said.
"The collaborative partnership between government and industry exemplifies why Saskatchewan is a premier exploration and mining destination."
In 2024-25, 27 exploration projects were approved for $1.9 million in TMEI funding with companies spending a total of $76.5 million on these projects. Since 2018, 96 projects have received $5.9 million in TMEI funding, resulting in 926 exploration drill holes and $172.5 million in total project expenditures.
Saskatchewan has 27 of the 34 critical minerals on Canada's list and is the largest primary producer of critical minerals in Canada. For more information about the TMEI, visit: .
