The NSW Government has announced a $130 million fund to accelerate investment and deliver on the NSW Government’s vision to position the state as a major global supplier and processor of critical minerals and high-tech metals well into the future.

This fund will be administered by NSW Mining, Exploration and Geoscience to activate projects and support research and development.

Funding will be delivered to:

• unlock project blockages through strategic infrastructure investment
• enhance investment through establishing new capacity in critical minerals processing
• support scale-up and commercialisation of emerging technologies and applications
• drive local skills development
• support investment in exploration to promote new discoveries for an ongoing pipeline of critical minerals and high-tech metal resources
• facilitate the role of critical minerals as an enabler to the clean economy
• contribute to the state outcome of mineral and petroleum industries generating prosperity, safely.

Successful recipients stream 1

Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Activation Fund

The NSW Government is pleased to announce the recipients from stream 1 of the Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Activation Fund.

This stream was for project activation studies and has awarded successful recipients grants of up to $500,000 to progress projects and to support research and development studies.

Stream 1 closed at 5pm, 4 October 2022. A total of 19 projects were funded under stream 1 of the Activation Fund with the NSW Government investing $8,685,438 in funding.

The successful projects from stream 1 are:

• Oversize Transportation Corridor Study by Sunrise Energy Metals Limited
• Environmental Studies for the Broken Hill Cobalt Project by Broken Hill Cobalt Project Pty Ltd
• Studies to advance the Nico Young Feasibility Study by Jervois Global Limited
• Ore Processing Studies for the New England Fold Belt Hub and Spoke Strategy by Thomson Resources Ltd
• Activating High-Tech Metals at Mineral Hill by Kingston Resources Limited
• Copi Mine Definitive Feasibility Study by RZ Resources Ltd
• South Cobar Project Pre-Feasibility Study by Peel Mining Limited
• Studying the Silver Deportment of the Wonawinta site by Manuka Resources
• New approaches to remote sensing and targeting spodumene mineral occurrences in pegmatites by SensOre Ltd
• Steerable coiled tube drilling for critical minerals exploration and resource definition by MinEx CRC
• Feasibility Study for the Constellation Project by Aeris Resources Limited
• Innovative Processing & Smelting of Low-grade Tin Mineralisation by Taronga Mines Pty Ltd
• Distributed Battery Recycling Front End Engineering Design by Future Battery Industries CRC
• Zero Emission Copper Mine of the Future by International Copper Association Australia
• NSW Centralised Heterogeneous Minerals Processing Facility by EcoTech Minerals Pty Ltd
• Central West Feasibility Study
• Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Recycling Demonstration Plant Feasibility Study by Renewable Metals Pty Ltd
• Heavy Rare Earth elements processing sheet for the Dubbo Project by Australian Strategic Materials
• Metallurgical feasibility of E22 UG Block Cave by CMOC Mining Services Pty Ltd

Further information about the successful projects and recipients will be made available on the Grants and Funding page.

Previous grant rounds

Stream 2 - Enabling project infrastructure

Applications for Stream 2 of the critical minerals and high-tech metals activation fund – Enabling Project Infrastructure closed at 5pm 31 October 2022.

Successful recipients of this stream will be eligible for funding grants between $2 million and $10 million to support key infrastructure projects needed to accelerate the critical minerals and high-tech metals sector in NSW.

Successful recipients will be notified by 8 December 2022 and published on the Grants and Funding page.

Go here for details

The NSW Government is providing information and resources for businesses to protect staff and customers from COVID-19.
Mining, Exploration and Geoscience is aware of the impacts of COVID-19 on industry and communities across NSW.
MEG has reviewed its policy in response to COVID-19 and will consider the impact of COVID-19 on industry and applications for renewals.
MEG has prepared a fact sheet to support industry to manage a positive COVID-19 case at an exploration or mine site.
For information on the latest Public Health Orders and relief measures, visit: www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19