The NSW Government has taken considerable steps to encourage state-wide mineral searches. The Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Exploration Program funds up to $2.5 million for companies identified in the exploration of essential minerals that will be used for technological advancement in the future.
This program forms a key part of the NSW Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy 2024-35, aiming to position NSW as a leader in critical minerals and high-tech metals exploration and production.
Program Overview
The Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Exploration Program encourages exploration across NSW by co-funding drilling, geophysics, and geochemistry projects. The program targets Groups 1, 6, and 10 minerals under the Mining Act 1992, focusing on NSW Priority Metals.
The main objectives of the program include:
- Supporting the long-term sustainability of the NSW resources sector
- Ensuring a sustainable economic resource pipeline for the state
- Testing new geological ideas and models
- Identifying new deposits, especially in the greenfield and near the mine area
- Consolidating partnerships between Industry and the State Government
With $2.5 million allocated over two years, this program represents a significant investment in the future of mineral exploration in NSW.
Funding Streams
The program offers funding across four distinct streams:
- Exploration Geochemistry: Up to $50,000 per project
- Total funding allocation: $350,000
- Minimum funding per applicant: $5,000
- Exploration Geophysics: Up to $70,000 per project
- Total funding allocation: $500,000
- Minimum funding per applicant: $20,000
- Exploration Drilling (less than 250 metres depth): Up to $150,000 per project
- Part of the total drilling allocation of $1,650,000
- Minimum funding per applicant: $50,000
- Exploration Drilling (greater than 250 metres depth): Up to $250,000 per project
- Part of the total drilling allocation of $1,650,000
- Minimum funding per applicant: $50,000
All funding streams require a 50% company co-contribution. This means the NSW Government will fund up to half of the total project cost, with the maximum contribution capped at the abovementioned amounts.
Key Dates
The program application will strictly follow the following timeline:
- Opening date: 9 am, Wednesday 16 April 2025
- Closing date: 5 pm, Monday 30 June 2025
- Announcement of successful recipients: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Interested companies should keep these dates in their plan and be ready with their applications.
Maximum Grant Amounts by Stream
| Project Type | Max Grant |
| Drilling (>250m) | $250,000 |
| Drilling (<250m) | $150,000 |
| Geophysics | $70,000 |
| Geochemistry | $50,000 |
Eligible Projects
Each funding stream targets specific exploration activities:
Exploration Geochemistry
Eligible projects include sampling programs designed to identify geochemical anomalies that warrant further exploration. Examples include:
- Soil sampling
- Stream sediment sampling
- Vegetation sampling
- Groundwater sampling
These programs must show potential for discovering and developing economic mineral deposits.
Exploration Geophysics
This stream supports acquiring geophysical data to locate and map the Earth’s crust anomalies. Eligible activities include:
- Airborne geophysical surveys
- Ground geophysical surveys
- Magnetic surveys
- Gravity surveys
- Electrical methods
Exploration Drilling
The drilling stream focuses on programs that define targets with high potential for discovering economic mineral deposits. This includes:
- Rotary drilling
- RAB/open-hole drilling
- Air core drilling
- RC drilling
- Diamond drilling
The program emphasises deep drilling projects, which can receive higher funding amounts.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible Applicants
To qualify for funding, applicants must be:
- Companies incorporated in Australia
- Incorporated trustees
- Associations
- Co-operatives
- Partnerships
- Sole traders
- Incorporated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations
All applicants must have an Australian Business Number (ABN) and hold relevant mining titles in NSW.
Project Requirements
Eligible projects must:
- Align with the objectives of the program
- Support exploration for Group 1, 6, and 10 minerals under the Mining Act 1992
- Be completed by 30 September 2027
- Deliver, or have the potential to deliver, significant benefits to NSW
- Be conducted in NSW and relate to a resource located in the state
Applicants must also:
- Have suitable land access arrangements at the time of application
- Hold or commit to obtaining public liability insurance of not less than $20 million
- Hold relevant workers’ compensation insurance if applicable
- Provide a co-contribution of at least 50% of the total project cost
Ineligible Applicants and Projects
The following are not eligible for funding:
Ineligible organisations:
- Local councils or their Section 355 Committees
- Joint Organisations of Councils
- Australian or NSW Government agencies
- Unincorporated associations
- Insolvent or bankrupt businesses
- Businesses subject to ongoing legal proceedings
Ineligible projects:
- Resource definition drilling that is not exploration
- Rehabilitation of sites
- Research and academic studies
- Exploration for minerals not in Groups 1, 6, and 10
- Geotechnical surveys
- Works completed before notification of successful application
Application Process
The Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Exploration Program uses an open-competitive application process. This means all applications compete against the same criteria, promoting fairness and transparency.
Applications must be submitted through the SmartyGrants portal. Even if an applicant pursues multiple projects, each project and type requires a separate application.
Application Examples
Example 1 (multiple project types): Organisation A has a single project involving geophysics and drilling at the same site. Both activities are eligible for funding under the program. Organisation A must submit two separate applications: one for “Exploration Geophysics” and one for “Exploration Drilling.”
Example 2 (multiple projects): Organisation B is undertaking drilling operations across numerous projects. They must submit various applications under the “Exploration Drilling” category, one for each project.
Assessment Process
The Department assesses each application on its merits and competitively against other applications. The assessment involves:
- Initial review by the Department
- Assessment Review Panel Evaluation
- A final decision by the Department based on panel recommendations
The Assessment Review Panel considers principles including:
- Alignment with the strategy, particularly targeting NSW priority metals (Rare Earth Elements, Scandium, Cobalt, Copper, and Silver)
- Total available funding
- Previous and current compliance with legislation and policy
- Previous funding received under NSW Government projects
- Outcome viability
- Geographical spread
- Industry impact
- Regional context and other relevant factors
- Personal, business, and probity risks
- Suitability for other government funding opportunities
- Alignment with NSW Government policies and strategies
An independent probity advisor attends Program Review Panel meetings to ensure fairness and transparency.
Funding Usage
Grant funds can only be used for direct costs of the approved project. Eligible costs vary by project type:
Exploration Geochemistry
- Survey costs, including data acquisition and supporting costs
- Sampling costs, including contractor costs
- Analysis and assay costs
Exploration Geophysics
- Study costs, including supporting costs
- Acquisition and data processing
Exploration Drilling
- Costs relating to drilling, including supporting costs such as mobilisation
- Drilling costs
- Sampling costs, including drill hole sampling and assays
Importantly, applicants cannot claim funding for works completed before receiving a Letter of Offer.
After Approval
Successful applicants will enter into a Funding Deed with the Department. This deed sets out:
- Project delivery requirements
- Reporting obligations
- Payment terms
- Other obligations of both parties
Recipients must submit quarterly reports through the SmartyGrants portal to update the Department on project progress. Satisfactory reporting is a condition of grant funding payment.
Why Geochemistry?
The program has expanded to include exploration geochemistry, recognising its fundamental role in mineral exploration. Most exploration programs rely on geochemistry as part of their suite of techniques.
Geochemistry provides valuable data that can identify promising areas for further investigation, making it an essential component of compelling mineral exploration.
The Importance of Critical Minerals
The two components of CMM and HTM are necessary for the manufacturing of modern equipment, and both components are naturally widely available in New South Wales and its territories.
The development of these resources will make NSW the leader in supplying the world with High-Tech and Critical metals. These minerals and metals are also used in renewable technologies, such as wind energy, electronics, and military applications. NSW is setting the stage for increasing worldwide demand by creating the conditions for exploring these resources.
The program explicitly prioritises exploration for NSW priority metals, which include Rare Earth Elements, Scandium, Cobalt, Copper, and Silver.
Expert Grant Support
Navigating government grant applications can be complex and time-consuming. Expert assistance can be invaluable in maximising your chances of success.
Pattens Group has been helping Australian businesses secure government funding for over 30 years. Our specialised team understands the nuances of grant applications, particularly in the resources and mining sector. We have helped numerous exploration companies access funding through programs like the Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Exploration Program.
For expert application assistance that can significantly increase your chances of success, contact Pattens Group today.
Conclusion: Maximise Your Funding Opportunity
Businesses in the mining and exploration industries in New South Wales have a fantastic opportunity with the Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Exploration Program. This program offers $2.5 million in funding, which might propel your exploration idea forward.
However, with the competitive nature of grant funding and the detailed requirements of this program, professional assistance can make all the difference between success and disappointment.
Pattens Group brings three decades of grant consulting experience to your application. Our proven track record includes helping clients secure millions in government funding across various sectors, including mining and resources.
With applications closing on 30 June 2025, now is the time to act. Don’t leave your application to chance – partner with Australia’s trusted grant specialists at Pattens Group to craft a compelling, competitive submission highlighting your project’s alignment with program objectives.
Contact Pattens Group today to discuss how we can help turn your exploration plans into a funded reality. Or reserve a Free Consultation, and we’ll provide valuable insights and answers to your questions—no pressure, just results.
FAQs: Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Exploration Program
1. What is the purpose of the Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Exploration Program?
The program aims to drive mining investment in New South Wales by co-funding exploration activities, such as drilling, geophysics, and geochemistry, to discover new deposits of critical minerals and high-tech metals. Its objective is to support the long-term sustainability of the NSW resources sector, particularly through greenfield exploration and identifying new deposits of Group 1, 6, and 10 minerals under the Mining Act 1992.
2. What types of projects are eligible for funding?
Eligible projects must involve exploration activities within New South Wales and focus on critical minerals and high-tech metals. Funding is available for:
Exploration Drilling (both shallow and deep)
Exploration Geophysics
Exploration Geochemistry
Projects must relate to a resource located in NSW and deliver significant benefits to the state. Applicants can submit multiple applications for different project types or sites, but each project requires a separate application.
3. How much funding is available, and what are the co-contribution requirements?
Funding is available in the following categories:
Up to $50,000 for Exploration Geochemistry per project
Up to $70,000 for Exploration Geophysics per project
Up to $150,000 for Exploration Drilling (less than 250 metres) per project
Up to $250,000 for Exploration Drilling (greater than 250 metres) per project
All funding streams require a 50% co-contribution from the applicant, and the maximum funding any single applicant can receive is $370,000 across all streams.
4. Who is eligible to apply for the program?
Eligible applicants include companies incorporated in Australia, incorporated trustees, associations, co-operatives, partnerships, sole traders, and incorporated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations with an ABN and relevant mining titles in NSW. Applicants must have appropriate land access and insurance and demonstrate technical and financial capacity to deliver the project.
5. How are applications assessed, and what is the application timeline?
Applications are assessed through an open-competitive process based on merit, alignment with program objectives, technical feasibility, and potential benefits to NSW. An Assessment Review Panel evaluates all eligible applications and makes recommendations for funding.
Applications open: 16 April 2025
Applications close: 30 June 2025
Successful recipients announced: 30 September 2025
Projects must be completed by 30 September 2027
