Ontario Junior Exploration Program
Learn about funding to help junior mining companies and prospectors finance early exploration.
The application period is open from July 3 to July 31, 2025.
About the program
The Ontario Junior Exploration Program (OJEP) supports early-stage mineral exploration by providing targeted funding. OJEPis designed to:
- encourage investment in mineral exploration
- boost economic growth and create jobs across the province
- prioritize opportunities in northern and Indigenous communities
Eligible junior mining companies can receive:
- up to $200,000 per project to cover 50% of eligible costs
- up to an additional $15,000 to cover 100% of eligible costs per project supporting Indigenous employment and business opportunities
Eligible prospectors applying under the new prospectors stream can receive:
- up to $50,000 per project to cover 50% of eligible costs
An additional up to $15,000 to cover 100% of eligible costs per project supporting Indigenous employment and business opportunities
Program streams
Critical minerals stream
Projects under the critical minerals stream are projects where a critical mineral, identified in Ontario’s critical minerals list, is the primary or secondary mineral exploration target.
Projects where the primary mineral exploration target is a critical mineral (primary target projects) will be considered for funding on a first-come, first-served basis.
Once primary target projects are selected, projects where the secondary mineral exploration target is a critical mineral (secondary target projects) will be considered for remaining funding on a first-come, first-served basis.
If funding under the critical minerals stream is fully allocated, any remaining primary or secondary target projects will automatically be considered under the exploration stream on a first-come, first-served basis.
Exploration stream
Projects under the exploration stream include:
- projects where the exploration target is a mineral not included in the list of critical minerals
- any primary target projects or secondary target projects that are being considered under the exploration stream
All projects in the exploration stream will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Eligibility
To be eligible for funding, you must meet all of the following requirements:
- be a non-producing junior mining company with a market capitalization of up to $100 million (or a comparable value if you are a private company) as of the opening date of the intake period
- be registered on the Ontario Business Registry
- submit an application that proposes to undertake grassroots mineral exploration in Ontario
- provide proof that the applicant has the funds to cover 100% of total project costs
- provide a copy of a valid certificate of insurance which includes general commercial liability coverage at a limit not less than $2 million per occurrence
- be enrolled in the Mining Lands Administration System and hold the necessary mining lands tenure required to carry out the project
- have a valid exploration plan and/or permit issued under the Mining Act before work proceeds and for the duration of the project (where required)
- have the approval of the plan/permit and/or tenure holder to apply for OJEP funding and carry out the proposed project
Prospectors stream
We are excited to announce the launch of a dedicated stream for prospectors. This new initiative allows prospectors to target minerals across critical mineral and exploration streams, with funding opportunities of up to $50,000 per project. Additionally, recipients can benefit from the Indigenous Participation Incentive, potentially adding an extra $15,000 in funding per project.
All projects in the prospectors stream will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Eligibility
To be eligible for funding, you must meet all of the following requirements:
- the prospector must possess an Ontario prospecting license for a minimum of one year before the date of the application
- the claims where work is planned must be in good standing with the first year of assessment work filed and approved
- the prospector must hold at least 25% interest in the claim where eligible activity will occur
- the prospector must not be associated with a junior mining company for any claims receiving OJEP funding
- prospectors may apply for one project per intake period
Apply
The 2025–2026 intake period takes place from July 3 to July 31, 2025 for projects with eligible activities starting on or after April 1, 2025.
The deadline for applications is July 31, 2025 at 4 p.m. Daylight Savings Time.
We will assess and approve applications on a first-come, first-served basis.
For complete details on the program, application process and what happens after you apply, read the OJEP program guidelines.
Funding recipients
The following recipients received OJEP funding as part of the first intake:
Company name | Approved funding amount |
---|---|
5007223 Ontario Inc. | $150,000 |
BTU Metals Corp. | $172,000 |
Canadian Gold Miner Corp. | $200,000 |
Manitou Gold Inc. | $200,000 |
Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. | $200,000 |
Northstar Gold Corp. | $57,605 |
Pelangio Exploration Inc. | $150,000 |
Prosper Gold Corp. | $200,000 |
Red Pine Exploration Inc. | $200,000 |
Transition Metals Corp. | $71,857 |
Tyko Resources Inc. | $200,000 |
VR Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
The following recipients received OJEP funding as part of the second intake:
Company name | Approved funding amount |
---|---|
Angus Gold Inc. | $200,000 |
Canadian Gold Miner Corp. | $200,000 |
Conquest Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
Copper Lake Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
Cross River Ventures Corp. | $101,804 |
Delta Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
Dynasty Gold Corp. | $200,000 |
EnviroMine Inc. | $200,000 |
EV Nickel Inc. | $200,000 |
Exiro Minerals Corp. | $200,000 |
First Class Metals Canada | $200,000 |
Golden Goliath Resources | $171,250 |
Goldseek Resources Inc. | $45,869 |
Griftco Corp. | $71,075 |
Harfang Exploration Inc. | $200,000 |
Hemlo Explorers Inc. | $200,000 |
International Lithium Corp. | $200,000 |
Kesselrun Resources Inc. | $200,000 |
Manitou Gold Inc. | $200,000 |
MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. | $200,000 |
Midex Resources Ltd. | $108,500 |
Mistango River Resources Inc. | $200,000 |
New Break Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
Nexus Gold | $92,045 |
Pavey Ark | $63,800 |
Platinex Inc. | $80,000 |
Red Pine Exploration Inc. | $200,000 |
SPC Nickel Corp. | $200,000 |
Transition Metals | $200,000 |
Ursa Major Minerals Inc. | $200,000 |
Val d’Or Mining Corp. | $99,619 |
VR Resources Inc. | $200,000 |
Warrior Gold Inc. | $200,000 |
Whitefish Exploration Inc. | $58,150 |
The following received OJEP funding as part of the third intake:
Company name | Funding amount |
---|---|
ALX Resources Corp. | $57,690 |
Angus Gold Inc. | $200,000 |
Ashley Gold Corp. | $27,536 |
Canada Critical Resources Corp. | $200,000 |
Canada One Mining Corp. | $133,380 |
Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. | $54,597 |
Delta Resources Limited | $200,000 |
E2Gold Inc. | $200,000 |
EGR Exploration Ltd. | $200,000 |
Enviromine Inc. | $131,500 |
EQN Canada Inc. | $200,000 |
EV Nickel Inc. | $21,397 |
Exiro Minerals Corp. | $21,486 |
Battery Age Minerals | $200,000 |
Hemlo Explorers Inc. | $200,000 |
Heritage Mining Ltd. | $200,000 |
Imagine Lithium Inc. | $155,147 |
Inventus Mining Corp. | $128,219 |
Money Money Money | $12,892 |
JoBina Resources Ltd. | $195,000 |
Brady Mining | $56,556 |
Kenorland Minerals Ltd. | $200,000 |
Kesselrun Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
Kingsview Minerals Ltd. | $72,343 |
Lican Exploration Inc. | $200,000 |
Lost Hope Mine Ltd. | $8,245 |
MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. | $200,000 |
Melkior Resources Inc. | $157,422 |
Midex Resources Ltd. | $91,873 |
Mink Ventures Corporation | $77,405 |
New Break Resources Ltd. | $36,223 |
Newpath Resources Inc. | $177,150 |
Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. | $200,000 |
Nortech Minerals Corp. | $95,931 |
Platinex Inc. | $63,502 |
Prospector Metals Corp. | $200,000 |
Prosper Gold Corp. | $200,000 |
Red Pine Exploration Inc. | $200,000 |
Rich Copper Exploration Corp. | $48,405 |
Rift Lithium Subco Inc. | $66,721 |
Rockridge Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
Sky Gold Corp. | $116,050 |
Solstice Gold Corp. | $200,000 |
SPC Nickel Corp. | $200,000 |
Thunder Gold Corp. | $44,550 |
Transition Metals Corp. | $182,388 |
Tyko Resources Inc. | $200,000 |
VR Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
Weekapaug Lithium Subco Inc. | $56,035 |
Whitefish Exploraton Inc. | $46,650 |
The following received OJEP funding as part of the fourth intake:
Company name | Funding amount |
---|---|
1796795 Ontario Inc. O/A Flyrock Capital | $64,437 |
1796796 Ontario Inc. O/A Maelstrom Mining | $43,007 |
Angus Gold Inc. | $200,000 |
Archer Exploration Corp. | $200,000 |
Ardiden Canada Ltd. | $200,000 |
Ashley Gold Corp. | $93,570 |
Copper Lake Resources Ltd. | $198,047 |
Delta Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
Dryden Gold Corp. | $200,000 |
E2Gold Inc. | $200,000 |
First Class Metals Canada Inc. | $200,000 |
Fladgate Exploration Consulting Corp. | $107,823 |
Green Shift Commodities Ltd. | $74,222 |
Heritage Mining Ltd. | $200,000 |
Holbik Exploration | $47,632 |
JoBina Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
Libra Lithium Corp. | $200,000 |
Kesselrun Resources Ltd. | $170,838 |
Metal Energy Corp. | $200,000 |
Metals Creek Resources Corp. | $31,277 |
Mink Ventures Corp. | $75,353 |
Mistango River Resources Inc. | $200,000 |
New Break Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. | $76,000 |
Northstar Gold Corp. | $84,669 |
Prospector Metals Corp. | $110,414 |
Red Pine Exploration Inc. | $200,000 |
Root Lake Resources Ltd. | $180,916 |
Solstice Gold Corp. | $81,554 |
SPC Nickel Corp. | $200,000 |
Spod Lithium Corp. | $111,884 |
Transition Metals Corp. | $42,500 |
Tyko Resources Inc. | $200,000 |
Usha Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
VR Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
The following received OJEP funding as part of the fifth intake:
Company name | Funding amount |
---|---|
1796795 Ontario Inc. | $200,000 |
1796796 Ontario Inc. | $200,000 |
2873454 Ontario Inc. | $200,000 |
Angus Gold Inc. | $200,000 |
Ashley Gold Corp. | $83,175 |
Axies Canada Inc. | $22,657 |
Beyond Lithium Inc. | $70,442 |
Big Gold Inc. | $75,324 |
BTU Metals Corp. | $152,575 |
Canada Critical Resources Corp. | $200,000 |
Canadian Gold Corp. | $21,566 |
Canadian Gold Miner Corp. | $102,615 |
Cascade Copper Corp. | $49,055 |
Clean Air Metals Inc. | $128,331 |
Consolidated Tanager Ltd. | $198,899 |
Delta Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
Dryden Gold Corp. | $200,000 |
EV Minerals Corp. | $515 |
EV Nickel Inc. | $200,000 |
Exiro Minerals Canada Corp. | $13,743 |
Explor Resources Inc. | $75,898 |
Fairtide Ventures Ltd. | $200,000 |
Falcon Mining Inc. | $200,000 |
First Class Metals Canada Inc. | $118,550 |
Fladgate Exploration Consulting Corp. | $200,000 |
Generation PGM Inc. | $200,000 |
GFG Resources Inc. | $200,000 |
Goldshore Resources Inc. | $200,000 |
Gossan Resources Ltd. | $89,856 |
Hak Resources Development Corp. | $31,675 |
Heritage Mining Ltd. | $200,000 |
Imagine Lithium Inc. | $200,000 |
Insight Exploration Inc. | $128,988 |
International Lithium Corp. | $200,000 |
Inventus Mining Corp. | $200,000 |
Jobina Resources Inc. | $200,000 |
Jordan Ray Clements | $22,160 |
Kenorland Minerals Ltd. | $200,000 |
Kesselrun Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
Kirkland Lake Discoveries Corp. | $200,000 |
Libra Lithium Corp. | $178,628 |
Lost Hope Mine Ltd. | $6,100 |
Metalcorp Ltd. | $49,358 |
Midex Resources Ltd. | $51,047 |
Mink Ventures Corp. | $80,709 |
Mulga Minerals Inc. | $160,762 |
Neotech Metals Corp. | $200,000 |
New Break Resources Ltd. | $200,000 |
Nexgold Mining Corp. | $200,000 |
Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. | $83,463 |
Nortec Minerals Corp. | $190,830 |
Oakhurst Exploration Corp. | $73,489 |
Osprey Advanced Materials Corp. | $115,432 |
Pan American Energy Corp. | $200,000 |
Panther Metals (Canada) Ltd. | $56,930 |
Patriot Lithium Canada Inc. | $160,003 |
Perseverance Metals Inc. | $18,801 |
Plethora Green Energy Corp. | $200,000 |
Power Metals Corp. | $200,000 |
Prospector Metals Corp. | $174,350 |
PTX Metals Inc. | $200,000 |
Renegade Gold Inc. | $171,900 |
Riverside Resources Inc. | $78,232 |
Root Lake Resources Ltd. | $82,925 |
Sierra Development Services Inc. | $85,054 |
Sky Gold Corp. | $131,364 |
Solstice Gold Corp. | $135,108 |
Sparton Resources Inc. | $169,118 |
Spod Lithium Corp. | $15,573 |
Springer Mineral Resources Corp. | $5,051 |
Sterling Metals Corp. | $200,000 |
Transition Metals Corp. | $200,000 |
Transpacific Resources Inc. | $40,950 |
Volta Metals Ltd. | $75,632 |
Wabassi Resources ULC. | $200,000 |
Whitefish Exploration Inc. | $161,370 |
Xplore Resources Holdings Corp. | $82,154 |