Ontario Junior Exploration Program (OJEP)

Receive up to $200K in Funding Support.

The Ontario Junior Exploration Program (OJEP) is intended to assist junior mining companies with financing early exploration projects. Especially in northern and Indigenous communities, these projects contribute to mineral exploration, economic growth, and job creation.

Attention: This program is currently closed. You can speak with a member of our team about future intake periods or similar funding programs you may be eligible for, get email updates through our weekly newsletter, or look through our list of available funding programs in our directory page.

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Funding Amount

Access up to $200,000 to cover 50% of eligible costs.

Eligible Applicants

To be eligible for this program applicants must become a member of the Ontario Business Registry, have a market capitalization of up to $100 million, and an exploration plan with a valid permit approval and sufficient tenure on mining lands must be enrolled in the Mining Lands Administration System.

Eligible Activities

Eligible projects may include early exploration, surface overburden and core drilling for exploration purposes, and removal of material: all refuse, fuel drums, equipment.

Deadline to Apply

This Program is Currently Closed.

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Ontario Junior Exploration Program (OJEP)

Amount of Funding

Access up to $200,000 to cover 50% of eligible costs.

Ontario Junior Exploration Program (OJEP)

Eligible Applicants

To be eligible for this program applicants must meet the following criteria:

Become a member of the Ontario Business Registry
Having a market capitalization of up to $100 million, a junior mining company that is not producing.
An exploration plan with a valid permit approval and sufficient tenure on mining lands must be enrolled in the Mining Lands Administration System.
Establish grassroots mineral exploration – the identification of new targets for mineral exploration or the evaluation of existing targets in areas where minerals aren’t known to exist.

Eligible Applicants for Canadian Government Funding

Ontario Junior Exploration Program (OJEP)

Eligible Activities

Projects for this program may be eligible if they meet the following criteria:

Early Exploration (e.g., capping and sealing of drill holes);
Surface overburden and core drilling for exploration purposes;
Removal of material: all refuse, fuel drums, equipment, and any other material;
If activities like the preparation of maps and reports are included: Geophysical surveys, geological and geochemical surveys; and
Overburden stripping, trenching, and test pitting.