Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Innovation Incentive (SCMII)
The Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Innovation Incentive (SCMII) offers transferable royalty credits for qualified innovation commercialization projects at a rate of 25 per cent of eligible project costs. SCMII targets a broad range of innovations deployed across all segments of Saskatchewan's aluminum, cobalt, copper, gallium, helium, lithium, magnesium, natural graphite, nickel, rare earth elements and zinc industries.
Offered by Ministry of Energy and Resources
Amount
Transferable royalty credits at a rate of 25 per cent of eligible project costs, with a project-specific awarded credit cap of CAD$5 million (i.e., a maximum of up to CAD$20 million in recognized eligible costs per project)
Quick eligibility check
Who can apply
SCMII targets a broad range of innovations deployed across all segments of Saskatchewan's aluminum, cobalt, copper, gallium, helium, lithium, magnesium, natural graphite, nickel, rare earth elements and zinc industries.
The SCMII program is open to both pilot projects and commercial scaling projects – giving applicants the ability to test their innovations in a pilot setting then deploy them at larger commercial scales. In addition, projects executed on multiple sites and projects that include multiple phases may be considered eligible for the program under a single project application.
The Ministry of Energy and Resources may recognize the re-deployment of an existing innovation as an eligible project as long as it is demonstrated that:
- It is considered necessary to overcome substantial technical challenges or proof of concept challenges; or
- It is conducted under different operating conditions that pose significantly new technical challenges.
- Must be an eligible innovation:
- A minimum “SCMII Technology Readiness Level” rating of 7 is required.
- Pilot – The innovation is the new to Saskatchewan’s industry for that qualifying material (aluminum, cobalt, copper, gallium, helium, lithium, magnesium, natural graphite, nickel, rare earth elements, or zinc) and does not have an equivalent in the Saskatchewan market.
- Commercial Scaling – The innovation is being demonstrated on a significantly different commercial scale or under significantly different conditions that add a degree of novelty or new technical challenges.
- Must be associated with an eligible activity.
- There are four categories of eligible project activities. Any project that satisfies the eligible innovation criteria must also be directly related to one of the four following categories:
- to improve qualifying material recovery
- to manage adverse environmental impacts
- to increase value-added processing capacity
- to commercialize production byproducts or waste for a qualifying material
- Must include at least CAD$1 million in eligible capital and operating costs.
- Must not be operational prior to the application.
About the funding
The Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Innovation Incentive (SCMII) offers transferable royalty credits for qualified innovation commercialization projects at a rate of 25 per cent of eligible project costs.
- The credits are fully transferable which gives non- producers/non-royalty payers an opportunity to benefit from the program. SCMII encourages multi-company projects as eligible costs can be incurred by a firm other than the principal applicant.
- SCMII has a project-specific awarded credit cap of CAD$5 million (i.e., a maximum of up to CAD$20 million in recognized eligible costs per project).
- SCMII can be used alongside other incentive and grant programs available in Saskatchewan.
Costs incurred from April 1, 2024, onward, may be recognized as eligible. (January 1, 2018, in the case of helium and lithium projects.)
Similar programs
| Program | Type | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Minerals Processing Investment Incentive (CMPII) | Tax Credit | Transferable Crown royalty/freehold production tax credits at a rate of 15 per cent of eligible program costs, with a project-specific awarded credit cap of CAD$75 million (a maximum of up to CAD$500 million in recognized eligible costs per project) | Open |
| Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC) | Tax Credit | Fully refundable tax credit at 25% of the qualified labour expenditure (labour capped at 60% of total production cost net of assistance), so a maximum of 15% of the total cost of production net of assistance, per production | Open |
| Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit | Tax Credit | Refundable tax credit of 35% (January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2026 | Open |
| Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit | Tax Credit | Refundable tax credit of 16% of the qualified Canadian labour expenditure incurred for the accredited production | Open |
