Program Update: The SCMII was announced as part of Budget 2024-25 to assist in attracting the innovation projects needed to commercialize Saskatchewan’s vast critical minerals resources and will help position the province to achieve the growth targets established in Saskatchewan’s Critical Minerals Strategy. Designed in a similar manner to the highly successful existing Saskatchewan Petroleum Innovation Incentive (SPII) program, the SCMII will share the $100 million SPII program funding cap. The Ministry of Energy and Resources is currently engaging with industry to finalize the SCMII regulations and plans to officially launch the program in summer 2024.
The Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Innovation Incentive (SCMII) offers transferable Crown royalty/freehold production tax credits for qualified innovation commercialization projects at a rate of 25 per cent of eligible projects costs. The SCMII targets a broad range of innovations deployed across all segments of Saskatchewan's aluminum, cobalt, copper, gallium, helium*, lithium*, magnesium, 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.
*Note: Helium and lithium continue to remain eligible under the SPII program until the SCMII program regulations are in force.
The SCMII is administered by the Ministry of Energy and Resources.