KEY FEATURES
- Up to a 50% refund for innovative exploration drilling projects, capped at specific amounts:
- Deep Drill Program (1-2 Drill Holes) – $220,000
- Prospector – $40,000
- Applications Open 3 February 2025 and Close 25 February 2025.
The Co-funded Exploration Drilling Program is a flagship program of the Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) being funded by the Western Australian State Government, to provide a stimulus to geoscience exploration and contribute to the economic development of regional areas of Western Australia.
The program is administered by the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS). Geoscience exploration includes mineral, oil and gas, and geothermal exploration with drilling to be undertaken in underexplored areas. The Department is now seeking proposals from applicants to undertake exploration drilling projects jointly funded by the successful applicants and the Department.
KEY REQUIREMENTS
- All Applications will be assessed by an expert panel of officers and moderated by independent industry representatives nominated by the Director General, Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. The panel will use the predefined assessment criteria specified in the online application.
- Co-funding is only supplied for direct drilling costs which does not include administration and program management costs and costs associated with legal or ground access costs, geological, geochemical (except for Prospectors only grants), geophysical, laboratory analysis or specific geoscientific analysis other than down hole position surveys.
- The maximum possible allocation for any one mineral or energy project funded by the Department will be up to the value of $220,000 (ex GST) for a Deep Drill Program, diamond.
- A separate pool of funds is set aside for bona fide prospectors. The grants made from this “Prospector Only” pool of funds will be capped at $40,000 per grant.
ELIGIBILITY FOR FUNDING
Funding will only be offered to those Applicants holding, or having access to, a granted mining tenement, petroleum title or geothermal title.
However, consideration will be given to those Proposals where it is considered by the panel that an application for a mining tenement, petroleum title, or geothermal title is likely to be granted within a reasonable time frame (i.e. within 3 months from proposal submission) and that other approvals (native vegetation clearance etc.) will be completed shortly thereafter.
TIMELINES & IMPORTANT DATES
HOW TO APPLY
To find out more and complete the online project Application, go to the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.
Applicants may submit more than one application but second and subsequent applications will be subject to handicapping.
WA CO-FUNDED DRILLING PROGRAM
Up to 50% refund for innovative exploration drilling projects, capped at specific amounts.
APPLICATIONS OPEN:
3 February 2025
APPLICATIONS CLOSE:
28 February 2025
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