Moonshot for Mining, Minerals, and Manufacturing (M4M) Program Presentation

Introduction

• Presenter: John Sana, Director of Project Development at NGen Canada
• Organization: NGen (Next Generation Manufacturing Canada)
• Website: ngen.ca

About NGen Canada

• Founded: 2017
• Mandate: Lead Canada's advanced manufacturing capabilities
• Activities:
  • Promoting Canadian capabilities
  • Making connections
  • Funding collaborative innovation
  • Building workforce and management capacity
  • Modernizing manufacturing footprint

M4M Program Overview

• Full Name: Moonshot for Mining, Minerals, and Manufacturing (M4M)
• Supported By: Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
• Focus: Development of ISRU solutions for both Earth and lunar applications
• Goals:
  • Promote innovations with dual-use applications
  • Strengthen Canada’s leadership in space
  • Revitalize long-term competitiveness of key industrial sectors

Key Criteria for All NGen Projects

1. Process Innovation: Must align with mining, mineral processing, or advanced manufacturing; Earth and lunar applications
2. Transformative: Develop novel tools, techniques, or transformative processes
3. Collaborative: Minimum of two Canadian industry partners (at least one SME with less than 500 employees globally)
4. Solution Focused: Generate commercial and economic benefits with a path to commercialization
5. Enduring: Broader benefits to Canada’s space and advanced manufacturing ecosystem

Out-of-Scope Projects

• Benefits only a single firm/organization
• Could be undertaken without M4M funding
• Focus solely on Earth or lunar applications
• Not linked to mining, processing, or advanced manufacturing
• Involves product development/design
• Involves routine changes or experimental/theoretical work
• Related to full-scale production activities
• Anti-competitive activities

Eligibility Requirements

• Must be an NGen member (free membership)
• Registered business in Canada with added value presence
• Funding recipients:
  • For-profit or non-profit organizations
  • Non-federal Crown corporations
  • Indigenous organizations
• Project consortium:
  • At least two unassociated industry partners
  • Minimum one SME (less than 500 employees globally)
  • Demonstrate a path to commercialization

Project Streams and Funding

• Stream 1: Projects valued at $250k-$500k
• Stream 2: Projects valued at $2.2M-$2.5M
• Funding Model: Reimbursement (50% of eligible project costs)
• Eligible Costs: Labor, subcontracting (up to 40%), capital and equipment (up to 30%), materials, supplies, travel, IP
• Collaboration: No single partner to receive more than 80% of funding
• Duration: All projects to be completed by March 31, 2025
• Stacking Limit: 100% (can combine with other funding sources)

Key Dates

• **Round 1 Due Dates: **
  • Expression of Interest: January 11, 2024
  • Financial Due Diligence: January 16, 2024
  • Final Application: January 18, 2024
• **Potential Round 2 Due Dates (if funding remains): **
  • Expression of Interest: February 15, 2024
  • Financial Due Diligence: February 16, 2024
  • Final Application: February 22, 2024

Application Process

1. Become an NGen member (join for free at ngen.ca/join)
2. Login to member portal and start application in Salesforce
3. Screening: Submit expression of interest, review of scope and financial due diligence
4. Full Application: Submitted post-screening, reviewed by external experts
5. Contracting: Begins if funded, approx. two months

Screening Requirements

• Project proposal description (1000 words)
• Contact information of all partners
• Signed application agreement by all partners
• High-level financial proposal (cash contributions, funding sought)
• Declaration form for SMEs
• Encouraged to submit early to allow time for full application

Full Application Requirements

• Responses to 8 application questions (stream 1: 4000 characters; stream 2: 7000 characters per question)
• Project plan (Gantt chart), risk register, IP tables, financial workbooks (one per partner)

Support

• Contact: [email protected]
• Resources: Guides, templates available on website
• Note: Reach out for project idea discussions or other queries

Conclusion

• Thank you: For attending
• Contact Info: [email protected]
• Best of luck to all applicants!