2015-2016 Nova Scotia Mineral Incentive Program
Prospector Grant
Information for Prospector Grant Contribution
What is a Prospector Grant?
A Prospector Grant:

Can be applied for by registered prospectors in Nova Scotia.

Provides up to $15,000 for grass-roots mineral exploration activities within limits
defined herein. Prospectors/ are allowed to apply for more than one grant, but
you can only have one grant on an Exploration License. A grant may be applied
to several exploration properties provided all properties are under licence to the
applicant and that the work to be done on each property is described separately
on the application form. The Exploration License number(s) and issuance/ expiry
dates are required on applications.

Is intended to help prospectors carry out grass-roots exploration activities in
order to find economically viable mineral resources in Nova Scotia.
Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants must be holders, or in a registered agreement with the holder,
of active licences under the Mineral Resources Act. Where the applicant is not
the licensee the applicant must demonstrate that Summary of Agreement(s) have
been registered with the Registry of Mineral & Petroleum Titles that clearly
indicates that the applicant has valid exploration agreement(s) in place with the
respective licence holder(s).

NSMIP applicants for active licence(s) held by a company (non-living individual)
must be the registered signing officer or registered agent that is recorded in the
online registry system called NovaROC.or in the Nova Scotia Registry of Joint
Stock Companies (NSRJSC) as Registered agents may be required to have
agency for Reporting of Assessment Work and filing of required Permits (drilling
notification, excavation registration, etc.) that is required to support the planned
work.

Where the applicant is not a registered agent (as defined above) but is a living
individual who is signing on behalf of the licence holder(s), the applicant is
required to submit written authorization(s) from the right holder(s).
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
The applicant has to have fulfilled all commitments for any previous grants from
the NSMIP and the right holder is expected to adhere to the Mineral Resources
Act and Regulations.
What work is eligible?
NOTE: All costs over $5,000 require three quotes unless sole-source contracting is
necessary and approved by the NSMIP Project Coordinator prior to work being initiated.
If requesting sole-source contracting please include the reason for choosing the
contractor.
Eligible work on valid claims held by the applicant includes, but is not limited to:

Analytical costs from laboratories.

Trenching, drilling and blasting contractor fees, as long as the work will be
carried out by contractors certified with the Nova Scotia Construction Safety
Association and the proposed work is pre-approved by the NSMIP Project
Coordinator.

Rental of sampling, geophysical or other surveying equipment from non-affiliated
parties.

Pre-approved professional services from geophysical, geochemical, mineral
processing or geological contractors. The maximum daily rate allowed is $500/
day to a maximum of 20% of the grant total for geological contractors.

Reasonable costs incurred for community or Aboriginal engagement. This can
include professional services to hire a consultant to setup/ host the event. If the
proposed cost of the engagement is over $1,000, please submit a breakdown of
those costs in your application.

Any other expenses related to the application of exploration tools/techniques
used to explore the claim(s) may also be eligible provided they are applied for
and approved by the NSMIP Project Coordinator before work is initiated.

10% of total expenditures may be used for administration and miscellaneous
expenses for which no receipts are necessary, including any transportation costs
incurred under the grant are to be included under overhead expenses.

One-time-only capital expenditures may be permitted, upon submission of
receipts (unless purchased using previous NSMIP funding), for:
1.
The cost of a Global Position System device, up to a maximum of $250.
2.
The cost of a safety location device (e.g. SPOT Satellite Locater), up to a
maximum of $150.
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3.
The annual subscription fee for the safety location device, up to a maximum
of $100.
4.
The cost of a first aid kit, up to a maximum of $100.
5.
100% of the cost of a Red Cross or St. John’s Ambulance Standard-Level
First-Aid Course.
What work is not eligible?
Ineligible expenses include, but are not limited to:

Accommodation and meals.

Vehicle rental(s) and field camp rental(s).

Wage(s) of applicant(s) or anyone with a vested interest in the property.

Wages of assistants unless previously approved by the NSMIP Project
Coordinator.
How do I apply?
Applications must be submitted using the fillable form provided at
http://www.novascotia.ca/natr/meb/nsmip/nsmip1.asp that asks for the following
information:

Contact information.

Prospecting experience.

Project/property name and location. Details of any agreements with outside
parties that have a vested interest in the property are to be submitted with the
application.

A short description of work done previously on the property by those other than
the applicant and a short description of work done previously by the applicant.

The geological merit of the proposal, including whether the exploration plan is
well conceived, innovative and likely to achieve a successful result.

A list of proposed activities and budget forecast. Please note that some
expenditures are ineligible (this information is noted earlier).
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Your completed application(s) must be sent by e-mail and received no later than
4:00 pm on Wednesday, June 3rdth, 2015 by Mick O’Neill, the NSMIP Project
Coordinator at nsmip@gov.ns.ca only. Applications or additional information
received after this deadline will not be considered in the application review. If the
NSMIP Project Coordinator has noted a technical error with the application and requires
further clarification, the applicant has five days from the date and time on the e-mail was
received to provide this information. A non-response to the request within the five days
will terminate further review of the application.
Our e-mail accounts can receive 30MB of data per e-mail and if your application
and data exceeds this please send multiple e-mails.
How will applications be evaluated?
The applications will be evaluated by the Mineral Incentive Program Review and
Evaluation Committee based on:

The quality and merit of the proposal.

The potential of the work being proposed to effectively make new mineral
discoveries, or to advance knowledge and marketability of a known, existing
mineral occurrence.

The applicant’s prospecting experience in order to ascertain if the individual is
capable of carrying out the project.
How will I be notified?

Unsuccessful applicants will receive a letter stating that their project has not been
approved for funding. If you require information on why your application was not
successful, you may contact the NSMIP Project Coordinator by e-mail.

Successful applicants will receive a letter stating that their project has been
approved for funding. The letter will list the total grant awarded and the allowable
expenditures.
How will funds be disbursed?

A first payment of 75% of the approved grant amount will be issued to the
applicant on notification of a successful application. Unspent funds at the
completion of a project can be reallocated at the discretion of the NSMIP Project
Coordinator in consultation with the NSMIP Review and Evaluation Committee.

A final payment for the balance of the approved grant will be issued when the final
report, expense statement, paid receipts and digital data obtained using NSMIP
funds have been received and approved by the NSMIP Project Coordinator.
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Can funding be withdrawn?
If the NSMIP Project Coordinator, in consultation with the NSMIP Review and Evaluation
Committee, perceives clear evidence that the project is not going to proceed, then the
funding may be withdrawn. The grantee may be required to attend a meeting with
NSMIP committee members to explain delays in the project.
What are the reporting requirements?
Interim report:

Successful applicants are required to submit an Interim Report to the NSMIP
Project Coordinator at nsmip@gov.ns.ca by 4:00 pm September 14th, 2015. The
2015-2016 NSMIP Interim Report form will now be a one page online pdf fillable
form, available by September in the Fall on our NSMIP website.
Final report:

Applicants will submit a Final Report describing the work carried using the format
outlined in the Nova Scotia Mineral Resource Regulations for the reporting of
activities on mineral properties for assessment to the co-ordinator of the NSMIP by
the required date.

In addition to filing a Final Report to the co-ordinator of the NSMIP, the applicant is
required to either file an assessment report(s) and expenditures through the
NovaROC system, or forward the final reports to the right holder(s) for filing
through the NovaROC system.

In the Claims section of the Final Report, please list the claims as applied for in
the application, not what the current claim holdings are.

The Final Report must include a clear statement of only eligible NSMIP costs and
receipts totaling 100% of grant funding. We require official receipts from vendors
confirming payment of invoices directly related to the costs incurred. The invoices
have to show a zero balance (paid in full).

The locations of all samples analyzed, trenches, drillholes and other exploratory
work that pertains to the grant be provided in an acceptable digital format (e.g.
Microsoft Excel) using UTM NAD 83 projection coordinates.
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
The results of any surveys (e.g. geochemical, geophysical or lidar) carried out as
part of the grant must be included in the report as digital data and the data
associated with these surveys must be provided in an acceptable digital format
and georeferenced to NAD 83 projection.

The Final Report and all data collected are to be submitted digitally no later than
4:00 pm on Tuesday February 16th, 2016.

All data must be conveyed electronically as PDF files only. The Final Report,
Expense Statement, any digital data obtained using NSMIP funds and scanned
receipts are to be sent to the NSMIP Project Coordinator at nsmip@gov.ns.ca.
Receipt of the Final Report and any additional data will be confirmed by the
NSMIP Project Coordinator.
Notes:

Any changes to the proposed budget or work proposal must be submitted by email to the NSMIP Project Coordinator, and the Coordinator’s approval received
by e-mail. Failure to do so will mean work related to those changes will not
qualify for re-imbursement.
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