Scandium Canada Ltd. (TSX-V: SCD) announced it has signed a non-refundable contribution agreement for up to $6,915,478 under Natural Resources Canada's Global Partnerships Initiative (GPI) to support its Crater Lake scandium and rare earth elements project in Quebec and its proprietary aluminum-scandium (Al-Sc) alloys. The announcement was made at the PDAC 2026 convention by The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Guy Bourassa, CEO of Scandium Canada.
The federal support, representing 69% of the project costs, will be used to scale up the company's patent-pending processes for beneficiation, extraction, and purification of scandium and rare earth elements. The funding will also advance the project to FEL-3 engineering standards, complete detailed design and specifications, and develop a comprehensive cost estimate and execution schedule. Additionally, applied research with end users will optimize aluminum-scandium alloy products.
This GPI contribution underscores the strategic importance of the Crater Lake project, which is North America's largest primary source of scandium. The funding unlocks immediate value for Scandium Canada's international partners through its Scandium+ division, without waiting for the mine to reach full production. One partner, Granges Powder Metallurgy (GPM), a subsidiary of Gränges Group, will integrate Scandium Canada's proprietary scandium-modified AA535 and AA7075 alloys into its product offering. A second partner will benefit from Scandium Canada's specialized metallurgical knowledge for recovering scandium from polymetallic deposits, a notoriously difficult process. A third partner, sharing a commitment to non-Chinese supply chains for critical minerals, will lay the groundwork for deeper collaboration as the Crater Lake project matures.
"It is a privilege to be among the few Canadian companies selected under the GPI," said Guy Bourassa, CEO of Scandium Canada. "NRCan's support is a crucial milestone that provides non-dilutive funding through 2028, allowing our team to focus entirely on execution." Minister Tim Hodgson added: "Canada and our partners are putting real capital behind the secure and sustainable critical mineral supply chains that our economies and defence industries rely on."
The Global Partnerships Initiative is a Natural Resources Canada program designed to support critical minerals projects in Canada, strengthening domestic supply chains and advancing Canada's position as a reliable supplier to allied nations. Scandium Canada aims to become a market leader in scandium, leveraging its Al-Sc alloy development subsidiary and the Crater Lake mining project to meet the growing demand for lighter, greener, high-performance materials.
