The Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations program co-funds industry exploration programs to advance geological understanding and resource development in the Territory. The outcomes of the program are expected to improve geological knowledge and mineralisation targeting within a
region, particularly at depth.
Overview
The Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations (GDC) program is a competitive grants program funded by the NT Government’s $9.5 million per annum Resourcing the Territory program and is administered by the Northern Territory Geological Survey (NTGS).
The program will allocate up to $3 million from the $9.5 million Resourcing the Territory program to share between eligible selected programs to co-fund projects that address geoscientific knowledge gaps, advance exploration activity, and support the discovery and development of resources in the Territory.
Applicants must meet eligibility requirements to be considered for funding. Information about essential eligibility, project specific eligibility, the funding sequence, application process and successful applicants are detailed in the round 17 guidelines PDF (11.7 MB).
Funding agreements must be signed and returned by 1 August 2024, or the offer of funding may be withdrawn.
Information gained from the successful projects will become OPEN FILE six months after project fieldwork completion or on 1 August 2025 (whichever is earlier).
Round 18
Applications for round 18 will open Wed 26th Feb 2025 and close 5pm Mon 28th April 2025 through GrantsNT,
Greenfields drilling aims to increase density of geoscientific data to improve geological knowledge and de-risk exploration in underexplored areas of the NT.
Brownfields diamond drilling aims to help bring forward resource development in areas of known resource endowment.
Regional-scale geophysics aims to significantly improve the resolution and quality of geophysical data in underexplored areas.
Innovative targeting aims to promote innovation in the testing of methods and techniques for exploration targeting.
Advancing critical minerals (new category) aims to support assessment of critical minerals endowment or recoverability using new or existing sample sets.
Co-funding amounts
The program provides co-funding up to 50% of direct claimable project costs inclusive of GST capped at specific co-funding amounts for specific projects.
Greenfields drilling
$200,000 for a single, deep diamond hole program
$150,000 for multi-hole diamond drilling program
$100,000 for non-diamond drilling program (RC, aircore, sonic, RAB).
Brownfields diamond drilling
$150,000 for diamond drilling programs testing new concepts below or adjacent to a known deposit.
Regional-scale geophysics
$100,000 for regional-scale geophysical acquisition resulting in a significant improvement in the resolution and quality of existing data (contiguous survey area greater than 350km2 or 25 km traverse length)
$150,000 for reflection seismic surveys.
Innovative targeting
$100,000 for camp- or prospect-scale acquisition of geophysics and/or geochemistry where technique and/or approach is Innovative in the area of interest. Multiple complementary datasets (geophysical/geochemical) to improve targeting will be viewed favourably.
$100,000 for seismic re-processing to assist in visualizing sub-surface geology and undercover targeting.
Advancing critical minerals (new category)
$50,000 for re-analysis of existing sample sets and/or mine waste to include previously untested critical minerals.
$50,000 for early-stage metallurgical test work and/or ore characterisation to assess potential recoverability of critical minerals from mineralised material.
In addition to the co-funding available above, the Territory Supplier Incentive (TSI) scheme is available for any project that engages NT enterprises for service or supply. The TSI provides up to 50% of direct claimable project costs inclusive of GST capped at $10,000.
Project specific proposal templates will be available under 'guidelines and templates'. Project category assessment criteria are available in appendices 1 to 5 in the GDC round 17 guidelines.
*Identified Resource is defined as a JORC-compliant or equivalent mineral resource of Inferred status or higher, or a Contingent Resource as defined by Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Greenfields diamond drilling projects are eligible when:
programs are located away from known deposits, and
it is demonstrated by the applicant there is no previous diamond drilling in the area of interest or the proposed drilling is to a significantly greater depth than existing drilling, and
non-diamond pre-collars account for less than half of the proposed drill metreage.
Greenfields reverse-circulation (RC) drilling projects are eligible when:
it is demonstrated by the applicant that no previous drilling of any method has been conducted in the area of interest, or
any previous drilling in the area was shallow RAB or aircore drilling that did not effectively test bedrock.
Greenfields non-diamond drilling (aircore, RAB, sonic) are eligible when:
it is demonstrated by the applicant that no previous drilling of any method has been conducted in the area of interest (e.g. first pass drilling of an area).
Brownfields diamond drilling
Brownfields diamond drilling projects are eligible for co-funding when:
it is demonstrated by the applicant that the proposed program is drilling an untested conceptual target significantly deeper than existing drilling and/or target has not been adequately tested by drilling; and
target must be outside of an existing Identified Resource; and
non-diamond pre-collars account for less than half of the proposed drill metreage.
Brownfields drilling projects will not be eligible when:
drilling shallow holes into known mineralisation; undertaking resource definition or development drilling; or utilising RC, RAB, aircore or sonic drilling (except pre-collars).
Regional-scale geophysics
Regional-scale geophysics projects are eligible for co-funding when:
acquiring regional-scale geophysics that results in a significant improvement in the resolution and quality of existing data; where
airborne surveys (eg magnetics, radiometrics, electromagnetics, gravity gradiometry) and ground gravity surveys cover a contiguous area greater than 350km2 ; or
passive seismic, reflection seismic or MT traverses are greater than 25km length.
Innovative targeting
Innovative targeting projects are eligible for co-funding when:
it is demonstrated by the applicant that the technique and / or approach has not been tested in the Project Area, or
it is demonstrated by the applicant that no seismic re-processing has been undertaken or previous seismic re-processing was not adequate or to modern standards.
Advancing critical minerals
Advancing critical minerals projects are eligible when:
it is demonstrated that there is insufficient existing analysis to determine whether the critical mineral/s of interest may be present in economically significant quantities in the identified prospect/deposit or mine waste, or
it is demonstrated the mineralisation or ore deposit to be tested contains potentially economic accumulations of critical minerals and has had no substantial early stage metallurgical or ore characterisation test work undertaken.
Advancing critical mineral projects will not be eligible when:
project development stage for metallurgical test work or ore characterisation is considered pre-feasibility and above, unless new critical minerals are being assessed.
Newly defined terms
"Area of interest" means the area and surrounds of the proposed activity.
“Critical Minerals” includes all current and emerging critical minerals as listed in the ‘Critical Minerals in the Northern Territory’ guide.
"Innovative" means a technique and/or approach that has not been tested previously in the Project Area. The testing and/or validating of the technique and /or approach should have broader regional implications.
"Project Area" means areas of contiguous or semi-contiguous tenure held by a company in a geological province or basin targeting the same commodity.
Funding applications are now open through GrantsNT and close 5:00pm Monday 29 April 2024 (Australian Central Standard Time). Applications will not be accepted by email.
Round 17 guidelines and proposal templates are available below.
Applicants notified of funding outcome. Funding agreements negotiated and signed with successful applicants.
30 June 2025
Round 17 funding agreements end.
1 August 2025
Round 17 reports, data and sample will become OPEN FILE six months after project fieldwork completion or on 1 August 2025 (whichever is earlier). Round 18 contracts must be fully executed.
The Territory Supplier Incentive (TSI) offers up to $10,000 inclusive of GST per project of additional funding to engage NT enterprises, which must be spent on local service and supply directly supporting the co-funded program.
This can include up to 50% of the cost of:
$20,000 worth of additional drilling on the proposed program, if the drilling contractor undertaking the project is an NT enterprise
cost of geochemical analysis (both preparation and analysis) using a laboratory meeting the criteria of an NT enterprise
drilling of water bores to support drilling, and / or water haulage by an NT enterprise
earthworks, track construction and / or equipment hire from an NT enterprise.
For the purpose of the TSI, an NT enterprise is a business that is registered with the Industry Capability Network Northern Territory; and operates in the NT; and has a significant permanent physical presence in the NT; and predominantly employs NT residents.
In the case of an individual who cannot register with the ICNNT, the onus is on the applicant to provide sufficient evidence that the individual meets the above criteria.
