Round 18 open – Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations (GDC) Grant Program
The NT Government today announced grant funding has opened for its highly Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations (GDC) program.
Round 18 of the program will provide up to $3 million to co-fund projects that address geoscientific knowledge gaps, advance exploration activity, and support the discovery and development of resources across the Territory.
Senior Executive Director Geological Survey, Ian Scrimgeour, said the scheme helped bolster the Territory's resources sector, underpinning the economy and creating opportunities for businesses and local jobs across the NT.
Mr Scrimgeour said with the potential for Territory's critical minerals set to increase, a minimum of $2 million of this funding will be directed into projects targeting critical minerals.
The GDC program awards co-funding of up to 50 percent of the cost of drilling (both greenfields and brownfields), regional scale geophysical surveys, innovative exploration targeting and advancing critical minerals projects.
This year includes an increase in the capped amount of co-funding for regional-scale geophysics from $100,000 to $150,000.
Recent co-funded drilling projects have contributed to the discovery of new critical minerals resources at the Leliyn project near Pine Creek (graphite), and in the Barkly (rare earths, vanadium, gallium).
To further support local business, a Territory Supplier Incentive has been introduced that offers additional funding to engage NT enterprises, which must be spent on local service and supply directly supporting the co-funded program.
Applicants must meet eligibility requirements and for further information about the application process, project specific eligibility, the funding sequence, and application guidelines go to resourcingtheterritory.nt.gov.au.
Applications for Round 18 of this program, supporting projects in 2025-26, open on 25 February and must be submitted by Monday, 28 April 2025, via grantsnt.nt.gov.au.
