Natural Resources Canada

Crush-It! Challenge

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Process & Prizes

Check out the Applicant Guide for more details about the Challenge and terms and conditions.

  • Crush It! Challenge launch and call for applications

    October 30, 2018

  • Deadline for applications

    January 15, 2019

  • Selection of semi-finalists by Technical Review Committee and awarding of micro-grants to small-scale innovators

    February, 2019

  • Up to 12 semi-finalists proceed to present their cleantech ideas to a Challenge Jury

    #DisruptMining event, March 2019

  • Up to 6 finalists announced

    May 2019

  • Teams submit technical reports showcasing their rockin’ cleantech solutions

    May 31, 2021

  • Final grand prize winner announced

    Summer 2021

Prizes

$10k

Up to 12 Semi-Finalists. We’re helping smaller players crush it, too!

Up to 12 winning small-scale innovators will be awarded $10,000 each in micro-grants to support their presentation. Innovators will present their cleantech idea to the Challenge Jury at the #DisruptMining event, which coincides with the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention in March 2019.

Crush It! Apply today!

$800k

Up to 6 Finalists. Crush it harder!

The Challenge Jury will select up to six finalists who will be awarded up to $800,000 each to start transforming their cleantech ideas into reality.

$5M

Final Grand Prize Winner. Rock on!

The Challenge Jury will pick a grand prize winner who demonstrates the biggest energy breakthrough in crushing and grinding rocks to receive a $5 million grant.


The collaboration and support of Canada’s mining innovation stakeholders is key to the success of the Crush It! Challenge. Natural Resources Canada is teaming up with Goldcorp to bring the Crush It! Challenge semi-finalists to the 2019 #DisruptMining event in Toronto, where they will present their solutions at this one-of-a-kind showcase event. Outreach and engagement undertaken by the Centre of Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) will enhance Canada’s mineral processing innovation ecosystem by mobilizing new and existing solver communities, building new linkages across the innovation landscape, and setting the stage for the commercialization and adoption of emerging solutions.

Organizations or individuals working with Natural Resources Canada to support the objectives of the Crush It! Challenge are not eligible to submit an application to, or otherwise participate as an applicant in, the Challenge. Natural Resources Canada welcomes any suggestion or proposal for additional collaboration to enhance or facilitate the Crush It! Challenge.

Challenge details

Who can apply?

  • For-profit and not-for-profit organizations such as companies, industry associations and research centres
  • Indigenous organizations and groups
  • Canadian post-secondary institutions
  • Independent small-scale innovators and individuals

Prizes

  • $10,000 for each small-scale innovator selected as one of the up to twelve (12) Challenge semi-finalists to help them pitch their ideas to the Challenge Jury
  • Up to $800,000 each for up to 6 finalists to build and test their cleantech solutions.
  • $5 million grant to the innovator who can demonstrate the best energy breakthrough in crushing and grinding rocks

Key dates

  • January 15, 2019: deadline to submit applications
  • March 2019: pitch proposal at #DisruptMining event
  • May 2019: top 6 announced
  • May 31, 2021: final submission deadline for Challenge finalists
  • Summer 2021: final grand prize winner announced