News: Suppliers
27 April 2026
Volta Metals receives $215,000 grant from Ontario Junior Exploration Program
Mineral exploration company Volta Metals Ltd of Toronto, Canada (which owns, has optioned and is currently exploring a critical minerals portfolio of rare-earths, gallium, lithium, cesium and tantalum projects in Ontario) has received approval for funding of up to $215,000 under the Ontario Junior Exploration Program (OJEP). The funding will support eligible exploration expenditures incurred in 2025 and the first two months of 2026 at its 4750-hectare Springer Rare Earth Element (REE) and Gallium Project, located about 70km east of Sudbury, Ontario, with direct access via the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 64.
The $215,000 received is the maximum OJEP grant per project, which covers up to 50% of eligible mineral exploration expenditures incurred in Ontario during the 2025 and early 2026 field season. This funding has enabled Volta to expand its exploration program at the Springer REE Deposit and advance both drilling and geophysical programs targeting rare-earth and gallium mineralization.
“Ontario is leading the charge to secure the minerals that will power our economy and strengthen our sovereignty,” states Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines. “Through OJEP, we're backing companies like Volta Metals Ltd to advance promising projects here at home — unlocking resources, creating jobs, and building a more self-reliant and secure Canadian economy,” he adds.
“This grant from the Government of Ontario represents a strong endorsement of the Springer REE Project and the significant progress our team has made over the past year,” says Volta’s president & CEO Kerem Usenmez. “The OJEP funding helps reduce exploration risk and allows us to advance more aggressive field programs without the need for additional shareholder dilution at this stage,” he adds. “Springer is one of the largest rare-earth deposits in North America, and this support from the Province reinforces the strategic importance of developing domestic critical mineral supply chains.”
The Springer Rare Earth Element deposit is located on the traditional territory of the Nipissing First Nations in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario. The project benefits from well-developed infrastructure, including paved road access, on-site power lines fed from the Crystal Falls hydroelectric dam, a natural gas pipeline, and Canadian National Railway service, all within 8km of the deposit. Volta's portfolio also includes the Aki Project, and the firm continues to explore additional critical mineral targets in Ontario, one of the world's most prolific hard-rock critical mineral districts.
Volta initiates bioleaching gallium recovery study with Laurentian University
