Embracing innovation and collaboration to advance exploration activity.
Round 2 of the Accelerated Discovery Initiative (ADI), which aims to drive innovation across South Australia’s exploration sector, opened 27 November with a call for expressions of interest, closing 20 December 2020.
Minister for Energy and Mining, Dan van Holst Pellekaan, announced $4.5 million was allocated for Round 2 to help re-ignite the South Australian exploration sector in the wake of the COVID pandemic. This compares to $3 million offered in Round 1 in 2019.
Expanding on details of the ADI at Discovery Day 2020, Alex Blood, Executive Director Mineral Resources, highlighted the importance of encouraging successful and sustained exploration in the pandemic response.
‘Due to the challenges of COVID, some of the money from Round 3 of the ADI … has been pulled forward to increase the amount of money available for the industry now as we try to recover and get back to business after the impacts of COVID in 2020,’ she said.
As a globally recognised initiative pushing boundaries, Alex also stressed that the ADI ‘is one of the most diverse co-funding projects in Australia, and indeed the world, and we really welcome you and encourage you to take advantage of it.
‘The ADI covers not just drilling and geophysical programs but really provides a focus on innovation.’
Investment guidelines, which detail the two-step proposal process, and the online application form are given on the Department for Energy and Mining website. Co-funding is available for 50% of direct costs to a maximum value of $300,000 encompassing new techniques to uncover resources, new technologies and new approaches to try to de-risk exploration for the sector. It also includes funding to support Aboriginal employment during exploration works. Alex said, ‘The relationship between explorers and First Nations people is very important and vital to the success of this industry.’
The funding program invites exploration companies to ‘think outside the square’ and submit innovative and pioneering proposals to continue pushing the boundaries of traditional exploration. Minister van Holst Pellekaan said ‘Challenging conventional thinking is the cornerstone of the state government’s approach to encouraging resources exploration, and will see South Australia continue its trajectory as one of the most sustainable and technologically advanced exploration sectors in the world.’
Round 2 funding categories
- Exploration drilling of single deep holes and/or multiple hole programs in frontier terrains or testing new concepts in other areas.
- Geophysical programs that focus on the application of innovative technology and concepts and/or provide for a significant improvement in the density or quality of data at a district or regional scale.
- Logistical support for testing exploration targets in remote greenfield or new frontier regions.
- Increased sampling and testing of groundwater encountered during mineral exploration to Environment Protection Authority prescribed guidelines.
- Research collaboration and/or technology development projects that will benefit mineral exploration and accelerate discovery.
- Proof-of-concept proposals that encourage new thinking and innovation in the exploration sector.
- Employment of Aboriginal personnel during exploration activities.
Read the minister’s media release
More about the ADI including the investment guidelines
– David Connolly-Hay, December 2020
