Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund

The Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund (NMEF) is a non-profit organization established in 1998 following an agreement signed in the fall of 1997 between the Ministère des Ressources Naturelles du Québec (MRNQ), the Kativik Regional Government (KRG) and the Kativik Local Development Council (KLDC). The four parties successively signed following agreements to ensure the financing of the NMEF a financial contribution of $300 000 per year to cover the NMEF annual expenses for eligible activities. The agreement signed by the NMEF on April 11, 2011, covering the period 2010-2013, involved a new partner, the Makivik Corporation (Makivik). The latest agreement covering the period 2019-2022, increased its contribution from $300,00 to $ 350,000 per year.

The Aboriginal mining funding assistance Program and the Agreement on mineral resource development in the Kativik territory 2022-2025 cover the territory as defined under the Act respecting Northern Villages and the Kativik Regional Government. They are intended to develop and support mineral prospecting and exploration activities, generate and encourage the gathering of knowledge on the mineral potential of the Kativik territory, and develop Inuit organizations to work in the mineral resource sector. NMEF activities aim to achieve the four specific objectives set out in the next section.

More specifically, they are intended to:

help maintain or increase the number of Inuit jobs in the mine exploration sector. Certain actions may contribute to this objective:
- promote training of a specialized Inuit workforce;
- foster the inclusion of Inuit people in mine exploration work taking place in the Kativik territory;

improve knowledge of mine exploration and development in the Inuit communities. Certain actions may contribute to this objective:
- raise awareness, within the Inuit workforce, of the situation of mining in general;
- raise awareness, among young Inuit people, of the situation of mining in general.

maintain assistance for Inuit start-up enterprises in the mineral resource sector;
reinforce or maintain communications between the Inuit communities and mine exploration companies in order to foster the social acceptability of projects.