CEI Round 10 – apply for funding

Use this form to apply for funding under Round 10 of the Collaborative Exploration Initiative (CEI).

Make sure you've read this year's guideline for applicants before submitting your application. We have templates for your proposal and budget to help you prepare your application:

Applications close at 23:59 (AEST), 1 December 2025.

Contact the CEI team if you have questions about your submission:

  • 28 October 2025Applications open.
    1 December 2025Applications close (23:59 AEST).
    1 April 2026 Funding deeds must be countersigned by department.
    1 September 2026 Finalise access to project site.
    1 October 2026 Start activity by this date.
    4 December 2026 Complete activity by this date.
    1 February 2027 Submit final report, payment claim and data.
    2 August 2027Publish onto GSQ Open Data Portal.
    1 February 2028 Submit drill core and rock chips to the department.

  • Make sure you have the following documents prepared to submit with your application. For more detailed information on these, refer to the guideline for applicants – CEI Round 10 (PDF, 533KB).

    • A technical proposal template – CEI Round 10 (DOCX, 45KB) is available to help with your application, with prompts for each section.
    • Additional maps and figures as required.
    • Download and use the budget template – CEI Round 10 (XLSX, 44KB), and customise line items as required. Provide as much detail as possible of anticipated expenses, as we use this to track the estimated, quoted and actual expenses to provide reimbursement.
    • Director's assurance letter, or similar evidence confirming that the applicant has the funds and technical capacity to carry out the work.
    • Evidence that relevant land access is in place for on-ground activities. This could be:
      • a recent Notice of Entry sent to relevant landholders
      • the signatory page of a CCA in draft or fully executed, for more advanced activities.
    • Evidence that native title agreements are in place, with provisions for cultural clearances for high-impact activities (where relevant).
    • Contractor letters that guarantee availability within the given timeframe to do the work.
    • Evidence of public liability insurance for at least $20 million, in the name of the applicant.

Before you start, make sure you have your supporting documents prepared. We recommend you read the guideline for applicants – CEI Round 10 (PDF, 469KB).

You must complete all the required questions in a section before moving to the next section. Once you've completed a section, you can return to it later to make changes.