$100,000 CAD in Prizes
The 2024 Prospect Generation Challenge will award $100,000 CAD in prizes to outstanding participants.
What is the Prospect Generation Challenge?
The Prospect Generation Challenge is a "Dragon's Den" style event that will be held during the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) 2024 Convention in Toronto, on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
The goal of this event is to excite students and early-career geoscientists about the mineral exploration industry, to create jobs for students and early-career geoscientists in this sector, and educate the public about how this industry is evolving and improving.
The Challenge is a catalyst to springboard the mineral exploration industry into a generation of renewed growth by bridging the gap between academia and industry, and by nurturing socially conscious entrepreneurs who want their mineral projects to have a sustainable benefit for all stakeholders.
Key Information
Time Commitment
It should take approximately 30-40 hours of work from start to finish for a team to put together a submission for the Challenge.
Timeline
Work program timeframe: May – August 2024. Put together a detailed $30,000 CAD budget for your exploration work.
Team Size
Teams cannot comprise more than three members. Individual submissions are also welcome.
Global Projects
While resources focus on Canadian jurisdictions, projects can be located anywhere in the world.
Eligibility Requirements
- Open to geoscience students and graduates up to 30 years old from recognized universities
- For team submissions, all team members must meet the eligibility criteria
- The mineral rights to the project must be 100% owned by the team members, OR the project must be on open ground (mineral rights are available and not owned by anyone)
- Finding teammates to work with will make the project easier and more fun!
Submission Requirements
Submission Deadline
Sunday, February 4th, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST
Submissions will be accepted by email at challenge@nextgengeo.ca. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Required Documents
- Submission Forms: Each team member must fill out a Submission Form. Attach all forms to your submission email.
- Project Report: Maximum of six 8.5" by 11" pages; minimum 12-point font size; minimum margins are one inch; text in tables and figures must be no smaller than 9-point font size. Email as a single unlocked PDF document or link to document stored in the cloud, 20 MB maximum.
Optional Submissions
- Pitch Video: No longer than 10 minutes, uploaded to YouTube as a private video, shared with challenge@nextgengeo.ca
- Supplementary Data: 1-page annotated list of supplementary data with links to reports, data sources, local mineral claims rules
What Your Project Should Include
Exploration Hypothesis
Develop a clear hypothesis for your mineral exploration target and the geological reasoning behind it.
Target Generation
Learn how to generate and evaluate mineral exploration targets using provincial geoscience databases and mineral tenure systems.
Work Program Budget
Put together a detailed $30,000 CAD budget for your work program with a timeframe of May – August 2024. The more detailed the budget, the better!
Investment Pitch
Learn how to pitch your exploration ideas to investors and industry experts.
The Process
Research & Target Selection
Get familiar with provincial geoscience databases and mineral tenure systems. Browse through the data and find interesting targets.
Build Your Case
Select your focus target and build a geological case for it. Develop your exploration hypothesis and work program.
Submit Your Proposal
Prepare your presentation and supporting documents. Submit by February 4th, 2024.
Final Presentations
Top teams will be invited to pitch their exploration idea to a panel of industry experts at the PDAC Convention on March 2, 2024.
PDAC Convention Event
The final presentations will take place at the PDAC 2024 Convention in Toronto on Saturday, March 2, 2024. This event is open to the public but a free ticket is required.
Selected teams will present their mineral exploration projects to a panel of industry experts in a "Dragon's Den" style format, competing for the $100,000 CAD in prizes.
Learn from Past Winners
Past winners of the Prospect Generation Challenge have gone on to successful careers in the mineral exploration industry. You can learn more about their winning projects and see what made them successful.
Ready to Take on the Challenge?
Join the next generation of mineral exploration leaders. Create your own summer job and compete for $100,000 CAD in prizes!