Sponsor Equity Is Insufficient
Bring strategic, institutional or project-level equity into the structure where additional sponsor capital is required.
Critical Minerals Capital Formation
Build the Capital Stack Required to Finance a Critical Minerals Project
Financely structures capital formation mandates for copper, lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel and rare-earth projects requiring institutional-scale development and construction capital.
We coordinate the financing architecture across senior project debt, strategic equity, offtake financing, streaming, royalties, subordinated capital, equipment finance, political-risk mitigation and ECA or DFI-backed structures. The mandate is designed around getting technically viable projects into a structure that institutional capital can underwrite.
Request a Critical Minerals Mandate 01
$100M+ Project
Designed for institutional-scale mine development and expansion requirements.
02
Technical Basis
Resource, engineering, feasibility and development work should be sufficiently advanced.
03
Commercial Strategy
Product, market, logistics and prospective offtake need a coherent commercial framework.
04
Financial Close Objective
The mandate is built around assembling the capital required to move the project forward.
From Resource to Bankable Project
Technical Value Has to Be Converted Into Financeable Cash Flow
A mineral resource becomes substantially easier to finance when technical work, permits, infrastructure, logistics, offtake, sponsor capital and risk allocation are assembled into a coherent institutional financing case.
Capital Constraints
Where Critical Minerals Projects Commonly Stall
Large mineral developments frequently require several forms of capital to reach construction. Financely diagnoses the missing components and structures the financing package around the project's technical, commercial and jurisdictional risk.
Production Is Not Yet Commercially Anchored
Develop financing strategies around qualifying offtake, strategic buyers and commodity counterparties.
Banks Require More Risk Mitigation
Strengthen the financing package through equity, guarantees, insurance, subordinated capital or contracted cash flows.
A Material Funding Gap Remains
Combine complementary sources of capital across the construction financing requirement.
Mining Equipment Consumes Too Much Upfront Capital
Evaluate equipment finance, vendor credit and ECA-supported procurement structures.
Political and Sovereign Risk Reduce Bank Appetite
Incorporate political-risk insurance, DFI participation, guarantees or other institutional risk mitigants where available.
Capital Architecture
One Mine Can Require Several Sources of Capital
Financely coordinates the capital stack so that each source of financing addresses a defined risk, asset or cash-flow component of the project.
01
Sponsor Equity
Capital invested by existing shareholders and project sponsors.
02
Strategic Equity
Capital from industrial groups, commodity companies or strategic investors.
03
Senior Project Debt
Long-term construction and project financing from institutional lenders.
04
Subordinated Debt
Additional leverage positioned beneath senior lenders.
05
Streaming
Upfront capital in exchange for defined future mineral production economics.
06
Royalty Capital
Capital raised against contractual participation in future project revenues or production.
07
Offtake Prepayment
Financing associated with qualifying future production and purchase commitments.
08
ECA / DFI Finance
Debt, guarantees, insurance and risk-sharing support from eligible institutions.
Financing Structures
Build Around the Project’s Remaining Capital Gap
Financely evaluates the entire financing requirement and allocates appropriate capital instruments to the parts of the project they are best suited to finance.
01
Senior Project Finance
Long-tenor construction and term debt against qualifying project cash flows and security.
02
Strategic Investor Capital
Equity from industrial groups, battery supply-chain companies, commodity firms and strategic investors.
03
Offtake Finance
Use qualifying contracted production to support prepayment or structured financing.
04
Streaming Finance
Monetize a defined portion of future production while limiting conventional debt burden.
05
Subordinated Capital
Fill the structural gap between sponsor equity and senior project lenders.
06
Equipment Finance
Finance qualifying mining, processing and infrastructure equipment separately from the core construction debt.
07
Political-Risk Insurance
Mitigate eligible sovereign, convertibility, expropriation and other jurisdictional risks.
08
ECA Support
Link qualifying exported equipment and services to export-credit-supported financing.
09
DFI Capital
Evaluate development-finance participation where the project and jurisdiction fit institutional mandates.
10
Working Capital
Structure post-construction inventory, receivables, concentrate or export working-capital facilities.
Critical Minerals
Projects We Can Evaluate
The mandate can be applied across upstream extraction, processing, beneficiation and associated infrastructure where the project has a credible path toward institutional financing.
Copper
Lithium
Cobalt
Graphite
Nickel
Rare earth elements
Manganese
Battery-material projects
Mineral processing facilities
Concentrate production
Beneficiation projects
Mine-linked infrastructure
Institutional Bankability
Capital Formation Starts With Understanding Why the Project Cannot Close
Financely evaluates the technical, commercial and financial structure to identify the precise constraint preventing institutional capital from committing. The mandate then focuses on removing that constraint and assembling the counterparties required for the complete capital stack.
Technical Work
Resource definition, feasibility, engineering and construction assumptions.
Permitting
Licences, concessions, environmental approvals and material project authorizations.
Offtake
Product specifications, prospective buyers, pricing and contractability.
Infrastructure
Power, roads, rail, ports, water and logistics required for project execution.
Sponsor Capital
Equity invested, remaining commitment and sponsor capacity.
Capital Gap
Quantify the remaining equity, debt, subordinated capital or risk support required to reach financial close.
Financely Process
From Mineral Asset to Institutional Capital Stack
Financely acts as capital architect and transaction coordinator. The mandate is structured around diagnosing the project, designing the financing architecture and coordinating relevant capital providers through execution.
01
Diagnose
Review technical status, commercial strategy, capital requirement and existing funding.
02
Structure
Design the senior, subordinated, equity, offtake and risk mitigation stack.
03
Prepare
Organize the institutional data room, financial model and financing materials.
04
Arrange
Coordinate banks, funds, strategic investors, ECAs, DFIs, insurers and commodity counterparties.
05
Close
Support diligence, term negotiation, documentation and capital-stack execution.
Commercial Terms
Critical Minerals Capital Formation Mandate
Engagement economics depend on project size, jurisdiction, development stage, number of capital sources and complexity of the financing architecture.
Initial Retainer
$250K–$750K+
Minimum project size generally $100M. Target mandates are typically structured around $250M–$2B projects.
Institutional Capital Formation
The mandate is scoped around the project’s remaining financial-close requirements and the capital providers required to complete the stack.
Capital-gap diagnosis
Financial model review
Capital-stack structuring
Offtake strategy
Strategic investor targeting
Lender coordination
ECA / DFI strategy
Financial-close coordination
Frequently Asked Questions
Critical Minerals Capital Formation
What project size do you work with?
The mandate is designed primarily for institutional-scale
projects. Minimum project size is generally $100 million,
with a preferred target range of approximately $250 million
to $2 billion.
What does the mandate cost?
Initial retainers generally range from $250,000 to $750,000
or more depending on project size, jurisdiction, development
stage and capital-stack complexity. Final commercial terms are
documented in the engagement agreement.
Can you finance copper projects?
Yes. Financely can evaluate qualifying copper mining,
processing, concentrate and related infrastructure projects
requiring institutional capital.
Can you work on lithium and battery-material projects?
Yes. Lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt and other eligible
battery-material projects can be evaluated where the project
has sufficient technical and commercial development.
Can offtake agreements help finance the mine?
Potentially. Qualifying offtake arrangements can support
prepayment structures, strategic capital, lender underwriting
and broader project bankability.
Can streaming be part of the capital stack?
Yes. Streaming can be evaluated as one component of the
capital stack where project economics, production profile and
investor appetite support the structure.
Can you arrange ECA-supported equipment financing?
Potentially. Where eligible equipment and services originate
from qualifying exporting countries, export-credit-supported
financing can be incorporated into the broader project
architecture.
Can DFIs participate in the financing?
Potentially. DFI participation depends on project location,
development impact, environmental and social standards,
project structure and the mandate of the relevant institution.
Does Financely provide the capital directly?
Financely provides capital-structuring, advisory and
arrangement services. Capital is provided by third-party
banks, funds, strategic investors, commodity companies,
streaming or royalty investors, DFIs, ECAs and other eligible
institutions.
Is financing guaranteed?
No. Capital formation remains subject to technical diligence,
financial underwriting, legal review, KYC, AML, sanctions,
environmental and social diligence, investment approval and
the independent requirements of each capital provider.
Does Your Critical Minerals Project Have a Capital Gap Preventing Financial Close?
Send us the project size, mineral, jurisdiction, development stage, feasibility status, permits, infrastructure requirements, existing sponsor equity, proposed offtake, current lender interest and remaining capital requirement. Financely can assess the constraint and structure the financing architecture required to move the project toward financial close.
Request a Critical Minerals MandateFinancely provides corporate finance advisory, project structuring and capital arrangement services on a best-efforts basis. Financely is not a bank, direct lender or deposit-taking institution and does not itself provide project capital. Financing remains subject to independent technical, commercial, legal, environmental, credit, KYC, AML, sanctions and investment review by the relevant capital providers. Retainer amounts depend on project scope and complexity. Financely does not guarantee financing, investment approval, offtake execution or financial close.