Applications will open shortly for BHP’s 2026 Xplor accelerator program, which aims to help early-stage mineral exploration companies fast-track promising concepts into viable projects.
BHP Xplor is a six-month global program designed to support early-stage mineral exploration companies in finding the critical resources needed to support the global energy transition.
Participants will benefit from up to $US500,000 ($764,200) equity-free funding, expert mentorship, and the ability to foster long-term relationships within BHP’s extensive network of suppliers and service providers.
Now in its fourth year, the program has seen many participants progress to become successful early exploration companies.
Australian companies that have completed the program in previous years have included Impact Minerals, Hamelin Gold, Red Ox Copper, and Longreach Mineral.
Part of the 2023 program cohort, Impact Minerals has sought to establish itself as a key player in the high purity alumina industry. It is also involved in diverse mineral resources exploration projects, including gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, nickel, and platinum group metals.
From the 2024 cohort, ASX-listed Hamelin Gold was established to execute a modern exploration program at the 100 per cent owned West Tanami gold project in Western Australia and has a market capitalisation of $11.6 million. The West Tanami is a belt-scale gold project that covers 2277 square kilometres of underexplored gold territory.
No Australian-based companies took part in the 2025 program. The 2025 program saw companies from Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Peru, Germany, the US, and Canada participate.
Since its inception in 2023, BHP has entered partnerships with at least three of the BHP Xplor program’s alumni, including ASX-listed Kingsrose Mining.
In 2024, BHP and Kingsrose struck an exploration alliance to fund Kingsrose’s nickel-copper exploration in Norway and Finland.
Applications for the 2026 BHP Xplor program open September 8, 2025.