# EXIM Reviews Elk Creek Project Financing

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, EXIM Chairman John Jovanovic, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, and members of Congress are scheduled to visit NioCorp’s Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project in Nebraska on October 14, 2026, while construction is underway. EXIM is reviewing NioCorp’s application for potential debt financing through its Make More in America initiative; no financing decision or solicitation has been announced. Separately, the extracted project information identifies up to $10 million in milestone-contingent reimbursement under a DoD-authorized project sub-agreement administered by Advanced Technology International for the Defense Industrial Base Consortium.

- The EXIM application remains under review, so contractors and suppliers should treat related mine construction and critical-minerals supply-chain work as potential future opportunities, not as an active solicitation or awarded financing.
- The separate reimbursement arrangement is capped at **up to $10 million** and contingent on milestones; firms supporting the project should distinguish this mechanism from EXIM’s pending debt-financing application.
- The scheduled October 14 site visit brings federal and state officials to a project under construction, making financing and development milestones relevant to companies evaluating potential roles in mine construction and critical-minerals supply chains.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Energy & Utilities, Construction & Infrastructure
**Topics:** Grants & Funding, Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** October 12, 2026

### Government Entities
- Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM)
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- State of Nebraska
- U.S. Congress

### Vendors
- NioCorp Developments Ltd. (Project developer and EXIM financing applicant)
- Advanced Technology International (Administrator of the project sub-agreement on behalf of the Defense Industrial Base Consortium)

### Sources
- [U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, EXIM Chairman John Jovanovic, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts, and Congressman Adrian Smith to Visit NioCorp’s Critical Minerals Mine Site – NioCorp Developments Ltd.](https://www.niocorp.com/u-s-energy-secretary-chris-wright-exim-chairman-john-jovanovic-nebraska-governor-jim-pillen-senators-deb-fischer-and-pete-ricketts-and-congressman-adrian-smith-to-visit-niocorps-critical) - NioCorp Developments Ltd.