Critical Minerals Association

What Critical Minerals Association does

The Critical Minerals Association (CMA) UK is a London-based, membership-funded industry association founded in 2020 to advocate for secure, responsible, and ethically sourced critical mineral supply chains aligned with the UK's Green Industrial Revolution. It serves as secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Critical Minerals, established March 2020 and currently chaired by Cherilyn Mackrory MP, providing a formal channel between industry and UK Government departments including the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and Innovate UK. CMA's membership spans more than 30 organisations across the full value chain — exploration, mining, processing, manufacturing, recycling, consulting, and legal services — with named members including Anglo American, Cornish Lithium, Cornish Metals, Mkango, Dalradian, Aberdeen Minerals, TechMet, Ionic Technologies, SRK Consulting, and Fasken.

CMA's core products and services comprise: (1) a tiered membership program for industry, academic, and individual members; (2) an annual and flagship conference series alongside APPG parliamentary events and breakfast briefings; (3) a body of authoritative policy reports including the ESG UK Lithium Paper series (2021, 2022, 2025), the Skills for Critical Materials Roadmap (2026), Finance Paper (2023), Midstream Report (2023), Planning & Permitting Paper (2022), Talent Pipeline Paper (2022), and Mineral Rights Paper (2022); (4) a monthly newsletter; (5) the UK Critical Minerals Website (ukcriticalminerals.co.uk), launched May 2026 with DBT part-funding and built by SeaDog IT, functioning as a sector directory; (6) a UK Critical Minerals Investment Prospectus; and (7) educational/outreach resources including online courses and a Minecraft education add-on. CMA also operates a dedicated Government Network for public servants.

Revenue is generated through recurring membership fees across industry, academic, and individual tiers, supplemented by project co-funding from government partners (DBT, Innovate UK, FCDO). The association is privately held as a non-profit, with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no institutional investors. It is led by Founder & CEO Kirsty Benham and Founder Jeff Townsend, supported by a core team of approximately six staff including an External Affairs Manager, Technical Analyst, Senior Analyst, and Government Affairs Associate.

Name

Critical Minerals Association

Legal name

Critical Minerals Association (UK)

Website

https://criticalmineral.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Critical Minerals Association (UK) is a London-based, membership-funded industry association founded in 2020 that advocates for secure UK critical mineral supply chains. It operates the APPG for Critical Minerals as secretariat and serves mining, processing, and manufacturing members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association / Trade Body

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

akta.pro primary industry

ESG, Traceability & Certification Services (Responsible Sourcing) (IMAKAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Battery & Critical Minerals Trading (Lithium, Cobalt, Graphite, Manganese, Rare Earths) (IMAKAJAE), Stakeholder Engagement, Indigenous/Tribal Consultation & Social Impact (SIA) (EUAHAAAH)

Keywords

• Industry association services
• Critical minerals policy
• Mining sector advocacy
• Supply chain collaboration
• Government relations advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The CMA generates revenue through membership fees from industry members, academic members, and individual members across the critical minerals value chain. Members receive benefits including policy development opportunities, government event access, thought leadership platforms, networking, and media outreach.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Critical Minerals Association (UK) is a London-based, membership-funded industry association that convenes companies, academic institutions and individuals across the critical minerals value chain. It delivers its mission through membership programs, published policy reports (ESG, skills, finance, planning, mineral rights), flagship conferences, an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Critical Minerals, and a monthly newsletter that connects industry with UK Government stakeholders.

Product overview

The Critical Minerals Association (UK) is a membership-based industry organization, not a unified software product. It offers a portfolio of services including membership programs for industry, academic, and individual members; published research reports and ESG papers; annual conferences and events; a monthly newsletter; an APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group) for government engagement; and the UK Critical Minerals Website directory platform. The association serves as a coordination body connecting industry, government, and academia in the critical minerals sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program Industry, academic and individual membership program that provides policy development opportunities, government event access, thought leadership platforms, peer-to-peer best practice sharing, networking and media outreach across the UK critical minerals value chain.
• Critical Minerals Reports and Publications Published research and policy papers covering ESG, skills roadmaps, finance, midstream processing, planning and permitting, talent pipeline, and mineral rights for the UK critical minerals sector.
• Annual Conference and Events Flagship events including the annual CMA conference, APPG parliamentary meetings, breakfast chats, and joint events with the Geological Society and other partners.
• APPG Critical Minerals (Secretariat) All-Party Parliamentary Group for Critical Minerals providing a forum for government-industry dialogue on critical minerals policy, chaired by parliamentarians with CMA serving as secretariat.
• UK Critical Minerals Website Online platform bringing together key resources, industry information, business directories, funding opportunities, planning resources, innovation hubs, and geological data for the UK critical minerals sector.
• UK Critical Minerals Investment Prospectus Investment prospectus showcasing UK mining, processing, recycling and service providers for critical minerals, highlighting opportunities for investors in the UK critical minerals sector.
• Educational Resources and Outreach Educational materials including online courses, career pathways resources, Minecraft educational add-ons, and STEM resources for increasing awareness of critical minerals in society.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46% of industry respondents report that workforce shortages will directly impact their operations (from Skills Roadmap research)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Department for Business and Trade (DBT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026DBT partnered with CMA to develop and part-fund the UK Critical Minerals website, described as the largest critical minerals directory ever published in the UK. DBT also supported the UK Critical Minerals Website Showcase Ministerial Launch event in May 2026.
• British Geological Survey (BGS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2025The British Geological Survey signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ukrainian State Geological Survey to strengthen technical cooperation across geological surveying, data sharing, research collaboration, and institutional capacity-building within the critical minerals sector. This partnership is supported by the UK Government through the FCDO and was facilitated through the APPG for Critical Minerals meeting on UK-Ukraine cooperation.
• Australia (via Critical Minerals Production Alliance)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2025Australia formally joined the Critical Minerals Production Alliance launched under Canada's G7 presidency in 2025. The two countries committed to enhanced collaboration on investment frameworks, technical standards, and supply chain resilience, including coordination between Australia's Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve and Canada's Critical Minerals Sovereign Fund. CMA serves as secretariat for the UK APPG on Critical Minerals and facilitates international cooperation.
• Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe FCDO partnered with CMA and the APPG to host high-level ministerial meetings on UK-Ukraine cooperation on critical minerals, providing diplomatic and governmental support for international partnership development.
• Innovate UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovate UK co-funded and supported the 'Closing the Gap: Skills for Critical Materials Roadmap' report, working with CMA on skills development research for the UK critical minerals sector.
• BNamericasminorOthersBNAmericas is featured as a source of industry-specific information on Latin America, particularly regarding infrastructure and energy sectors. Note: This is a separate Brazilian association called AMC (Associação Mineração Crítica), not the UK CMA.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Benchmark Mineral Intelligence: Specialist market intelligence and price reporting firm focused on lithium-ion battery and critical-minerals supply chains. Comparable as an information provider to the same critical-minerals audience CMA serves, though operating a paid intelligence model rather than membership advocacy.

Direct peers

• Minerals Council of Australia: Australia's peak national industry body for the minerals sector, convening miners, processors and government on policy and ESG. Directly comparable to CMA in operating model (membership association, policy advocacy, ESG focus) though serving a larger mining economy.
• Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME): US-based professional society for the mining and minerals sector. Comparable as a member-led association publishing technical reports, running conferences, and advocating on workforce/skills issues.
• Mineral Products Association (UK): UK trade association for the aggregates, cement, concrete and industrial minerals sector. Closely comparable to CMA as a UK-based industry association performing policy advocacy, technical publications, and government engagement.
• Mining Association of Canada (MAC): National industry association representing Canadian mining companies on policy, sustainability and Indigenous engagement. Comparable to CMA in convening miners and government, publishing flagship ESG frameworks (TSM), and running member-driven working groups.
• European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA): EU-wide stakeholder alliance focused on securing critical raw materials supply chains, organized by EIT RawMaterials. Closely comparable in mandate (critical minerals supply security), ESG focus, and convening of mining and processing stakeholders.
• The Geological Society (UK) – Business Forum: UK professional body for geosciences that co-hosts the annual CMA conference. Comparable in convening industry-government-academia on minerals topics and publishing technical content.

Broad incumbents

• International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM): Global industry council for leading mining and metals companies setting ESG performance standards. Comparable in convening and policy-influence function, but at a much larger multinational scale with overlap into critical-minerals policy through members like Anglo American.

Regional players

• Associação Brasileira de Mineração (IBRAM): Brazil's national mining industry association representing major and junior miners. Comparable in industry-association convening role and ESG/regulatory advocacy, but operating in a different geography with different policy dynamics.
• Australian Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve (related: Critical Minerals Office, DISR): Australian government's critical minerals coordination function and strategic reserve initiative, partnered with CMA via the Critical Minerals Production Alliance. Comparable as a critical-minerals convening and policy-design body, but government-led rather than industry-led.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CMA_Minerals
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CMA_UK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/critical-minerals-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Critical Minerals Association