Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS
AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The
management of NioCorp Developments Ltd. has evaluated, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive
Officer (“CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and
procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of June 30, 2025. Based on that evaluation,
the CEO and the CFO have concluded that, as of June 30, 2025, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective due to
the material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting described below.
Notwithstanding
the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, our CEO and CFO have concluded that the audited consolidated
financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K fairly present, in all material respects, our financial position,
results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented in conformity with U.S. GAAP.
The
Company’s disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that: (i) information required to be disclosed
by us in reports that we file or submit to the SEC under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within
the time periods specified in applicable rules and forms and (ii) material information required to be disclosed in our reports
filed under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, including the CEO and the CFO, as appropriate, to
allow for accurate and timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
Management
does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all error and all fraud. The effectiveness of our or
any system of disclosure controls and procedures, however well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance that
the objectives of the system will be met and is subject to certain limitations, including the exercise of judgment in designing,
implementing, and evaluating controls and procedures and the assumptions used in identifying the likelihood of future events.
Management’s
Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
The
management of NioCorp Developments Ltd. is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial
reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act for the Company. Management assessed the effectiveness
of our internal control over financial reporting as of June 30, 2025. In making this assessment, our management used the criteria
set forth in the Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway
Commission (the “COSO Framework”). Based on that evaluation, the CEO and the CFO have concluded that, as of June 30,
2025, our internal control over financial reporting was not effective due to the material weaknesses in internal control over
financial reporting described below.
Material
Weaknesses
A
material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there
is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be
prevented or detected on a timely basis.
Management
concluded that the material weaknesses disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June
30, 2023, continued to exist as of June 30, 2025. Specifically, management identified deficiencies in the principles associated
with the control environment, risk assessment, control activities, and monitoring components of internal control, based on the
criteria established by the COSO Framework, that constitute material weaknesses, either individually or in the aggregate.
85
● Control
Environment: The Company does not have sufficient personnel with the appropriate
levels of knowledge, experience, and training in accounting and internal control over
financial reporting commensurate with the complexity of the Company’s financing
transactions and associated reporting requirements. This material weakness contributed
to additional material weaknesses further described below.
● Risk
Assessment: The Company does not have a formal process to identify, update, and assess
financial reporting risks due to changes in the Company’s business practices, including
entering into increasingly complex transactions that could significantly impact the design
and operation of the Company’s control activities.
● Control
Activities: Management did not maintain effective controls over:
○ monitoring
and assessing the work of third-party specialists, including the evaluation of the appropriateness
of accounting conclusions,
○ the
evaluation of certain inputs and assumptions used to estimate the fair value of instruments
and features associated with complex debt and equity transactions, and
○ the design and
implementation of effective process-level control activities related to vendor banking information.
● Monitoring
Activities: Management did not appropriately:
○ select, develop,
and perform ongoing evaluation to ascertain whether the components of internal controls are present and functioning, and
○ evaluate
and communicate internal control deficiencies in a timely manner to those parties responsible
for taking corrective action.
As
previously disclosed, these material weaknesses resulted in errors that required the restatement of Company’s consolidated
financial statements as of and for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, as well as the restatement of the Company’s
condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the interim periods ended September 30, 2021, December 31, 2021, March
31, 2022, September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2022. Additionally, these material weaknesses could result in a misstatement of
the account balances or disclosures that would result in a material misstatement to the annual or interim consolidated financial
statements that would not be prevented or timely detected.
Remediation
Plan
To
address our material weaknesses existing as of June 30, 2025, we have implemented a detailed plan to address each individual material
weakness identified, including the following:
● We
have, and will continue, to engage outside accounting and internal control consultants
with subject matter expertise to supplement our level of knowledge, experience, and training
in accounting and internal control over financial reporting.
● We
have developed a formal risk assessment process requiring periodic review and updates
of current risks and internal controls, as well as a focus on potential future events
that could result in additional risks and/or internal control lapses. This process is
expected to enable us to effectively identify, develop, evolve, and implement controls
and procedures to address risks, and results of this risk assessment process will be
reviewed with the Audit Committee on a periodic basis.
● We
have developed an initial training plan to provide incremental training to accounting
and finance personnel responsible for overall technical accounting and valuation-related
transactions.
● Management
is developing a monitoring program to periodically evaluate and assess whether those
responsible for controls are conducting their activities in accordance with their design,
such that there is contemporaneous evidence that the controls are present and functioning
and will communicate internal control deficiencies in a timely manner to those parties
responsible for taking corrective action.
86
The
process of designing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting is a continuous effort that requires
management to anticipate and react to changes in our business, economic and regulatory environments and to expend significant
resources. As we continue to evaluate our internal control over financial reporting, we may take additional actions to remediate
the material weaknesses or modify the remediation actions described above.
While
we continue to devote significant time and attention to these remediation efforts, the material weaknesses will not be considered
remediated until management completes the design and implementation of the actions described above and the controls operate for
a sufficient period of time, and management has concluded, through testing, that these controls are effective.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Other
than as discussed above, there has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended June
30, 2025, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 9B. OTHER
INFORMATION
During
the quarter ended June 30, 2025, no director or officer (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act) of the
Company adopted or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement”
(as each term is defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K).
ITEM
9C. DISCLOSURE
REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTION
Not
applicable.
87
PART
III
ITEM
10. DIRECTORS,
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Directors
and Executive Officers
The
following table sets forth as of September 11, 2025, the names and ages of, and
position or positions held by, our executive officers and directors, the employment background of these persons, and any directorships
held by the current directors during the last five years.
Name
Age
Position
Date
of Appointment
Mark A. Smith
66
Chief Executive Officer, President, Executive
Chairman, and Director
Chief
Executive Officer and Director:
September
23, 2013
President
and Executive Chairman:
May
31, 2015
Neal Shah
51
Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary
Chief
Financial Officer:
July
1, 2016
Corporate
Secretary:
December
3, 2021
Scott Honan
54
Chief Operating Officer
May 6, 2014
Jim Sims
64
Chief Communications Officer
November 2, 2015
Ernest Cleave
55
Senior Vice President of Business Development
August 15, 2025
David C. Beling
84
Director
June 6, 2011
Anthony W. Fulton
52
Director
August 9, 2025
Nilsa Guerrero-Mahon
64
Director
September 28, 2017
Dean C. Kehler
68
Director
March 17, 2023
Michael
G. Maselli
65
Director
March 17, 2023
Peter Oliver
62
Director
May 25, 2022
The
following sets forth a brief description of the business experience of each executive officer and director of the Company, including
current directorships and directorships held in, at least, the past five years for each director:
Mark
A. Smith – Executive Chairman, Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer
Mr.
Smith has over 43 years of experience in operating, developing, and financing mining and strategic materials projects in the Americas
and abroad. In September 2013, he was appointed CEO and a Director of NioCorp. From April 2015 to September 2019, Mr. Smith served
as the President and Director for Largo Resources Ltd. (“Largo”), a mineral company with an operating property in
Brazil and projects in Brazil and Canada. In addition, from April 2015 to October 2018, Mr. Smith also served as the CEO of Largo.
Mr. Smith has also served on the board of directors of IBC Advanced Alloys Corp., a leading beryllium and copper advanced alloys
company (“IBC”), since May 2016 and as CEO of IBC since July 2020. From October 2008 through December 2012, Mr. Smith
served as President, CEO and Director of Molycorp, Inc., a rare earths producer (“Molycorp”), where he was instrumentally
involved in taking it from a private company to a publicly traded company with a producing mine. From November 2011 through May
2015, he served on the board of directors at Avanti Mining, a mining company (TSX-V: AVT; Avanti Mining changed its name to AlloyCorp
in early 2015). From December 2012 through September 2013, he served as the Managing Director of KMSmith LLC, a business strategy
and finance advisory firm, where he served as a consultant.
Prior
to Molycorp, Mr. Smith held numerous engineering, environmental, and legal positions within Unocal Corporation, a former petroleum
explorer and marketer (“Unocal”), and later served as the President and CEO of Chevron Mining Inc., a coal and metal
mining company and wholly owned subsidiary of Chevron Corporation (“Chevron Mining”). Mr. Smith also served for over
seven years as the shareholder representative of Companhia Brasileira Metalúrgica e Mineração (“CBMM”),
a private company that currently produces approximately 85% of the world supply of niobium. During his tenure with Chevron Mining,
Mr. Smith was responsible for Chevron Mining’s three coal mines, one molybdenum mine, a petroleum coke calcining operation
and Molycorp’s Mountain Pass mine. At Unocal, he served as the Vice-President from June 2000 to April 2006, and managed
the real estate,
88
remediation, mining and carbon divisions. Mr. Smith is a Registered Professional Engineer and serves as an active
member of the State Bars of California and Colorado. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from
Colorado State University in 1981 and his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Western State University, College of Law, in 1990.
Neal
Shah – Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary
Mr.
Shah joined NioCorp in September 2014 as Vice President of Finance, and now serves as the Company’s CFO and Corporate Secretary.
Mr. Shah served as Finance Manager at Covidien Ltd., a medical device company since acquired by Medtronic, from May 2014 through
September 2014. From April 2011 until May 2014, he held the positions of Senior Manager of Corporate Development and M&A and
more recently the Director of Strategy and Business Planning at Molycorp. Mr. Shah graduated from the University of Colorado with
a BSc in Mechanical Engineering in 1996, and from Purdue University with an MBA in 2002. Since the completion of his MBA, Mr.
Shah also held key finance roles with Intel Corporation and IBM.
Scott
Honan – Chief Operating Officer
Mr.
Honan joined NioCorp in May 2014 as Vice President, Business Development, and since July 2020, has served as the Company’s
Chief Operating Officer (“COO”). He also serves as President of Elk Creek Resources Corporation, the NioCorp subsidiary
that is developing the Elk Creek Project in Nebraska. Prior to his work at NioCorp, Mr. Honan served in several leadership capacities
at Molycorp from February 2001 until May 2014, including as Vice President/Director Health, Environment, Safety and Sustainability
and General Manager and Environmental Manager from July 2011 to May 2014. With over 32 years of experience in the gold and rare
earth industries, Mr. Honan is a graduate of Queen’s University in Mining Engineering in both Mineral Processing (B.Sc.
Honors) and Environmental Management (M.Sc.) disciplines.
Jim
Sims – Chief Communications Officer
Mr.
Sims has more than 32 years of experience in devising and executing marketing, media relations, public affairs, and investor
relations operations for companies in the mining, chemical, manufacturing, utility, and renewable energy sectors. He joined
NioCorp in November 2015 as Vice President, External Affairs, and now serves as its Chief Communications Officer, effective
June 7, 2022. Prior to NioCorp, Mr. Sims served for more than five years as Director (and then Vice President) of Corporate
Communications for Molycorp from March 2010 through November 2015. Since May 2016, Mr. Sims has also served as Director of
Investor and Public Relations for IBC. Mr. Sims was President and CEO of Policy Communications, Inc. from 1998 until 2010 and
served as White House Director of Communications for the Energy Policy Development Group. A former U.S. Senate Chief of
Staff, he is the co-founder and former Executive Director of the Geothermal Energy Association, and he has served as Board
Chairman of the Rare Earth Technology Alliance. He is an honors graduate of Georgetown University.
Ernest
Cleave – Senior Vice President of Business Development
Mr.
Cleave joined NioCorp in August 2025 as Senior Vice President of Business Development. Mr. Cleave has more than 20 years of experience
in the mining, mineral processing, and energy industries. Prior to his work at NioCorp, Mr. Cleave served as the President and
CEO of Tinova Resources Corp., a critical minerals exploration company, from June 2024 to August 2025. From September 2013 to June
2024, Mr. Cleave served as the Chief Financial Officer of Largo Inc., a supplier of vanadium and ilmenite products. Additionally,
Mr. Cleave served as the Interim President of Largo Clean Energy Corp. (a subsidiary of Largo Inc.) from November 2022 to June
2023. Mr. Cleave’s career has also spanned leadership positions in several other mining and energy companies, including as
Chief Financial Officer of Cline Mining, Chief Financial Officer of Petrolympic, Global Lead of Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance at Glencore
(previously Falconbridge), and Treasurer and Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at Goldcorp. Mr. Cleave is a Chartered
Accountant (AUS & NZL) and is a registered CPA in both Canada and Australia. Mr. Cleave earned his M.B.A. from Deakin University
of Victoria, Australia and has undergraduate degrees in computational science and commerce, respectively.
David
C. Beling – Director
Mr.
Beling is a Registered Professional Mining Engineer with 61 years of project and corporate experience. He has served as a director
on the boards of 14 mining companies starting in 1981, including NioCorp since 2011. Mr. Beling is the owner of D.C. Beling &
Assoc., LLC, which provides strategic advisory, project, and corporate development services to the mining industry. His previous
employment and consulting included 14 years with five major mining companies and then 47 years with 30+ U.S. and Canadian junior
mining companies. He was the President, CEO, and Director of Bullfrog Gold Corp. from 2011 until October 2020; and the Executive
Vice President
89
and COO of Geovic Mining Corp. from 2004 through 2010. Mr. Beling has examined, significantly reviewed, or been
directly involved with 91 underground mines, 136 open pit mines, and 174 process plants in the global metal, energy, industrial
mineral, and critical minerals sectors.
Anthony
W. Fulton – Director
A
former Nebraska State Senator and successful business entrepreneur, Mr. Fulton previously served on the Board from 2013 until
2016, when he left to serve as Nebraska Tax Commissioner and Director of the Nebraska Department of Revenue, a 400-employee, $9
billion enterprise from January 2016 to December 2022. A mechanical engineer by training, Mr. Fulton has been the President of
the Nevada-based Hallmark Homecare, LLC, an independent domestic caregiver referral agency since May 2023 and is the Founder and
Owner of Guardian Angels Homecare, Inc. of Lincoln, Nebraska, an in-home senior care company, where he has served as the President
and CEO since March 2003. In addition to his work in the senior care industry, Mr. Fulton serves as the Chairman of the Diocesan
Finance Council for the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln (Southern Nebraska) and is the recipient of numerous awards throughout his
professional career. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with studies in Philosophy
at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas and Theology at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmittsburg, Maryland.
Nilsa
Guerrero-Mahon – Director
A former CFO and
Controller for global corporations in the technology, energy, and government sectors, Ms. Guerrero-Mahon provides consulting services
to domestic and international corporations as the principal at NGM Business Consulting, LLC. In addition, Ms. Guerrero-Mahon was
appointed to the Board of FinGoal, Inc. in April 2022, a finance technology company building artificial intelligence tools for
the financial services industry and other financial technology developers. She also serves as the Chair of the Finance and Audit
Committee for the Financial Data Exchange (“FDX”). FDX unifies the financial industry around a common standard for secure and convenient
access of permissioned consumer and business financial data. From 2014 to 2019, she served as the Vice Chair of the Board
and Chaired the Strategy Committee for the Mountains & North Denver Operating Group, the largest division in the Common Spirit
Health System (formerly Centura Health). From 2009 to 2025, Ms. Guerrero-Mahon served as a gubernatorial appointed Board Member of
the State of Colorado Securities Commission and the Financial Services Commission. Among other prior positions, from 2004 to 2007,
she was the Global Services Controller at Microsoft Corporation, overseeing internal controls, compliance and corporate finance
activities.
Ms. Guerrero-Mahon
stays current with the latest Corporate Governance practices serving as a member of the Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence. She
is an NACD Board Leadership Fellow and a member of the SASB Alliance. She holds a CERT Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight from
Carnegie Mellon University. Ms. Guerrero-Mahon is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Fraud Examiner. She received an
Executive MBA from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver, a BS in Business Administration - Accounting from
the Interamerican University in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and an AS in Computer Science from the EDP University of Puerto Rico.
Peter
Oliver – Director
With
a background in chemistry, Mr. Oliver began working at Greenbushes, Western Australia, for Sons of Gwalia, a mining company, in
May 2003. After Sons of Gwalia went into administration in 2004, Mr. Oliver was hired by Talison Lithium Limited (“Talison”),
a mining company, where he served as General Manager of Talison’s Greenbushes and Wodgina Mines and as Talison’s COO,
until Mr. Oliver was appointed as the CEO/Managing director. As Talison’s CEO/Managing director, Mr. Oliver led the listing
of Talison on the Toronto Stock Exchange in September 2010.
Mr.
Oliver guided Talison through its acquisition in 2013 by Tianqi Lithium Corporation (“Tianqi”). He then served as
a corporate adviser to Tianqi, focusing on M&A opportunities and global expansion, including advising on the sale of 49% of
Talison to Albermarle Corp. and the acquisition of 24% of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A., as well as significant expansions
of Talison’s Greenbushes lithium concentrate production.
Mr.
Oliver also was a founding member of Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tianqi, which was established
to build a major Lithium Hydroxide manufacturing facility in Western Australia. Until June 2021, Mr. Oliver remained as a director
of Talison, a joint venture between Tianqi and Albemarle Corp. In September 2022, Mr. Oliver was appointed to the Board of Latin
Resources, a lithium exploration company in Australia. Mr. Oliver was appointed to the role of Executive Director of Latin Resources in 2024 and helped lead the successful acquisition
of Latin Resources by Pilbara Minerals LTD (ASX: PLS) in March 2025.
90
Dean
C. Kehler – Director
Mr.
Kehler co-founded Trimaran Fund Management, L.L.C. (“Trimaran Fund”) in 1998, where he is a Managing Partner, and serves
as a Manager of Trimaran Fund II. Mr. Kehler was also the Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GX Acquisition Corp. II,
a position he held from August 2018 to March 2023. From 1995 to 2000, Mr. Kehler held senior positions at Canadian Imperial Bank
of Commerce (“CIBC”), including Vice Chairman of CIBC World Markets Corp. Mr. Kehler currently serves on the Board of
Directors of BCP Investment Corporation (formerly Portman Ridge Finance Corporation). Within the last five years, he has served
a director of Celularity Inc. and El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Wharton School of the University
of Pennsylvania.
Michael
G. Maselli – Director
Mr.
Maselli is a managing director of Trimaran Fund, a position he has held since 2006, and was the President of Acquisitions of GX
Acquisition Corp. II from August 2018 to March 2023. Before joining Trimaran Fund in February 2006, Mr. Maselli worked in the
Corporate and Leverage Finance Groups of CIBC World Markets. Prior to joining CIBC in 1997, Mr. Maselli served as a Managing Director
in Bear Stearns’ corporate finance group and, prior to that, as a Vice President at Kidder Peabody & Co. Incorporated.
Mr. Maselli served on the board of directors of El Pollo Loco Holdings from 2010 to 2024, and he served as their Chairman of the
Board from 2011 to 2023. He served on the board of ChanceLight, Inc. (f/k/a Educational Services of America, Inc.) until
2018. From 2013 to 2015, he served on the board of directors of Norcraft Companies, Inc., and also served on the board of managers
of its predecessor company beginning in 2003. Additionally, Mr. Maselli served on the board of directors of Standard Steel, LLC,
and was director as well as Chairman of the Board of CB Holding Corp. Mr. Maselli received an MBA with distinction from The A.B.
Freeman School at Tulane University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Colorado.
Other
Directorships
The
following is a list of directorships held over the past five years by our directors. Except as listed below, no directors of the
Company are also directors of reporting issuers.
Name
of Director
Other
Reporting Issuer (or equivalent)
Exchange
David C. Beling
Bullfrog Gold
CSE
Mark A. Smith
IBC Advanced Alloys Corp.
TSX-V
Peter Oliver
Latin Resources
ASX
Dean C. Kehler
El
Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.
BCP Investment Corporation
Celularity
Inc.
GX
Acquisition Corp. II
Nasdaq
Nasdaq
Nasdaq
Nasdaq
Michael G. Maselli
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.
Nasdaq
Legal
Proceedings
No
director or executive officer of the Company is a party adverse to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or has a material interest
adverse to the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
During
the past ten years, none of the persons serving as executive officers and/or directors of the Company and, with respect to promoters
or control persons, for the past five years, none have been the subject matter of any of the legal proceedings that are required
to be disclosed pursuant to Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K. Further, no such legal proceedings are believed to be contemplated
by governmental authorities against any director or executive officer.
Ethical
Business Conduct
The
Board expects management to operate the business of the Company in a manner that enhances shareholder value and is consistent
with the highest level of integrity. Management is expected to execute the Company’s business plan and to meet performance
goals and objectives according to the highest ethical standards.
91
In
addition, directors and senior officers are bound by the provisions of the Company’s Articles and the British Columbia Business
Corporations Act (“BCBCA”), which set forth how any conflicts of interest are to be dealt with. In particular, any
director who has a material interest in a particular transaction is required to disclose such interest and to refrain from voting
with respect to the approval of any such transaction.
Insider
Trading Policy
We
have insider trading policies and procedures, as described below, applicable to our directors, officers, and employees, and have
implemented processes for the Company, that we believe are reasonably designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws,
rules, and regulations, and the Nasdaq listing standards.
The
Board has adopted an insider trading policy (the “Insider Trading Policy”) to help ensure, among other things: (i)
that persons to whom the policy applies understand their obligations to preserve the confidentiality of “Material Nonpublic
Information” (as defined in the Insider Trading Policy); (ii) strict compliance by all insiders with all requirements relating
to the reporting of insider trading and with respect to trading when in possession of “Material Nonpublic Information”;
and (iii) that individuals subject to scheduled and unscheduled blackout periods adhere to the restrictions on trading as set
out in the Insider Trading Policy.
Code
of Business Conduct and Ethics
Our
Board has adopted a written Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to our employees, officers, and directors, including
those officers responsible for financial reporting. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available on our website at www.niocorp.com.
If the Board amends the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics or grants a waiver, including an implicit waiver, from the Code of
Business Conduct and Ethics, the Company will disclose the information on its internet website. The waiver information will remain
on the website for at least 12 months after the initial disclosure of such waiver. Given the current size of the Company workforce,
and the lack of significant operations, the Board monitors compliance through periodic discussions with executive management.
Audit
Committee and Audit Committee Financial Experts
Our
Audit Committee is currently comprised of Anthony W. Fulton, Nilsa Guerrero-Mahon, Dean Kehler, and Michael Maselli, all of whom
are independent directors. Our Board has determined that each of Ms. Guerrero-Mahon and Messrs. Kehler and Maselli are audit committee
financial experts, as defined by the rules of the SEC. Further, all Audit Committee members are financially literate as defined
in NI 52-110. The Audit Committee was established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act.
ITEM
11. EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
The
following table sets out the compensation for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 for the individual who served as the
Company’s CEO during fiscal year 2025, as well as the Company’s two other most highly compensated executive officers
other than the CEO who were serving at the end of the last fiscal year (collectively, the “named executive officers”):
Fiscal
2025 Summary Compensation Table
Name and Principal Position
Fiscal
Year
Salary
($)
Bonus
($)
Option
Awards (1)
($)
Total
($)
Mark A. Smith, Chief Executive Officer, President (2)
2025
$325,000
$—
$126,000
$451,000
2024
325,000
—
641,250
966,250
Scott Honan, Chief Operating Officer
2025
280,000
—
84,000
364,000
2024
280,000
—
427,500
707,500
Neal Shah, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary
2025
250,000
—
84,000
334,000
2024
250,000
—
427,500
677,500
92
(1)
Reflects the grant
date fair value of the Options granted during the reported fiscal years. Fiscal year 2025 grants consisted of 150,000 Options
for Mr. Smith and 100,000 Options for each of Messrs. Honan and Shah, in each case at an exercise price of $1.40 per share.
Grant date fair values were computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts
are described in Note 10b in the Company’s consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form
10-K. These Options were fully vested on the grant date (December 23, 2024) and generally remain exercisable for a period
of five years after the grant date.
(2)
Disclosed amounts
were paid to 76 Resources, LLC, an entity controlled by Mr. Smith, as further described below under “Employment Agreements
and Severance Arrangements.”
Narrative
Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table
Compensation
Governance
The
Company’s Compensation and Organization Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) generally determines
the amount of compensation for the Company’s executives, which is designed to reflect the need to provide incentives and
compensation for the time and effort expended by the executives while taking into account the financial and other resources of
the Company. The Compensation Committee has the authority to engage and compensate, at the expense of the Company, any outside
advisor that it determines to be necessary to permit it to carry out its duties (including compensation consultants and advisors).
For fiscal year 2025, however, the Compensation Committee did not engage any such advisors in connection with its activities.
The Company has also determined that none of its compensation policies and practices creates any risks that are reasonably likely
to have a material adverse effect on the Company.
Compensation
Program Design
The
Board, in conjunction with the Compensation Committee, determines compensation and rewards to senior management on the basis of
individual and corporate performance, both in the short term and the long term, while at the same time being mindful of the responsibility
that the Company has to its shareholders. In general, the Compensation Committee considers that its compensation program should
be relatively simple in concept, given the current stage of the Company’s development, and that its focus should be balanced
between reasonable current compensation and longer-term compensation tied to performance of the Company as a whole.
For
fiscal year 2025, the Compensation Committee did not establish a formal set of benchmarks or performance criteria to be met by
the Company’s named executive officers; rather, the members of the Compensation Committee used their own subjective assessments
of the level of success of the Company to determine, collectively, whether or not the named executive officers had successfully
achieved the Company’s business plan and strategy and the degree to which they performed in that regard. The Compensation
Committee also has not established any pre-determined formula for determining named executive officer compensation, either as
to the amount thereof or the specific mix of compensation elements. Instead, compensation (and adjustments from time to time)
is set through discussions and subjective assessments at the Compensation Committee level.
Key
Elements of Named Executive Officer Compensation
Base
Salaries
The
members of the Compensation Committee use their own experience and familiarity with the industry, and consider the factors described
above, to determine what they believe to be reasonable base salaries for our named executive officers. The base salaries of the
named executive officers are set at levels which are considered by the members of the Compensation Committee to be competitive,
thereby enabling the Company to compete for and retain executives critical to the long-term success of the Company. Initially,
base salaries (or, for Mr. Smith, base consulting fees) are set through negotiation when executive officers join the Company (with
direct input from the Compensation Committee) and are subsequently reviewed each fiscal year to determine if adjustments are required.
For fiscal year 2025, no changes were made to the named executive officers’ base salary or consulting fees levels from those
in effect for fiscal year 2024.
Bonus
Compensation
The
Board has discretion, where deemed appropriate and financially affordable for the Company, to grant a cash bonus to a named executive
officer based on the performance of both the individual named executive officer and the
93
Company. No cash bonuses were contemplated,
approved, or paid for the named executive officers for fiscal year 2025.
Option-Based
Awards
The
incentive portion of each named executive officer’s compensation package consists primarily of Options awarded under the
2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan. Share ownership opportunities through the grant of Options are provided to align the interests
of senior management of the Company with the longer-term interests of the shareholders of the Company.
The
2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan is administered by the Board or Compensation Committee, and is intended to advance the interests
of the Company through the attraction, motivation, and retention of officers and other key employees, directors and consultants
of the Company and affiliates of the Company and to secure for the Company and its shareholders the benefits inherent in the ownership
of Common Shares of the Company by officers and other key employees, directors and consultants of the Company and affiliates of
the Company. Grants of Options under the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan are proposed and recommended by the CEO and reviewed
by the Board or Compensation Committee, or are proposed by the Board or Compensation Committee. The Board or Compensation Committee
can approve, modify, or reject any proposed grants, in whole or in part. In general, the allocation of available Options among
the eligible participants in the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan is on an ad hoc basis, and there is no set formula for
allocating available Options, nor is there any fixed benchmark or performance criteria to be achieved in order to receive an award
of or vest in Options.
The
Board or Compensation Committee does not consider the accounting value of any such Option grants in determining the number of
Options to award to any individual, as any such “value” is an accounting measure that is not relevant to incentivizing
the individual. The timing of the grants of Options is determined by the Board or Compensation Committee, and there is no regular
interval for the awarding of Option grants. In general, a higher level of responsibility will result in a larger grant of Options.
Because the number of Options available is limited, in general, the Board or Compensation Committee aims to have individuals at
what it subjectively considers to be the same levels of responsibility holding equivalent numbers of Options, with additional
grants being allocated for individuals who the Board or Compensation Committee believes are in a position to more directly affect
the success of the Company through their efforts.
The
Board or Compensation Committee looks at the overall number of Options held by an individual (plus the exercise prices and remaining
terms of existing Options and whether any previously granted Options have expired out of the money or were exercised) and takes
such information into consideration when reviewing proposed new grants. After considering the CEO’s recommendations, if
any, and the foregoing factors, the resulting proposed Option grant is then submitted to the Board for final approval.
During
the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, the Board or Compensation Committee approved all recommendations for the grant of Options
proposed by management, and the named executive officers were granted the following number of Options effective December 23, 2024,
each with an exercise price per share of $1.40 per share: Mr. Smith, 150,000 Options; Mr. Honan, 100,000 Options; and Mr. Shah,
100,000 Options. These Options were fully vested and exercisable on the grant date and generally remain exercisable until five
years after the grant date.
Employment
Agreements and Severance Arrangements
Agreement
Regarding Mr. Smith
The
Company is currently a party to a Consulting Agreement with 76 Resources, LLC (an entity controlled by Mr. Smith) under which
(as currently in effect, the “Smith Agreement”) 76 Resources, LLC, through Mr. Smith, performs the duties and responsibilities
of the CEO of the Company and related services, for an indefinite term at a base rate of $325,000 per year as of June 30, 2025, generally payable in equal semi-monthly installments of $13,542. Any bonuses and incentive payments are payable at the discretion of the Board. Mr. Smith is eligible
to receive Options under the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan, as determined by the Board.
The
Company may terminate the Smith Agreement at any time without notice or payment if (1) 76 Resources, LLC commits a material breach
of the Smith Agreement (subject to a cure period in certain circumstances), (2) Mr. Smith dies or becomes permanently disabled,
or (3) certain other “for cause” scenarios occur (as further described in the Smith Agreement). In the event the Smith
Agreement is terminated by the Company for any other reason or if 76
94
Resources, LLC terminates the Smith Agreement on the occurrence
of a Triggering Event, the Company shall pay 76 Resources, LLC a lump sum termination fee equal to the base fee in effect at the
termination date as well as the average of any annual bonuses or other cash incentive payments for two calendar years immediately
preceding the year the termination occurs. A Triggering Event is defined as: a substantial change in the nature of services to
be performed by 76 Resources, LLC; a material breach by the Company of the Smith Agreement that is not remedied within 30 days
of notice; the cessation of the Company as a going concern; the failure of the Company to pay a material amount due pursuant to
the Smith Agreement within 30 days of the due date; or a material reduction in base fee or any other form of compensation payable
by the Company to 76 Resources, LLC, except where all senior executives or consultants of the Company are subject to relatively
similar reductions in such values. 76 Resources, LLC may terminate the Smith Agreement for a reason other than a Triggering Event
on 90 days’ written notice and, should the Company immediately accept such termination notice, it shall pay 76 Resources,
LLC the sum of $69,904. Should a change of control of the Company occur (as that term is defined in the Smith Agreement) and,
within one year, either a Triggering Event occurs and 76 Resources, LLC terminates the Smith Agreement or 76 Resources, LLC’s
engagement is terminated by the Company under circumstances that would give rise to a termination payment in the absence of a
change of control, then 76 Resources, LLC shall be entitled to receive an amount equal to the base fee in effect at the termination
date as well as the average of any annual bonuses or other cash payments for two calendar years immediately preceding the year
the termination occurs. In the event 76 Resources, LLC is entitled to a termination payment with respect to a change of control,
any Options previously granted to Mr. Smith shall become fully vested and shall remain exercisable for the original term of grant
despite a termination of the services of 76 Resources, LLC. Termination payments under the Smith Agreement are generally contingent
on a release of claims by 76 Resources, LLC. The Smith Agreement also includes customary confidentiality and six-month employee
non-solicitation provisions.
If
the Smith Agreement had been terminated by the Company for any reason other than as set out in the Smith Agreement, if 76 Resources,
LLC terminated the Smith Agreement on the occurrence of a Triggering Event, or had a change of control of the Company occurred
and within one year, either a Triggering Event occurred and 76 Resources, LLC terminated the Smith Agreement or 76 Resources,
LLC’s engagement was terminated by the Company without the occurrence of a Triggering Event for any reason other than as
set out in the Smith Agreement, effective as of June 30, 2025, 76 Resources, LLC (as ultimate successor in interest to KMSmith)
would have been entitled to a payment of $375,000.
Agreements
Regarding Messrs. Shah and Honan
As
previously disclosed, on September 25, 2022, in connection with our entry into the Business Combination Agreement, Messrs. Shah
and Honan (the “Covered Officers”) entered into employment agreements with a United States affiliate (the “U.S.
Affiliate”) of the Company (the “Employment Agreements”). The Employment Agreements became effective upon the
closing of the GXII Transaction, and will continue until either the Covered Officer or the U.S. Affiliate terminates the Covered
Officer’s employment for any reason. Pursuant to the Employment Agreements, Mr. Shah continues to serve as Chief Financial
Officer of the Company, and Mr. Honan continues to serve as the COO of the Company and serves as President of the U.S. Affiliate.
The
Employment Agreement for Mr. Shah provided for an initial annual base salary of $220,000 per year, and Mr. Honan’s Employment
Agreement provided for an initial annual base salary of $260,000 per year. The annual base salary rates for the Covered Officers
are reviewed at least annually for potential increases. The base salary rates of Messrs. Shah and Honan were increased in fiscal
2023 to $250,000 for Mr. Shah and $280,000 for Mr. Honan. There were no increases in base salary rates for fiscal 2024 or 2025. The Employment Agreements also provide each of the Covered Officers with eligibility to participate in (1) any annual cash bonus
plan and/or any long-term incentive compensation plan as may be established by the U.S. Affiliate or its affiliates, and (2) any
employee benefit plan, program, or policy of the U.S. Affiliate or its affiliates as may be in effect for senior executives of
the U.S. Affiliate or its affiliates generally. The Employment Agreements also include the following additional features: (1)
severance benefits upon certain qualifying terminations of employment, consisting of: (a) for a qualifying termination of the
Covered Officer’s employment by the U.S. Affiliate without Cause (as such term is defined in the Employment Agreements)
that does not occur within two years after a Change in Control of the U.S. Affiliate (as defined in the Employment Agreements),
certain accrued obligations, plus 12 months of salary continuation, and (b) for a qualifying termination of the Covered Officer’s
employment by the U.S. Affiliate without Cause or by the Covered Officer for Good Reason (as such term is defined in the Employment
Agreements) that occurs within two years after a Change in Control (a “Change in Control Termination”), certain accrued
obligations, and a lump sum cash amount equal to two times the Covered Officer’s annual base salary as in effect at the
time of such termination; and (2) a
95
requirement that each Covered Executive execute a customary release of claims in favor of
the U.S. Affiliate to receive severance compensation. In connection with the Covered Officers entering into the Employment Agreements
each Covered Officer also entered into a restrictive covenant agreement (a “Restrictive Covenant Agreement”). The
Restrictive Covenant Agreements include customary restrictive covenants, including non-competition and non-solicitation obligations
that remain in effect both during the employment term and for one year following termination of the Covered Officer’s employment
other than a Change in Control Termination (in which case the period will be two years following such Change in Control Termination),
as well as other customary restrictive covenants, such as confidentiality provisions.
Stock
Options Under the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan
In
accordance with the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan, the Company granted Options to its named executive officers during
the Company’s 2025 fiscal year; no other equity-based awards were granted to the named executive officers during the 2025
fiscal year.
The
following table sets forth the outstanding equity awards for each named executive officer at June 30, 2025. The Company has not
granted full value stock-based awards to any of its named executive officers.
Outstanding
Equity Awards at 2025 Fiscal Year-End
Option Awards
Name
Grant Date
Number
of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
(#)
Exercisable
Number
of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
(#)
Unexercisable
Option
Exercise
Price
($)
Option
Expiration
Date
Mark A. Smith
03/27/2023
70,000
—
$6.95
03/27/2026
02/15/2024
375,000
—
2.99
02/15/2029
12/21/2024
150,000
—
1.40
12/21/2029
Scott Honan
03/27/2023
40,000
—
6.95
03/27/2026
02/15/2024
250,000
—
2.99
02/15/2029
12/21/2024
100,000
—
1.40
12/21/2029
Neal Shah
03/27/2023
40,000
—
6.95
03/27/2026
02/15/2024
250,000
—
2.99
02/15/2029
12/21/2024
100,000
—
1.40
12/21/2029
Retirement
Plan Benefits
Messrs.
Honan and Shah are each eligible to participate in the Company’s 401(k) savings plan, which is designed to reward continued
employment with the Company and assist participants with financial preparation for retirement. All amounts credited under the
401(k) savings plan relate to participant contributions. The Company does not currently make matching or other contributions to
the 401(k) savings plan.
Termination
and Change of Control Benefits
Except
as described above, the Company is not a party to any plans or arrangements regarding the named executive officers under which
they may receive enhanced or incremental compensation or benefits in the event of a change of control, termination of employment
(as a result of resignation, retirement, change of control, etc.) or a change in responsibilities following a change of control.
Options are generally subject to clawback provisions, and provide for post-employment exercise periods, pursuant to the terms
of such awards and the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan.
96
Practices
Related to the Grant of Equity Awards
Under
our policies and practices, the approval of Options (including any Option grants to our named executive officers and
directors) is typically provided at a Board or Compensation Committee meeting or via unanimous written action on the part of the Board or Compensation
Committee, but such grants are not generally made on any kind of predetermined, regular schedule. Instead, as noted above, our
award recipients (including the named executive officers and directors) generally receive annual grants of fully-vested and exercisable
Options at various times each year, including as recommended by the CEO to the Board or Compensation Committee. Board or Compensation Committee
meetings or written actions to approve such grants are scheduled on an ad hoc, as-needed basis, generally prompted by a determination
by the Board or Compensation Committee that such grants should be made (or a request by management or the Board that such grants be made).
These grants are then made effective at the meeting at which the grants are so approved. The Board or Compensation Committee typically
fixes the grant schedule for such awards when they are approved at such meetings or through written action. Generally, award values
to be utilized for such awards are determined shortly before or as of the grant date based upon the closing share price on the
business day preceding the grant. These values and other information are then used in determining the number of Options to be
awarded to recipients, but values are not modified to reflect any subsequent increase or decrease in value of our stock between
the end of the preceding business day and the effective date of the grant.
This
equity grant approach is used by the Board or Compensation Committee in order to best help ensure the grants are made only during an open
window, and after the release of the Company’s material non-public information regarding its most recently-completed fiscal
year. Including for grants made during fiscal year 2025, we do not time the disclosure of material non-public information for
purposes of affecting the value of executive compensation, and we do not make any grants while in the possession of material non-public
information.
During
fiscal year 2025, we did not grant Options (or similar awards) to any of our named executive officers during the period beginning
four business days before and ending one business day after the filing of any Company periodic report on Form 10-Q or Form 10-K,
or the filing or furnishing of any Company Form 8-K, that disclosed any material non-public information.
Fiscal
2025 Director Compensation
One
of the directors serving on the Board (Mr. Smith) is also a named executive officer. For a description of the compensation paid
to Mr. Smith, see “Fiscal 2025 Summary Compensation Table” and the accompanying narrative provided above.
The
following table sets forth all compensation the Company granted to our directors, other than Mr. Smith, for the fiscal year ended
June 30, 2025:
Name
Fees Earned or Paid in Cash
($)
Option Awards
($)(1)
All Other Compensation
($)
Total
($)
Michael J. Morris
$–
$63,000
$–
$63,000
Nilsa Guerrero-Mahon
–
63,000
–
63,000
David C. Beling
–
42,000
–
42,000
Dean C. Kehler
–
42,000
–
42,000
Michael G. Maselli
–
42,000
–
42,000
Peter Oliver
–
42,000
–
42,000
(1)
Reflects
the grant date fair value of Options granted during the 2025 fiscal year, consisting of 75,000 Options each for Mr. Morris
and Ms. Guerrero-Mahon, and 50,000 Options each for Messrs. Beling, Oliver, Kehler, and Maselli, in each case at an exercise
price of $1.40 per share, computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts
are described in Note 10b in the Company’s consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form
10-K. These Options were fully vested on the grant date (December 23, 2024) and generally remain exercisable until five years
after the grant date.
For
the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, the directors of the Company did not receive any cash fees for serving on the Board. The
directors of the Company have no standard compensation arrangements, or any other arrangements, with the Company, except as herein
disclosed. Option grants are determined by the Board or Compensation
97
Committee on a discretionary basis each year. Executive officers of
the Company who also act as directors of the Company do not receive any additional compensation for services rendered in such
capacity. See “Fiscal 2025 Summary Compensation Table” above.
The
aggregate number of Option awards outstanding at the end of fiscal year 2025 for each non-employee director who served during
fiscal 2025 was as follows: Mr. Morris, 200,000 Options; Ms. Guerrero-Mahon 195,000 Options; Mr. Beling, 140,000 Options; Mr.
Kehler, 100,000 Options; Mr. Maselli, 100,000 Options; and Mr. Oliver, 140,000 Options. As of June 30, 2025, all the above Options
were 100% vested.
Description
of the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan
On
January 19, 2024, NioCorp’s shareholders approved the adoption of the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan. Under the 2017
Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan, the Board may in its discretion from time-to-time grant Options, share units (in the form of
restricted share units (“RSUs”) and performance share units (“PSUs”)) and dividend equivalents to non-employee
directors, employees and certain other service providers (as further described in the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan) of
the Company and affiliated entities selected by the Board. Subject to adjustment as provided in the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive
Plan, the aggregate number of Common Shares that may be reserved for issuance to participants under the 2017 Amended Long-Term
Incentive Plan, together with all other security-based compensation arrangements of the Company, may not exceed 10% of the issued
and outstanding Common Shares from time to time, and the Common Shares reserved for issuance upon settlement of share units shall
not exceed 5% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares from time to time. Further, the aggregate number of Common Shares reserved
for issuance to any one participant under the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan, together with all other security-based compensation
arrangements of the Company, must not exceed 5% of the then issued and outstanding Common Shares (on a non-diluted basis). The
maximum number of Common Shares (1) issued to insiders (for purposes of the Toronto Stock Exchange Company Manual) within any
one-year period and (2) issuable to insiders at any time, under the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan, or when combined with
the Company’s other security-based compensation arrangements, will not exceed 10% of the number of the then issued and outstanding
Common Shares.
The
following table presents the burn rates for the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan for the three most recent fiscal years:
Fiscal Year
Ending June 30,
Number of awards granted
Weighted average number of Common Shares outstanding
Burn rate
2025
945,000
45,072,895
2.1%
2024
1,625,000
34,320,024
4.7%
2023
578,000
28,705,840
2.0%
(1)
During
fiscal year 2023, the Company completed a 10-for-1 reverse stock split (the “Reverse Stock Split”). For purposes
of comparability across fiscal years in this table, amounts in these columns with respect to fiscal years prior to 2023 represent
the original amounts adjusted to reflect the Reverse Stock Split. With respect to the number of awards granted in fiscal 2023,
any actual grants made prior to the Reverse Stock Split have also been adjusted.
ITEM
12. SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The
following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of Common Shares of NioCorp as of
September 11, 2025 (except where otherwise indicated), for the following:
(1) each person who is known by NioCorp to beneficially own more than 5% of the outstanding shares of NioCorp’s Common Shares;
(2) each of the named executive officers (as defined in the “Fiscal 2025 Summary Compensation Table,” above); (3)
each of NioCorp’s directors; and (4) all directors and executive officers of NioCorp as a group.
Beneficial
ownership of Common Shares in the table below is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and includes voting or investment
power with respect to the Common Shares. Common Shares that may be acquired by an individual or group within 60 days of September
11, 2025, pursuant to the exercise of Options, the exercise of Warrants, or the exchange of shares of Class B common stock
of ECRC (formerly known as GXII), are deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of such individual
or group but are not deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person shown
in the
98
table. Percentage of ownership is based on 77,757,089 Common Shares outstanding
as of September 11, 2025. Unless otherwise noted in the table below, Options
vested at the grant date.
Except
as indicated in footnotes to this table, we believe that the shareholders named in this table have sole voting and investment
power with respect to all Common Shares shown to be beneficially owned by them, based on information provided to us by such shareholders.
Unless otherwise indicated, the address for each director and executive officer listed is: c/o NioCorp Developments Ltd., 7000
South Yosemite Street, Suite 115, Centennial, CO 80112.
Name
and Address of
Beneficial Owner
Position
Amount
and Nature of Beneficial Ownership
(1)
Percent
of Common Shares
Mark
A. Smith, PE, Esq.
Highlands
Ranch, Colorado, USA
Chief Executive
Officer, President, Executive Chairman and Director
3,316,452
(2)
4.21 %
Neal
Shah
Superior,
Colorado, USA
Chief Financial Officer
and Corporate Secretary
550,032
(3)
*
Scott
Honan
Centennial,
Colorado, USA
Chief Operating Officer
530,762
(4)
*
David
C. Beling
Grand
Junction, Colorado, USA
Director
229,013
(5)
*
Anthony
W. Fulton
Lincoln,
Nebraska, USA
Director
251,209
(6)
*
Nilsa
Guerrero-Mahon
Brighton,
Colorado, USA
Director
259,768
(7)
*
Dean
Kehler
New York, New York, USA
Director
3,708,811
(8)
4.56 %
Michael
Maselli
Pelham,
New York, USA
Director
655,235
(9)
*
Peter
Oliver
Bunbury,
Western Australia, Australia
Lead Director
160,400
(10)
*
All current directors,
executive officers and named executive officers as a group (11 persons)
10,228,610
12.06 %
Kenneth Griffin
Miami, Florida, USA
3,903,395
(11)
5.02 %
*
Represents ownership of less than 1%.
(1) Calculated
in accordance with Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act.
(2) Mr.
Smith beneficially owns 2,272,018 outstanding Common Shares. In addition, he beneficially
owns 321,934 Common Shares issuable upon exercise of: (i) 46,801 Warrants each exercisable
for one Common Share at a price of $3.54 until December 22, 2025; (ii) 183,422 Warrants
each exercisable for one Common Share at a price of $1.75 until November 13, 2026; and
(iii) 91,711 Warrants each exercisable for one Common Share at a price of $2.07 until
November 13, 2029. He also beneficially owns 722,500 Common Shares issuable upon exercise
of vested Options comprised of the following: (i) on March 27, 2023, Mr. Smith was granted
70,000 Options each exercisable for one Common Share for a period of three years at a
price of $6.95 per Common Share; (ii) on February 15, 2024, Mr. Smith was granted 375,000
Options each exercisable for one Common Share for a period of five years at a price of
$2.99; (iii) on December 23, 2024, Mr. Smith was granted 150,000 Options each exercisable
for one Common Shares for a period of five years at a price of $1.40; and (iv) on August
18, 2025, Mr. Smith was granted 375,000 Options each exercisable for One Common Share
for a period of five years at a price of $4.35 which will vest over a period of two years
with 34% having vested at this time.
(3) Mr.
Shah beneficially owns 65,671 outstanding Common Shares. He beneficially owns 9,361 Common Shares issuable upon exercise of 9,361
Warrants each exercisable for one Common Share at a price of $3.54 until December 22, 2025. In addition, he beneficially owns
475,000 Common Shares issuable upon exercise of vested Options comprised of the following: (i) on March 27, 2023, Mr. Shah was
granted 40,000 Options each exercisable for one Common Share for a period of three years at a price of $6.95 per Common Share;
(ii) on February 15, 2024, Mr. Shah was granted 250,000 Options each exercisable for one Common Share for a period of five years
at a price of
$2.99; (iii) on December 23, 2024, Mr. Shah was granted 100,000 Options each exercisable for one Common Share for a period of
five years at a price
99
of $1.40; and (iv) on August 18, 2025, Mr. Shah was granted 250,000 Options each exercisable for One Common
Share for a period of five years at a price of $4.35 which will vest over a period of two years with 34% having vested at this
time.
(4) Mr.
Honan beneficially owns 55,762 outstanding Common Shares. In addition, he beneficially
owns 475,000 Common Shares issuable upon exercise of vested Options comprised of the
following: (i) on March 27, 2023, Mr. Honan was granted 40,000 Options each exercisable
for one Common Share for a period of three years at a price of $6.95 per Common Share;
(ii) on February 15, 2024, Mr. Honan was granted 250,000 Options each exercisable for
one Common Share for a period of five years at a price of $2.99; (iii) on December 23,
2024, Mr. Honan was granted 100,000 Options each exercisable for one Common Share for
a period of five years at a price of $1.40; and (iv) on August 18, 2025, Mr. Honan was
granted 250,000 Options each exercisable for One Common Share for a period of five years
at a price of $4.35 which will vest over a period of two years with 34% having vested
at this time.
(5) Mr.
Beling beneficially owns 72,013 outstanding Common Shares. In addition, he beneficially
owns 157,000 Common Shares issuable upon exercise of vested Options comprised of the
following: (i) on March 27, 2023, Mr. Beling was granted 40,000 Options each exercisable
for one Common Share for a period of three years at a price of $6.95 per Common Share;
(ii) on February 15, 2024, Mr. Beling was granted 50,000 Options each exercisable for
one Common Share for a period of five years at a price of $2.99; (iii) on December 23,
2024, Mr. Beling was granted 50,000 Options each exercisable for one Common Share for
a period of five years at a price of $1.40; and (iv) on August 18, 2025, Mr. Beling was
granted 50,000 Options each exercisable for One Common Share for a period of five years
at a price of $4.35 which will vest over a period of two years with 34% having vested
at this time.
(6) Mr.
Fulton beneficially owns 179,350 Common Shares. He shares both voting and investment
power with respect to 2,276 of such Common Shares with members of his family. In addition,
he beneficially owns 54,859 Common Shares issuable upon exercise of 49,058 NioCorp Assumed
Warrants each exercisable for 1.11829212 Common Shares at a price of $11.50 until March
17, 2028. He also beneficially owns 17,000 Common Shares issuable upon exercise of vested
Options comprised of: (i) on August 18, 2025, Mr. Fulton was granted 50,000 Options each
exercisable for One Common Share for a period of five years at a price of $4.35 which
will vest over a period of two years with 34% having vested at this time. He shares both
voting and investment power with respect to 12,335 Common Shares issuable upon exercise
of 11,032 of such NioCorp Assumed Warrants with members of his family.
(7) Ms.
Guerrero-Mahon beneficially owns 46,068 Common Shares. In addition, she beneficially
owns 213,700 Common Shares issuable upon exercise of vested Options comprised of the
following: (i) on March 27, 2023, Ms. Guerrero-Mahon was granted 45,000 Options each
exercisable for one Common Share for a period of three years at a price of $6.95 per
Common Share; (ii) on February 15, 2024, Ms. Guerrero-Mahon was granted 75,000 Options
each exercisable for one Common Share for a period of five years at a price of $2.99;
(iii) on December 23, 2024, Ms. Guerrero-Mahon was granted 75,000 Options each exercisable
for one Common Share for a period of five years at a price of $1.40; and (iv) on August
18, 2025, Ms. Guerrero-Mahon was granted 55,000 Options each exercisable for One Common
Share for a period of five years at a price of $4.35 which will vest over a period of
two years with 34% having vested at this time.
(8) Mr.
Kehler beneficially owns 134,580 Common Shares, and 1,441,290 Common Shares issuable
upon the exchange of Vested Shares (as defined herein). He shares both voting and investment
power with respect to 318,470 of such Vested Shares with U.S. Trust Company of Delaware,
as co-trustee of the Elizabeth Kehler 2012 Family Trust under Declaration of Trust dated
December 12, 2012 (the “Elizabeth Kehler Trust”). In addition, he beneficially
owns 2,015,941 Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the following: (i) 1,657,057 Private
Warrants (as defined herein) exercisable for an aggregate of up to 1,853,073 Common Shares
held by Mr. Kehler; (ii) 78,003 Warrants each exercisable for one Common Share at a price
of $3.54 until December 22, 2025; (iii) 56,577 Warrants each exercisable for one Common
Share at a price of $1.75 until November 13, 2026; and (iv) 28,288 Warrants each exercisable
for one Common Share at a price of $2.07 until November 13, 2029. He also beneficially
owns 117,000 Common Shares issuable upon exercise of vested Options comprised of the
following: (i) on February 15, 2024, Mr. Kehler was granted 50,000 Options each exercisable
for one Common Share for a period of five years at a price of $2.99; (ii) on December
23, 2024, Mr. Kehler was granted 50,000 Options each exercisable for one Common Share
for a period of five years at a price of $1.40; and (iii) on August 18, 2025, Mr. Kehler
was granted 50,000 Options each exercisable for One Common Share for a period of five
years at a price of $4.35 which will vest over a period of two years with 34% having
vested at this time. The total does not include Common Shares that may be issuable upon
exchange of (i) 417,030 Tranche I Earnout Shares (as defined herein) held by Mr. Kehler,
(ii) 417,030 Tranche II Earnout Shares (as defined herein) held by Mr. Kehler, (iii)
118,284 Tranche I Earnout Shares held by the Elizabeth Kehler Trust; and (iv) 118,284
Tranche II Earnout Shares held by the Elizabeth Kehler Trust.
(9) Mr.
Maselli beneficially owns 323,085 Common Shares. In addition, Mr. Maselli beneficially owns 215,150 Common Shares issuable upon
exercise of 192,392 Private Warrants held by Mr. Maselli. He also beneficially owns 117,000 Common Shares issuable upon exercise
of vested Options comprised of the following: (i) on February 15, 2024, Mr. Maselli was granted 50,000 Options each exercisable
for one Common Share for a period of five years at a price of $2.99; (ii) on December 23, 2024, Mr. Maselli was granted 50,000
Options each exercisable for one Common Share for a period of five years at a price of $1.40 and (iii) on August 18, 2025, Mr.
Maselli was granted 50,000 Options each exercisable for One Common Share for a period of five years at a price of $4.35 which
will vest over a period of two years with 34%
100
having vested at this time. The total does not include
Common Shares that may be issuable upon exchange of (i) 119,998 Tranche I Earnout Shares
held by Mr. Maselli and (ii) 119,998 Tranche II Earnout Shares held by Mr. Maselli.
(10) Mr.
Oliver beneficially owns 160,400 Common Shares issuable upon exercise of vested Options
comprised of the following: (i) on March 27, 2023, Mr. Oliver was granted 40,000 Options
each exercisable for one Common Share for a period of three years at a price of $6.95
per Common Share; (ii) on February 15, 2024, Mr. Oliver was granted 50,000 Options each
exercisable for one Common Share for a period of five years at a price of $2.99; (iii)
on December 23, 2024, Mr. Oliver was granted 50,000 Options each exercisable for one
Common Share for a period of five years at a price of $1.40 and (iv) on August 18, 2025,
Mr. Oliver was granted 60,000 Options each exercisable for One Common Share for a period
of five years at a price of $4.35 which will vest over a period of two years with 34%
having vested at this time.
(11) As
reported by Kenneth Griffin on a Schedule 13G jointly filed with the SEC on July 25,
2025 by Mr. Griffin, Citadel Advisors LLC (“Citadel Advisors”), Citadel Advisors Holdings
LP (“CAH”), Citadel GP LLC (“CGP”), Citadel Securities LLC (“Citadel Securities”), Citadel
Securities Group LP (“CALC4”) and Citadel Securities GP LLC (“CSGP”) with respect to
Common Shares owned by Citadel Multi-Strategy Equities (Ireland) Designated Activity
Company, an Ireland company (“CSMI”) and Citadel Securities. Citadel Advisors is the
portfolio manager for CMSI. CAH is the sole member of Citadel Advisors. CGP is the general
partner of CAH. CALC4 is the non-member manager of Citadel Securities. CSGP is the general
partner of CALC4. Mr. Griffin is the President and Chief Executive Officer of CGP, and
owns a controlling interest in CGP and CSGP.
EQUITY
COMPENSATION PLANS
The
Company has maintained equity compensation plans under which Options have been granted. Option grants have been determined by
the Company’s directors and are only provided in compliance with applicable laws and regulatory policy. The following information
is provided with respect to compensation plans (including individual compensation arrangements) under which equity securities
were authorized for issuance as of June 30, 2025.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
Plan Category
Number of Securities
to be Issued Upon
Exercise of
Outstanding Options,
Warrants, and Rights
Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Outstanding
Options, Warrants,
and Rights
Number of Securities Remaining Available for Future Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans (Excluding Securities Reflected in Second Column)
Equity Compensation Plans Approved by Security Holders (1)
3,020,000
$3.09
2,829,119 (2)
Equity Compensation Plans Not Approved by Security Holders
-
-
-
Total (3)
3,020,000
$3.09
2,829,119
(1)
Represents Options
granted pursuant to the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan.
(2)
Generally, the aggregate
number of Common Shares reserved for issuance to participants under the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan, together with
all other security-based compensation arrangements of the Company may not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding Common
Shares from time to time, and the Common Shares reserved for issuance upon settlement of share units shall not exceed 5% of
the issued and outstanding Common Shares from time to time. Common Shares subject to any grant (or any portion thereof) that
are issued upon exercise or settlement, forfeited, surrendered, cancelled, unearned, or otherwise terminated will again be
available for grant under the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan.
(3)
As of June 30, 2025, there were: (i) 3,020,000 outstanding securities awarded under the 2017
Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan representing 5.16% of the Company’s
currently issued and outstanding Common Shares; and (ii) 2,829,119 remaining securities
available for grant representing 4.84% of the Company’s currently issued
and outstanding Common Shares.
Performance
Graph
The
following graph compares total cumulative shareholder return for $100 invested in Common Shares from July 1, 2020, to June 30,
2025, with cumulative total returns for the S&P/TSX Composite Index and S&P/TSX Mining Index:
101
Overall,
the Company’s cumulative return for the five-year period ended below the range of returns for the two selected indices.
As an exploration stage company, executive officer compensation has not historically been adjusted to reflect share performance
trends. Compensation to executive officers remained flat from 2013 through February 2023, except for increases supported by additional
job responsibilities and/or job promotions. Effective September 1, 2019, the Board approved a 10% base rate increase for all NioCorp
employees and effective April 1, 2023, the Compensation Committee approved a base rate average increase of 12% for all NioCorp
employees. There were no salary increases granted during fiscal years 2025 or 2024.
ITEM
13. CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The
following sets forth certain information regarding transactions between the Company (and its subsidiaries) and its officers, directors,
and significant shareholders. There have been no other transactions since the end of the Company’s most recently completed
fiscal year and there are no currently proposed transactions in which the Company was or is to be a participant and the amount
involved exceeds $120,000, and in which any related person (for purposes of Item 404 of Regulation S-K) had or will have a direct
or indirect material interest.
Loan
Transactions:
Mr.
Smith is our Chief Executive Officer, President, Executive Chairman, and Director. On September 11, 2024, the Company and Mr.
Smith entered into the Smith Loan Agreement pursuant to which Mr. Smith agreed to make available to the Company a non-revolving,
multiple draw credit facility of up to $2,000,000. The Smith Loan expired on June 30, 2025, was non-revolving, and amounts paid
back under the terms of the Smith Loan Agreement did not again become available for drawdowns at the request of the Company.
The
Company paid interest to Mr. Smith on amounts outstanding under the Smith Loan at a rate equal to 10% per annum, calculated monthly
in arrears, through to the date of repayment of the Loan. Mr. Smith also received an establishment fee equal to 2.5% of the amount
of each drawdown payable at the time of the drawdown as consideration of the advancement of such drawdown. Any outstanding balance
on the Loan, including accrued interest, were immediately due and payable by the Company on the earlier of the date of expiration
of the Smith Loan Agreement and the occurrence of an event of default thereunder (the “Due Date”). The Company could
repay the Smith Loan at any time without notice and without penalty, but any amount of principal or interest repaid by the Company prior
to the Due Date will be subject to an early payment fee of 2.5% of the value of any such payment. Amounts outstanding under the
Smith Loan Agreement were secured by all of the Company’s assets pursuant to a general security agreement between the Company
and Mr. Smith, dated September 11, 2024.
Through
October 30, 2024, the Company borrowed a total of $504,000 under the Smith Loan and the largest aggregate amount of principal
outstanding under the Smith Loan Agreement during the period ended June 30, 2025, was $504,000. The Company subsequently repaid
$508,200, representing the balance of the principal outstanding
102
under the Smith Loan plus accrued interest, and also repaid $40,850
related to loan origination fees payable. As of June 30, 2025, there was no principal amount or accounts payable outstanding under
the Smith Loan.
December
2023 Private Placement
On
December 22, 2023, the Company closed a non-brokered private placement (the “December 2023 Private Placement”) and
issued an aggregate of 413,432 units of the Company (the “December 2023 Units”). Each December 2023 Unit consisted
of one Common Share and one Warrant (the “December 2023 Warrants”). Each December 2023 Warrant is exercisable for
one Common Share at a price of $3.54 until December 22, 2025. Certain of the Company’s officers and directors, including
Messrs. Kehler, Smith and Shah, subscribed to purchase an aggregate of 138,845 December 2023 Units in the December 2023 Private
Placement. Each officer and director of the Company who subscribed to purchase December 2023 Units in the December 2023 Private
Placement paid a purchase price of $3.205 per unit (the “December 2023 Insider Unit Price”) upon the closing of the
December 2023 Private Placement. The December 2023 Insider Unit Price included $0.125 per December 2023 Warrant underlying each
December 2023 Unit purchased by officers and directors of the Company. Messrs. Kehler, Smith and Shah purchased 78,003 December
2023 Units, 46,801 December 2023 Units, and 9,361 December 2023 Units, respectively, for aggregate purchase prices of $249,999.62,
$149,997.21, and $30,002.01, respectively. The remaining investors in the December 2023 Private Placement, who are not affiliated
with the Company but with whom the Company had a pre-existing relationship, subscribed to purchase an aggregate of 274,587 December
2023 Units at a purchase price per December 2023 Unit of $3.08, which is equal to the consolidated closing bid price for the Common
Shares as reported by Nasdaq on December 13, 2023. Gross proceeds to the Company from the December 2023 Private Placement were
approximately $1.29 million.
November
2024 Private Placement
On
November 13, 2024, the Company closed a non-brokered private placement (the “November 2024 Private Placement”) and
issued an aggregate of 2,199,602 units of the Company (the “November 2024 Units”). Each November 2024 Unit consists
of one Common Share, one Warrant (collectively, the “Series A Private Warrants”) to purchase one Common Share and
one-half of one Warrant to purchase one-half of one Common Share (the “Series B Private Warrants” and, together with
the Series A Private Warrants, the “November 2024 Private Warrants”). Each Series A Private Warrant is exercisable
into one Common Share (a “Series A Warrant Share”) at an exercise price of $1.75 per Series A Warrant Share at any
time on or after the date of issuance until November 13, 2026. Each Series B Private Warrant is exercisable into one Common Share
(a “Series B Warrant Share”) at an exercise price of $2.07 per Series B Warrant Share at any time beginning six months
and one day from the date of issuance until November 13, 2029. Messrs. Kehler and Smith subscribed to purchase an aggregate of
239,999 November 2024 Units in the November 2024 Private Placement and paid a purchase price of $1.7675 per November 2024 Unit
(the “November 2024 Insider Unit Price”) upon the closing of the November 2024 Private Placement. The November 2024
Insider Unit Price included $0.125 per November 2024 Private Warrant underlying each November 2024 Unit purchased by directors
of the Company. Messrs. Kehler and Smith purchased 56,577 November 2024 Units and 183,422 November 2024 Units, respectively, for
aggregate purchase prices of approximately $100,000 and $324,198, respectively. The remaining investors in the November 2024 Private
Placement, who are not affiliated with the Company but with whom the Company had a pre-existing relationship, subscribed to purchase
an aggregate of 1,959,603 November 2024 Units at a purchase price per November 2024 Unit of $1.57. Gross proceeds to the Company
from the November 2024 Private Placement were approximately $3.5 million.
Review,
Approval or Ratification of Related Person Transactions
Other
than as described below, the Company does not currently have in place any specific policy or procedure in respect of the review,
approval or ratification of any transaction required to be reported under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. Sections 147-153 of the
BCBCA set out rules and procedures applicable to all British Columbia corporations, pursuant to which a director presented with
a resolution in respect of any matter (including an equity issuance) in respect of which he/she has an interest must disclose
that interest in writing to the corporation’s board of directors prior to the approval of such matter. This procedure ensures
that each equity issuance to a director or officer of the Company is approved by all directors of the Company not involved in
such sale. All loan transactions from directors and officers are typically subject to review and approval by the Board prior to
acceptance and are documented in the meeting minutes or resolutions related to same. Under its charter, the Audit Committee is
responsible for reviewing and approving any related party transaction in advance of such transaction, unless the
103
Chief Financial
Officer or General Counsel determines that it is not practicable to wait until the next Audit Committee meeting, in which case
the related party transaction will be submitted to the Chair of the Audit Committee, who will have delegated authority to act
between Audit Committee meetings.
Director
Independence
The
Company’s Board consists of Messrs. Smith, Beling, Fulton, Oliver, Kehler, and Maselli and Ms. Guerrero-Mahon. The Company
utilizes the definition of “independent” as it is set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(a)(2)
(“Rule 5605(a)(2)”) and National Instrument 52-110 Audit Committees (“NI 52-110”). Further,
the Board considers all relevant facts and circumstances in its determination of independence of all members of the Board (including
any relationships). Currently, Messrs. Beling, Fulton, Oliver, Kehler, and Maselli and Ms. Guerrero-Mahon are considered independent
directors. Mr. Michael J. Morris, who served as a director of the Company during fiscal 2025, was previously determined by the
Board to be an independent director.
ITEM
14. PRINCIPAL
ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
The following
table presents fees for professional services rendered by Deloitte & Touche LLP for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 and
Deloitte & Touche LLP and BDO USA, P.C. for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 for the audit of the Company’s annual
consolidated financial statements and review of consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s filings and fees
billed for other services rendered by the firms during those periods.
Fiscal Year Ending June 30,
Audit Fees (1) ($)
Audit-Related Fees (2) ($)
Tax Fees (3) ($)
All Other Fees (4) ($)
2025
Deloitte
601,274
601,309
94,016
—
2024
Deloitte
1,092,834
34,125
—
—
BDO
132,500
95,599
48,263
—
(1) “Audit Fees” consist of fees billed, or to be billed, for professional services
rendered for the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements and reviews of our interim financial statements included
in quarterly reports and services normally provided by our independent registered public accounting firm in connection with statutory
filings.
(2) “Audit-Related Fees” consist of fees billed, or to be billed, related to agreed-upon
procedures and services, including for comfort letters, normally provided by our independent registered public accounting firm
in connection with debt offerings or regulatory filings.
(3) “Tax Fees” include fees for all tax services other than those included in “Audit
Fees” and “Audit-Related Fees.” This category includes fees for tax compliance, tax planning, and tax advice.
Tax planning and tax advice include assistance with tax audits and appeals, tax advice related to mergers and acquisitions, and
requests for rulings or technical advice from tax authorities. For the financial year ended June 30, 2025, these tax services included
the preparation of Canadian and U.S. federal and state tax returns and tax planning and tax advice services.
(4) “All
Other Fees” includes all other non-audit services.
Pre-approval
Policies
The
policy of the Audit Committee has been to pre-approve all audit, audit-related and non-audit services performed by our independent
auditors and to subsequently review the actual fees and expenses paid to our independent auditors. Accordingly, the Audit Committee
pre-approved all audit, audit-related and non-audit services performed by Deloitte & Touche LLP and BDO USA, P.C. and subsequently reviewed
the actual fees and expenses paid for these services. The Audit Committee has determined that the fees paid to Deloitte &
Touche LLP for services are compatible with maintaining Deloitte & Touche LLP’s independence as our auditor. All of
the services provided during the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, were approved by the Audit Committee pursuant to paragraph
(c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.
104
PART
IV
ITEM
15. EXHIBITS
AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
The
following documents are filed as a part of this report:
Financial Statements
(1) The
Consolidated Financial Statements, together with the report thereon of Deloitte &
Touche LLP, dated September 11, 2025
are included as part of Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,”
commencing on page 59 above.
Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms
(Deloitte & Touche LLP; Denver, Colorado; PCAOB ID#34)
54
Consolidated Balance Sheets
56
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
57
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
58
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ (Deficit) Equity and Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest
59
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
60
(a) Exhibits
Exhibit
No.
Title
2.1(1)**
Business
Combination Agreement, dated September 25, 2022, by and among NioCorp Developments Ltd., GX Acquisition Corp. II and Big Red
Merger Sub Ltd
3.1(2)
Notice
of Articles of NioCorp Developments Ltd., dated April 5, 2016
3.2(2)
Articles
of NioCorp Developments Ltd., as amended, effective as of January 27, 2015
3.3(3)
Amendment
to Articles, effective March 17, 2023
4.1(4)
Convertible
Security Funding Agreement, dated February 16, 2021, between the Company and Lind Global Asset Management III, LLC
4.2(5)
Amendment
#1 to Convertible Security Funding Agreement, dated December 2, 2021, between the Company and Lind Global Asset Management
III, LLC
4.3(6)
Waiver
and Consent Agreement, dated September 25, 2022, between NioCorp Developments Ltd. and Lind Global Asset Management III, LLC
4.4(7)
Form of Lind Contingent Consent Warrants
4.5(1)
Sponsor
Support Agreement, dated as of September 25, 2022, by and among GX Acquisition Corp. II, NioCorp Developments Ltd., GX Sponsor
II LLC, in its capacity as a shareholder of GX Acquisition Corp. II, and certain other shareholders of GX Acquisition Corp.
II
4.6(8)
Joinder
to Sponsor Support Agreement, dated as of March 17, 2023, by and among NioCorp Developments Ltd. and each of the Holders party
thereto
4.7(3)
Amended
and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of March 17, 2023, by and among NioCorp Developments Ltd., GX Acquisition
Corp. II, GX Sponsor II LLC, certain holders of the common shares of the NioCorp Developments Ltd. listed on Schedule 1 thereto,
certain current and former stockholders of GX Acquisition Corp. II, and other persons and entities listed on Schedule 2 thereto
4.8(3)
Registration
Rights Agreement Joinder, dated as of March 17, 2023, by and among NioCorp Developments Ltd. and each of the parties listed
on Schedule A thereto
4.9(3)
Exchange
Agreement, dated as of March 17, 2023, by and among NioCorp Developments Ltd., GX Acquisition Corp. II and GX Sponsor II LLC
4.10(8)
Joinder
to Exchange Agreement, dated as of March 17, 2023, by and among NioCorp Developments Ltd., Elk Creek Resources Corp (f/k/a
GX Acquisition Corp. II) and each of the Holders party thereto
105
4.11(9)
Warrant
Agreement, dated March 17, 2021, by and between GX Acquisition Corp. II and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
4.12(3)
Assignment,
Assumption and Amendment Agreement, dated as of March 17, 2023, by and among GX Acquisition Corp. II, NioCorp Developments
Ltd., Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as the existing Warrant Agent, and Computershare Inc. and its affiliate
Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as the successor Warrant Agent
4.13(3)
Form
of Warrant (included in Exhibit 4.12)
4.14(10)
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated as of January 26, 2023, by and between NioCorp Developments Ltd. and YA II PN, Ltd.
4.15(11)
Form
of Subscription Agreement in respect of units issued in September 2023
4.16(11)
Form
of Warrants issued in September 2023
4.17(12)
Form of Subscription Agreement in respect of units issued in December 2023
4.18(12)
Form of Warrants issued in December 2023
4.19(13)
Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 11, 2024, by and between NioCorp Developments Ltd. and each of YA II PN, Ltd. and Lind Global Fund II LP
4.20(13)
Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant (included in Exhibit 4.19)
4.21(13)
Global Guaranty Agreement, dated as of April 11, 2024, by Elk Creek Resources Corporation and 0896800 B.C. Ltd.
4.22(13)
Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of April 11, 2024, by and between NioCorp Developments Ltd. and each of YA II PN, Ltd. and Lind Global Fund II LP
4.23(14)
Form of Subscription Agreement in respect of units issued in June 2024
4.24(14)
Form of Warrants issued in June 2024
4.25(15)
Underwriting Agreement, dated as of November 3, 2024, by and between NioCorp Developments Ltd. and Maxim Group LLC
4.26(15)
Warrant Agency Agreement, dated as of November 5, 2024, by and between NioCorp Developments Ltd., Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
4.27(15)
Form of November 2024 Series A Public Warrant
4.28(15)
Form of November 2024 Series B Public Warrant
4.29(16)
Form of Subscription Agreement in respect of units issued in November 2024
4.30(16)
Form of November 2024 Series A Private Warrant
4.31(16)
Form of November 2024 Series B Private Warrant
4.32(17)
Underwriting Agreement, dated as of January 29, 2025, by and between NioCorp Developments Ltd. and Maxim Group LLC
4.33(17)
Form of January 2025 Series A Warrant
4.34(17)
Form of January 2025 Series B Warrant
4.35(18)
Underwriting Agreement, dated as of April 17, 2025, by and between NioCorp Developments Ltd. and Maxim Group LLC
4.36(18)
Form of April 2025 Pre-Funded Warrant
4.37
Description
of Securities
10.1(2)#
Consulting
Agreement, dated May 13, 2014, between the Company and KMSmith, LLC
10.2(19)#
Amendment
to Contract, dated September 1, 2019, between the Company and KMSmith, LLC
10.3(19)#
Contract
Assignment and Novation Agreement, dated as of August 31, 2020, among the Company, KMSmith, LLC and 76 Resources, Inc.
10.4(20)#
Contract
Assignment and Novation Agreement, dated as of August 1, 2021, among the Company, 76 Resources, Inc. and 76 Resources, LLC
10.5(21)#
Amendment
to Contract, dated April 1, 2023, between the Company and 76 Resources, LLC
10.6(22)*
Offtake
agreement, dated June 13, 2016, between the Company and CMC Cometals, a division of Commercial Metals Company
10.7(23)
Amendment
No. 1 to Offtake Agreement, dated April 13, 2020, between the Company and Traxys North America LLC, as assignee
10.8(24)
Offtake
agreement with ThyssenKrupp Metallurgical Products GmbH
10.9(19)*,
**
Woltemath
003J Amended and Restated Option to Purchase, dated January 4, 2017, among ECRC and Victor L. and Juanita E. Woltemath
10.10(19)*,
**
Woltemath
003J Extension to Option to Purchase, dated December 23, 2019, among ECRC and Victor L. and Juanita E. Woltemath
10.11*, **
Woltemath 003J Second Extension to Option to
Purchase, dated December 9, 2024, between ECRC and Juanita E. Woltemath
10.12(10)
Standby
Equity Purchase Agreement, dated as of January 26, 2023, by and between NioCorp Developments Ltd. and YA II PN, Ltd.
10.13(25)
Amendment #1 to Standby Equity Purchase Agreement, dated as of May 3, 2024, by and between NioCorp Developments Ltd. and YA II PN, Ltd.
10.14(3)#
Form
of Director and Officer Indemnification Agreement
106
10.15(1)#
Employment
Agreement, dated as of September 25, 2022, by and between Elk Creek Resources Corporation and Neal Shah
10.16(1)#
Employment
Agreement, dated as of September 25, 2022, by and between Elk Creek Resources Corporation and Scott Honan
10.17(1)#
Employment
Agreement, dated as of September 25, 2022, by and between Elk Creek Resources Corporation and Jim Sims
10.18(1)#
Form
of Restrictive Covenant Agreement
10.19(26)#
NioCorp Developments Ltd. Long-Term Incentive Plan, as amended
10.20(27)
Loan
Agreement, dated as of September 11, 2024, between the Company and Mark Smith
10.21(27)
Security
Agreement, dated as of September 11, 2024, between the Company and Mark Smith
10.22(28)
Placement Agency Agreement, dated as of July 17, 2025, by and between NioCorp Developments Ltd. and Maxim Group LLC
19.1(7)
NioCorp Developments Ltd. Insider Trading Policy
21.1
Subsidiaries
of NioCorp Developments Ltd.
23.1
Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP
23.3
Consent of Dahrouge Geological Consulting USA Ltd.
23.4
Consent of Understood Mineral Resources Ltd.
23.5
Consent of Optimize Group Inc.
23.6
Consent of Tetra Tech
23.7
Consent of Adrian Brown Consultants Inc.
23.8
Consent of Magemi Mining Inc.
23.9
Consent of L3 Process Development
23.10
Consent of Olsson
23.11
Consent of A2GC
23.12
Consent of Metallurgy Concept Solutions
23.13
Consent of Scott Honan, M.Sc., SME-RM, NioCorp
23.14
Consent of Dumas Contracting Ltd.
23.15
Consent of Mahmood Khwaja, P.E., CDM Smith
23.16
Consent of Wynand Marx, M.Eng., BBE Consulting
31.1
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
31.2
Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.1
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.2
Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
96.1(29)
S-K
1300 Elk Creek Technical Report Summary
97.1(7)
Compensation Clawback Policy
101.INS(30)
XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH(30)
XBRL Taxonomy Extension – Schema
101.CAL(30)
XBRL Taxonomy Extension – Calculations
101.DEF(30)
XBRL Taxonomy Extension – Definitions
101.LAB(30)
XBRL Taxonomy Extension – Labels
101.PRE(30)
XBRL Taxonomy Extension – Presentations
104
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted
as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)
#
Management compensation
plan, arrangement or agreement.
*
Portions
of this exhibit have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K, which portions will be furnished to the
Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.
**
Certain
exhibits to this agreement have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. A copy of any omitted exhibit will
be furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.
(1)
Previously
filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-55710) filed with the SEC on September
29, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
(2)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Draft Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 377-01354) submitted to the
SEC on July 26, 2016 and incorporated herein by reference.
(3)
Previously
filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-41655) filed with the SEC on March 17,
2023 and incorporated herein by reference.
107
(4)
Previously
filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-55710) filed with the SEC on February
17, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
(5)
Previously
filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 000-55710) filed with the SEC on February
4, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
(6)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Registration No. 333-268227) filed with the SEC on
November 7, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
(7)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-41655) filed with the SEC on September 23, 2024
and incorporated herein by reference.
(8)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-271268) filed with the SEC on April
14, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference.
(9)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to Elk Creek Resources Corp.’s (f/k/a GX Acquisition Corp. II) Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-40226)
filed with the SEC on March 22, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
(10)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-55710) filed with the SEC on January 27, 2023
and incorporated herein by reference.
(11)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-41655) filed with the SEC on September 1, 2023
and incorporated herein by reference.
(12)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-41655) filed with the SEC on December 20, 2023
and incorporated herein by reference.
(13)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-41655) filed with the SEC on April 12, 2024
and incorporated herein by reference.
(14)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-41655) filed with the SEC on June 24, 2024 and
incorporated herein by reference.
(15)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-41655) filed with the SEC on November 5, 2024
and incorporated herein by reference.
(16)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-41655) filed with the SEC on November 13,
2024 and incorporated herein by reference.
(17)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-41655) filed with the SEC on January 31, 2025
and incorporated herein by reference
(18)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-41655) filed with the SEC on April 21, 2025
and incorporated herein by reference
(19)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 000-55710) filed with the SEC on September 16, 2020
and incorporated herein by reference.
(20)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 000-55710) filed with the SEC on September 8, 2021
and incorporated herein by reference.
(21)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 on Form S-1
(File No. 333-271268) filed with the SEC on August 22, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference.
(22)
Previously
filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-213451) filed with the
SEC on September 2, 2016 and incorporated herein by reference.
(23)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to Amendment No. 1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A (File No. 000-55710) filed with the SEC
on October 31, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
(24)
Previously
filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 000-55710) filed with the SEC on August 29,
2017 and incorporated herein by reference.
(25)
Previously
filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-41655) filed with the SEC on May 3, 2024
and incorporated herein by reference.
(26)
Previously
filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-41655) filed with the SEC on January 22,
2024 and incorporated herein by reference.
(27)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-41655) filed with the SEC on September 11, 2024
and incorporated herein by reference.
(28)
Previously filed
as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-41655) filed with the SEC on July 18, 2025 and
incorporated herein by reference.
(29)
Previously
filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 000-55710) filed with the SEC on September
6, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
108
(30)
Submitted
Electronically Herewith. Attached as Exhibit 101 to this report are the following formatted in XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting
Language): (i) the Consolidated Balance Sheets at June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024, (ii) the Consolidated Statements of Operations
and Comprehensive Loss for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, (iii) the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the
years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, (iv) the Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity (Deficit) and Redeemable
Noncontrolling Interest for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, (v) the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
ITEM 16. FORM
10–K SUMMARY
None.
109
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report
to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
NIOCORP DEVELOPMENTS LTD.
By:
/s/ Neal
Shah
Neal
Shah
Chief
Financial Officer
September 11, 2025
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf
of the registrant and in the capacities indicated on September 11, 2025.
Signature
Title
/s/ Mark
A. Smith
President, Chief Executive Officer
(Principal
Mark A. Smith
Executive Officer and Authorized
U.S. Representative)
and Chairman of the Board of Directors
/s/ Neal
Shah
Chief Financial Officer (Principal
Financial and
Neal Shah
Accounting Officer)
/s/
David C. Beling
Director
David C. Beling
/s/
Anthony W. Fulton
Director
Anthony W. Fulton
/s/ Nilsa
Guerrero-Mahon
Director
Nilsa Guerrero-Mahon
/s/ Dean
C. Kehler
Director
Dean C. Kehler
/s/
Michael G. Maselli
Director
Michael G. Maselli
/s/ Peter
Oliver
Director
Peter Oliver
110