In the 2000 federal budget, Natural Resources Canada's Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) received $15 million over three years to initiate, in partnership with provincial/territorial agencies, industry, and academia, a suite of geoscience projects in targeted areas that have high potential for undiscovered mineral resources.

The goal of TGI was to turn resource potential into new social and economic benefits by increasing the level and effectiveness of private sector mineral exploration. In particular, to ensure that Canada's geoscience information infrastructure continues to be state-of-the-art. By improving the quality and quantity of geoscience information available and promoting its rapid dissemination on the "information highway", TGI contributes towards stimulating economic development that will lead to improved quality of life for Canadians.

During the first three years of TGI, the GSC implemented 30 projects in partnership with provincial and territorial geological surveys, industry and academia. The new geological, geophysical and geochemical maps and data that resulted stimulated a good deal of exploration and resulted in a number of discoveries. This first phase of the program, now known as TGI 1, also supported the On-line Data Catalogue project of the Canadian Geoscience Knowledge Network (a cooperative venture championed by the National Geological Surveys Committee) to help put Canada's geological survey data "on line".

Due to this success, the Targeted Geoscience Initiative was extended for two years in Budget 2003. This second phase (TGI 2) focussed on energy-related geoscience in northern Canada, and included 19 new projects that were delivered through the Northern Resources Development (NRD) and Consolidating Canada's Geoscience Knowledge (CCGK) programs.

The 2005 federal budget provided $25M over 5 years for a further extension of TGI, with direction to focus the work on geological mapping to promote discovery of new base metal reserves in established mining communities. Projects will be delivered through the TGI 3 Program, which will comprise four to six major projects delivered in partnership with provincial geological surveys, industry and academia. A major element of TGI 3 will focus on developing the qualified professionals that the industry will need in the future through summer student employment and graduate thesis support.