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10 March 2026

Rome Resources plc

("Rome Resources", "Rome" or the "Company")

Proposed Strategic Diversification into Canadian Tin and Critical Metals Exploration

Option to acquire working interests in early-stage exploration licences across 109 km² of mining claims in the Canadian Province of New Brunswick

Rome Resources plc (AIM: RMR), the DRC-focused tin and copper explorer, is pleased to announce its proposed strategic expansion into Canada, one of the world's premier mining jurisdictions.

Rome Resources has entered into an option agreement (the "Option") to acquire working interests in early-stage exploration licences across 109 km² of mining claims in the Canadian Province of New Brunswick, close to the Mount Pleasant deposit, hosting the Three Lakes and Schoullar Mountain Projects (the "Projects").

Three Lakes and Schoullar Mountain Projects, SW New Brunswick:

The Projects under the Option cover over 109km² of exploration acreage to the east of Mount Pleasant, a mothballed legacy tungsten-molybdenum and tin-indium project in the southwestern part of New Brunswick, close to the US border.  The acreage lies only 40km from the important deepwater port of St. John, NB.

The claims are situated in two areas (Figure 1):

(i)            Area 1: Three Lakes - 75.3km² of mining claims along the crestal greisenised part of the Mount Douglas Granite, where numerous mineral showings principally for tin, tungsten and indium have been described; and

(ii)           Area 2: Schoullar Mountain - 33.8km² of mining claims directly east of the Mount Pleasant mine, along the southern margin of the tin-molybdenum-tungsten-indium bearing volcanic caldera and granite complex, where limited exploration has taken place to date.

Tin showings in Area 1 (Three Lakes) have been assayed at up to 1.4% tin from surface sampling.  Exploration of these two promising areas will take the form of further surface sampling, geophysical surveys and core drilling. 

Within the Three Lakes Project area are the Spruce Lake tin-tungsten-indium and Smith Lake tin Projects which are located in the highly evolved final phase of the Mount Douglas Granite. These potential deposits are associated with three terrane boundary crustal scale faults, providing long-lived mineralisation pathways.  Multiple new greisen vein clusters have been identified that occur within a core 3.5 by 4.6 km zone of the final phase of the Mount Douglas Granite.  However, the potential total linear southwest-northeast strike length of the feature is in the region of 15km under licence to Rome.

Area 2 (Schoullar Mountain) is directly along geological strike from the Mount Pleasant Mine and is particularly under-explored despite its location along the southern margin of the granite-caldera complex that hosts resources of a range of critical mineral deposits, including rare elements such as indium.

New Brunswick launched its new Critical Minerals Strategy earlier in March 2026, which the Canadian Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson promised would 'get shovels in the ground, new minerals to market and generate economic opportunity in the province'.

Figure 1.  Location Map

Background to and strategy for the Option

The board of directors of Rome Resources (the "Board" or the "Directors") considers that this Option represents a low-cost, high-potential entry point into a region with a strong pedigree for critical mineral discoveries, including tin and tungsten. The exercise of the Option will be conditional on, inter alia, Rome Resources paying a modest and strategically structured total consideration of CAD$300,000, comprising a total of CAD$250,000 in new ordinary shares of 0.1 pence in the Company ("Ordinary Shares") and CAD$50,000 in cash, to be paid over the four years following the entering into of the Option, although the consideration for the exercise of the Option may be satisfied earlier at Rome's discretion. During the Option's period Rome Resources shall act as the operator of the Licences and be responsible, inter alia, for carrying out exploration on the Licences.

Following the completion of the exercise of the Option and satisfaction of the associated payment obligations outlined above, Rome Resources will have a 100% legal and beneficial interest in the licences comprising the Projects and 97% of the net smelter return on the future minerals produced within the Licences ("Net Smelter Return"), with the vendors of the Projects retaining a royalty of 3% of the Net Smelter Return. In addition, thereafter Rome Resources will gain the right of first refusal to purchase 50% of the vendors' retained royalty on the Net Smelter Return via the payment of a cash amount of $1,500,000 (or an equivalent mutually agreed amount of cash or new Ordinary Shares).

The Board considers that this low-cost entry point reflects the early-stage nature of the Projects and the Company's ability to leverage its network and credibility to secure early-mover advantage on highly prospective licences. This diversification aligns with the Company's strategy to secure exposure to highly prospective critical mineral opportunities while maintaining its core commitment to advancing tin and copper resources at its flagship Bisie North project in the DRC. Importantly, the cash component required to exercise the Option is fully manageable within the Company's existing financial resources although the Directors do not currently have the authority to allot new Ordinary Shares in order to satisfy the equity component of the consideration to exercise the Option. Additionally, the exploration programme in Canada is structured to ensure it does not detract from ongoing work programmes or the allocation of resources in the DRC.

Paul Barrett, Chief Executive Officer of Rome Resources, commented:

"This proposed strategic entry into Canada and the Appalachian Devonian tin granite plays provides us with low-cost access to a highly prospective region which exhibits strong tin and other critical metal mineralisation in a mining-friendly Tier 1 jurisdiction. The Three Lakes area is a late-phase tin granite-sourced prospect, similar to our Bisie North tin play in the DRC, but with additional tungsten, bismuth and indium potential.

"Importantly, this opportunity complements Bisie North, not only in the commodities it offers but also in timing. Planning of the work programme can take place while we await the assays from Bisie North which will feed into the updated mineral resource estimate for Kalayi, allowing for progress at both projects in parallel. This approach allows us to maintain focus on our core project in DRC while positioning Rome for proposed long-term growth through diversification."

A detailed technical review of the new Projects under the Option will be announced in due course.

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About Rome Resources plc

Rome Resources Plc is a mineral exploration company listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market. The Company's primary focus is the advancement of its flagship Bisie North Project, a significant tin and polymetallic exploration asset located in the Walikale Territory of the North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ongoing exploration activities are designed to define mineralisation and support future resource development.

In line with its strategy of securing exposure to highly prospective critical mineral opportunities, the Company looks to add high quality tin projects to its portfolio such as the new addition of exploration assets in eastern Canada.

Rome's strategy is centred on systematic exploration, capitalising on compelling geological potential, and is committed to responsible exploration practices and stakeholder engagement in jurisdictions where it operates. Rome is incorporated and registered in England and Wales.

Qualified Person Statement

Dr. Paul Armitage is a consultant of Rome Resources plc, a qualified geologist, a Fellow of the London Geological Society and a Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. Dr. Armitage is a qualified person (QP) under NI 43-101 and as defined by the AIM Note for Mining, Oil and Gas Companies for the purposes of this announcement and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.