General Discussion, page-899

It is interesting that GM made an advanced payment to LiventCorp of ~$200mill to secure a Li supply contract.

Fords also made a similar $300 million advanced payment to Liontown to Secure a contract, well needed funds to aid development for what looks like a pretty expensive underground operation.

Carmakers are realizing that if you don't secure supply, you run the risk of not being in the EV game.

I expect those "ongoing discussions with various local and international lithium participants interested in off-take and/or investment" to bear fruit early next year after SS and or during DFS and the funds offered to ESS (hopefully) similar to the above mentioned deals to go a long way in securing funding for ND development which will also majorly reduce shareholder dilution.

ESS in the Box seat here as "The Dome North lithium Mineral Resource remains the only (JORC) Australian lithium Mineral Resource not yet
subject to an offtake commitment." , As chemical converter makers and OEM's become more desperate as they realize that the Li they need to stay in business to secure supply is highly competitive from limited sources, PLS latest BMX auction 67 bids !!!

I'd suggest ESS will look like a completely different company in 12 months and have made major inroads on the path to development and mining.
There are many major announcements coming that will put a rocket under the SP on that path and in that timeframe.