Funding to Hire Summer Students Now Accepting Applications

Canada Summer Jobs is advertising non-repayable (grant) funding for businesses with less than 50 employees, as well as not-for-profit (including religion-operates daycare) and public sector organizations to hire new employees 15-30 years of age. The subsidy is 50% for businesses and 100% for non-profits of the provincial minimum wage (e.g., $15.50/hr. in Ontario). Employment must be for 30 hrs./wk. to 40 hrs./wk. extending 6 to 16 weeks. Positions can begin April 24, 2023 -July 24, 2023, and end not later than September 2, 2023. Eligible employees (i.e., Youth) are Canadian citizens or protected refugees (as defined under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act), between the ages of 15 and 30. Requests for funding will be evaluated on the position(s):

• Provision of quality work experience including a commitment of planned supervision and a strong possibility of continued employment.
• Opportunity for skills development. For example, having a trainee mentoring plan plus a training plan covering transferrable skills such as client services, communication, teamwork, digital skills, leadership, etc.
• Respond to national priorities, e.g., hiring visible minorities, LGBTQ2 youth, Indigenous persons, new immigrant/refugees or a person with a disability, women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, youth who have not completed high school or are applying for their first job, members of, and supporting the vitality of, an official-language minority community and those in rural and remote communities. Another national priority is for offering positions that protects and conserves the environment.
• Support local priorities and constituencies.

Businesses can receive incentives for more than one employee so long as they do not exceed the maximum funding amount of $300,000 (please confirm before applying as the maximum contribution may change). Additional support is available for indigenous and disabled youth.

Deadline to apply is 11:59 a.m. (PST) January 12, 2023. However, program funding is usually committed sooner.  

Grant Supports the Purchase of Production Technology including Software 

Ontario’s Supply Chain Stability and Adaptability Program Agri-Food Supply Chain Infrastructure Investment Stream is offering up to 25% grant funding to a maximum of $150,000 towards the acquisition of equipment and assets necessary to increase production capacity as well as address market and supply chain challenges related to an augmented need/demand for Ontario grown and produced food products.

Eligible Ontario agri-food businesses include:

• Farms grossing $7,000+ annually that supply Ontario food processing businesses with their products and/or have production and on-site agri-food processing activities.
• Food processors including co-packers (human food only) that source a significant portion (e.g., 50% or more) of agricultural inputs from Ontario farms (e.g., vegetables, fruits, dairy, and meat/poultry/fish, milled and processed grains). Note, “processed foods” is defined as “an agricultural input that has undergone any changes to its natural state, including cleaning, sorting, cutting, packaging of food for human consumption or as an ingredient”.

Examples of eligible projects are:

• Capital improvements, including modifications to existing buildings and/or mobile facilities and construction of new buildings and/or mobile facilities.
• Upgrades to utilities (including water, electric, heat, refrigeration, freezing, and waste facilities).
• Growing, processing, packaging and handling equipment plus related retrofits/construction.
• Technology that allows increased capacity or business resilience (including software and hardware related to business functions, robotics, logistics, inventory management, plant production and monitoring controls, to enable extended or year-round production).
• Technical assistance, including engineering and construction planning, land use planning, facility design and configuration planning, and other services that directly support future implementation of infrastructure-related capacity-building projects.

Ineligible activities include the production and/or processing of the following:

• Hemp, cannabis, and CBD products
• Nursery and floriculture
• Equine
• Fiber and non-food items from animals
• Beauty and cosmetic products
• Nutraceuticals

Standalone aggregators, distributers, or retailers of Ontario agri-food products (i.e., restaurants, retail store fronts) are not eligible for funding.

Project costs cannot be incurred before April 1, 2023, and all activities must be completed by March 31, 2024

Only one Supply Chain Stability and Adaptability Program application per business will be accepted.

Deadline for applications is 4:30 p.m. (EST), Thursday, February 9, 2023.

Funding to Purchase Small Capital Items to Reduce Line Worker Congestion 

Ontario’s Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection Program (Stream #1: Prevention and Protection) is offering up to 60% in grant funding to a maximum of $50,000 towards prevention and mitigation measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among agri-food workers/employees. Ontario primary food processors (i.e., cutting, cleaning, packaging, storage and refrigeration of fruit and vegetables), farmers including fish and aquaculture), on-farm service providers, (e.g., truckers, barn cleaners, auction houses, etc.), agri-food organizations, as well as food and beverage processors are eligible for support. Regrettably, pet food and animal feed processors, as well as retailer and restaurants are not eligible.

Funding is available for:

Physical Distancing Measures

• Workplace minor modifications to allow for proper health and safety measures and physical distancing (for example, barriers, touchless systems, washrooms/wash stations). (This does not include housing modifications).
• Purchase of agriculture/agri-food equipment / machinery that would enable physical distancing.
• Purchases for communal workplace eating areas that would enable physical distancing as follows:
  • one dining set with table and chairs in good condition for every 10 workers
  • one microwave for every 10 workers
  • one oven and stove (with minimum of 4 functional burners) available for every 6 workers
  • one refrigerator (able to keep foods at 4?C or lower), with sufficient space for food storage, must be provided for every 6 workers

Preventing Disease Spread

• Medical equipment (for example, body temperature remote sensors, thermometers, and COVID-related testing equipment)
• Vaccination costs not covered by the Government of Canada or the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)

Enhanced sanitization and disinfection

• Third-party providing specialized sanitization, disinfection, and sterilizing services to prevent the further spread of COVID?19.

Translation services for training, testing and vaccinations

• Arm’s length translation services required for COVID-related training, testing and COVID?19 vaccinations.

Air circulation and filtration in enclosed work environments

• New/upgraded COVID?19 related air circulation and air filtration required for enclosed work environments. Not for congregate housing.

Transportation

• COVID-related worksite mobility and transportation expenses to enable workers/employees to access the work site or vaccine clinics and transportation to/from airport to meet quarantine requirements (for example, car rental/bus rental/taxi services)

Ineligible expenses include but not limited to ongoing costs of business, major equipment and wearable technology purchases and the buying, construction and/or modification of congregate housing. Eligible expenses must be dated between February 16, 2022, and February 28, 2023, inclusive. Deadline for applications is 17:00 hr. Tuesday, January 31, 2023, however, the program may close earlier if all funding has been allocated.

Support to Make Companies Greener and More Competitive 

The AIME Green program is offering 50% grant (non-repayable) funding up to $100,000 to Southern Ontario manufacturers towards costs related to workforce upskilling and retraining in adopting and adapting green manufacturing principles at the shop floor level.

To be eligible applicants must:

• Operate a manufacturing facility or facilities in Southern Ontario with 10 to 1000 employees.
• Have been continuously in business for at least three years (3 years); and demonstrate financial stability.
• Manufacture a specific product for sale in Ontario or elsewhere.
• Demonstrate adoption/adaption of greening technologies in products or manufacturing processes

The program will support training that leads to:

1. the adaptation of new technology, processes, procedures, or policies supporting green innovation, increased competitiveness, and domestic and international market access.
2. the development and advancement of highly skilled personnel in any subject matter leading to innovation or productivity improvements. This can include the development of new engineering skills; training in the use of new software, hardware or other tools necessary to support innovation; as well as adopting and adapting new technologies, manufacturing methods or other business activities leading to greater sustainability and competitiveness.

Eligible expenditures include contracted trainers, content and curriculum, trainee wages, travel, facility rentals, and materials/supplies. The program does not support capital purchases, including software and hardware (e.g.. computers)

First time applicants can receive 50% funding up to $100,000. Applicants, who have not received “AIME” (i.e., Yves Landry Foundation) support during the last 2 years can request 25% funding up to $100,000. Apply early as funding will be quickly allocated.

Deadline is Next Monday

Southern Ontario’s Tourism Relief Fund is advertising 50% support up to $100,000 in non-repayable (grant) funding or 75% support up to $500,000 in an interest-free loan to tourism-related businesses/operators/cooperatives towards promoting, presenting, and/or expanding activities that attract tourists and visitors to Southern Ontario events occurring between November 2022 and March 2023.

Eligible activities include but not limited to:

• creating, adapting, and enhancing protocols and permanent infrastructure to meet health and safety requirements to accommodate visitors and employees to keep businesses operating
• helping operators traditionally reliant on international markets to create innovative tourism offerings attractive to local and domestic visitors
• modernizing operations, attractions, greening initiatives, and online sales services
• supporting operations with local promotion of tourism products, including digital and virtual reality experiences
• developing capacity for more inclusive tourism experiences (e.g., staff training to ensure welcoming, inclusive environments to diverse clientele, gender-neutral washroom facilities, etc.)
• equipping operators towards extending product offerings into the off-season
• supporting destinations to implement tourism plans that create or improve local assets, facilities, and planning for key infrastructure
• enhancing attraction services and experiences to develop experiential tourism that will respond to visitor expectations post COVID-19
• assisting industry partners to support recovery and rebuilding efforts through coordination, and developing new offerings and/or capacity building on behalf of the sector
• supporting scale-up and market expansion activities for key enterprises essential to economic vitality and the local business climate

Eligible costs include

• Capital purchases, e.g., project/site-specific infrastructure expenses and equipment acquisition or rental (including buying bicycles), software, etc.

• Expertise: incremental fees paid to professional and/or technical personnel, consultants, or contractors, etc.
• Non-capital costs: promotional materials, SEO, bicycles, SUPs, etc.
• Labour: incremental salaries and benefits for individuals employed for the project may be eligible should they meet the following conditions:
  • The recipient confirms and substantiates that it is not economically feasible to tender a contract
  • Costs are for those employed directly in respect of the work that would have been the subject of the contract; or
  • Labour hired to work exclusively on the project (i.e., not existing employees of the recipient)

Land, vehicle and building purchases are not eligible. Nor can funding be used to run a marketing campaign.  Restaurants, hotel chains and the retail sector are not eligible. Deadline for applications is Monday November 28, 2022.

Support to Introduce A.I. in the Production of Plant-based Products

Protein Industries Canada’s Artificial Intelligence Program, Project Stream advertises contributing up to 45% (less an 8% administration fee) with no set limit towards the adoption/commercialization of A.I. technology in plant-based food, feed and/or ingredient related businesses. A minimum of two Protein Industries Canada members (cost $500.00) must co-apply for the funding and agree to financially contribute (though not necessarily equally) to the project. At least one co-applicant needs to be a business with less than 500 employees and is registered to do business in Canada. Additionally, one or more applicants should have experience in commercializing A.I. technologies, and/or own the I.P. for the technology to be adopted/commercialized, and/or will deploy the technology in its operation. Although not required, it is encouraged that a research or academic institution be involved in the project as well as collaboration from an “Ecosystem Connector” (e.g., non-profit sector organization, incubators, accelerators, etc.). Eligible expenses included project-related equipment and capital expenses, materials and supplies, consulting fees, employee wages, etc.

Please note that available information on this program was found to be difficult to comprehend as well as to summarize. Therefore, it is recommended that applicants offer a summary of their project to the funder prior to applying. David