“The Strategic Agri-Food Processing Fund will make it possible for employers to kickstart business growth — we thank the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for recognizing and supporting the needs of the sector.”

Chris Conway, CEO  Food and Beverage Ontario

 Ontario’s Strategic Agri-Food Processing Fund Program will contribute up to 25% to a maximum of $3 million to enhance agriculture and agri-food processing capacity, and competitiveness principally in rural and northern Ontario. Funding is available for:

• New Production Capacity and Major Expansion of Existing Capacity: funding is up to 20% (25% for rural and northern-based operations) to a maximum of $3 million. Program recommended minimum investment is $5 million. Examples:
  1. A new operation in rural Ontario spun-off from an established processor that will create new markets for local producers adversely impacted by a recent supply chain closure.
  2. An established processor purchasing a previously operational facility that requires major renovations and net new processing lines to fundamentally change the type of processing historically undertaken at the defunct facility; and will result in new processing opportunities for regional suppliers in an underserved area
  3. An established processor that wants to double production capabilities through the adoption of advanced automation or manufacturing technologies and expanding plant working space thereby allowing the processor to satisfy increased client demand.

• Production Modernization: funding is up to 15% (20% for rural and northern-based operations) to a maximum of $500,000. Program recommended minimum investment is $2 million. Examples:
  1. A new entrant/owner looking to re-open a recently closed plant. The project will leverage existing lines plus improve production efficiency and capacity through the adoption and integration of advanced processing technologies thereby increasing previous plant output.
  2. An established processor wanting to adopt advanced technologies across all existing lines to improve efficiency and production capacity, allowing for retention of existing markets due to increased consumer demand.

Applicants can request/receive support from each of the above two categories.

Eligible expenses include construction costs, equipment purchases (except ancillary equipment such as pumps, boilers, and conveyors), building retrofits, specialized third-party consulting, project related material expenses, and technology-specific software (ERP systems are ineligible). Only expenses incurred after July 11, 2022 (i.e., submission of a complete application) are eligible. Projects must be completed by January 15, 2024.

Applicants must be an established or new Ontario business transforming agricultural commodities, food and beverages for human consumption. This includes primary food processing activities, e.g., cutting, cleaning, packaging, storing and refrigerating raw plant or animal-based food products.

Ineligible sector processor products and activities include alcoholic beverages, cannabis, pet food, health and nutrition supplements, bio-products, household waste and waste by-products processing, cigarette manufacturing, food services, food retailers, brand owners, and packaging material manufacturers.

To address program objectives, we (INAC) strongly encourage applicants operating in urban centres (i.e., 75%+ of Ontario processors), to stress how their project will support developing processing capacity in rural and/or northern Ontario (e.g., the increase procurement of provincial farmgate receipts) as well as improving domestic supply chain.

Deadline for submitting pre-proposals (forms to be available April 1, 2022) is 17:00 EST April 19, 2020. Complete applications must be submitted by July 11, 2022, however, applicants selected to submit a full proposal based on program acceptance of the pre-proposal will not occur until after the next provincial election, e.g., June 2, 2022

Only 10 business to Apply

Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Program will contribute 50% up to $14,000 towards hiring employing youth 15-30 years old. Eligible employers are farmers, food processors and agricultural related non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who can offer career-related work experiences and skills. Examples of eligible employers/career-related work experience and skills are:

• farmers who wish to hire workers for planting and harvesting crops or managing livestock,
• agricultural businesses, such as greenhouses, orchards, vineyards, vegetable producers who have general labor needs,
• small businesses supplying agricultural products or services,
• food processors in need of labour

Eligible youth must be between 15 to 30 years old, unemployed or under employed, and a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or have refugee status. If hiring youth facing barrier(s) or Indigenous individuals or organizations, employers will receive 80% support up to $14,000. As well, an additional $5,000 of funding is available to offset the costs of employee relocation or incremental expenses in hiring youth facing barriers, e.g., critical transportation, assistance with dependents, accommodation needs, accessibility equipment/technology etc. These additional costs will be supported at 100%). Deadline for Applications is March 21, 2022

Grant Towards Commercializing New Agricultural Technologies, Products, Processes, etc. 

Canada’s Innovation Booster program is offering 50% grant funding up to $100,000 for business development and innovation projects related to:

1. Smart Product and Process Development including novel health, nutrition & wellness benefits; new robotics applications to increase productivity, food safety and/or worker safety; AI, sensors, machine learning and big data to improve efficiencies; and emerging science such as cultured protein.
2. Food Ecosystem Sustainability including novel food waste reduction; higher value recovery; circularity and upcycling; green and smart packaging; and more efficient use of inputs e.g., energy, water and carbon.
3. Agile and Safe Supply Chains including logistics and supply chain; consumer and customer analytics; food safety and security; IoT and digital application to food chains; and blockchain and traceability software/applications.

Funding is provided to support a broad range of R&D activities at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 1 to 7. Projects are expected to result in the discovery of new knowledge that aims to support the development of new technology-driven products, processes or services at early-stage TRLs (e.g., 1-4); and/or large-scale technology demonstration, including the advancement and development of new technologies into product-specific applications at TRLs 5-7. Projects undertaking higher TRLs (i.e., 8 and 9) may also be supported if part of the overall project.

Eligible expenses include but not limited to project-related equipment purchases, subcontractor and consultant fees, materials costs, direct labour, plus building and land leasing, expansion or upgrades.

Applicants must be a Canadian business with less than 500 employees and sales under $50 million.

Note that successful applicants must pay the organization administering the fund an upfront contingency fee of 5% against the entire project budget (so basically the funding is 40%).

Next Intake Begins March 4, 2022

Holy Mackerel Only 10 Days to Apply

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Clean Technology Adoption Program (FACTAP) is offering funding of up to 75% to a maximum of $1 million towards adopting or adapting market-ready clean processes, technologies and/or sustainable practices which will improve the environmental performance of ongoing operations. Eligible applicants are Canadian businesses, indigenous organizations, or industry/professional groups involved in fish/seafood harvesting, aquaculture, or processing.

Project expenditures include consulting, engineering, equipment and other project-related costs incurred after receiving funding approval. Along with FACTAP project support, a minimum 10% contribution (either in cash or in-kind) must come from provincial/territorial governments. Applicants are required and must be able to support any project costs not covered by FACTAP and/or other government contributions. Funding from all government sources cannot exceed 90% of project costs. For the FYE March 31, 2018 applicants can receive a maximum of $750,000. Beginning April 1, 2018, maximum program funding will be $1 million. Deadline for applications is February 28, 2022.

Support for Purchasing Green Technology

Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Challenge Champion stream advertises 25% non-repayable funding up to $25 million for private sector projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). To be considered eligible, resulting project GHG reductions must extend into 2030 as well as over the lifetime of the project. These reductions must be:

• to sources of emissions controlled by the applicant or project partner (direct) and/or to grid electricity emissions (acquired)
• beyond what is required by existing regulations, standards, or codes and ongoing work by project proponents (incremental)
• directly and immediately the result of activities funded by the program.

Projects must also:

• acquire the utilization/purchase of commercially available technologies, typically having a level 8 or above on the Technology Readiness Level (TRL)
• have a confirmed project location
• have any production of electricity or fuel primarily for own use, within the applicant’s or identified partner’s operations (except for projects located in rural or remote communities or for district energy or industrial combined heat-and-power).

Projects having a TRL scale level under 8 are not eligible consequently excluding:

• research, development, and demonstration projects
• educational or capacity-building projects
• feasibility or other pre-engineering studies

Moreover, the following activity types within a project are ineligible regardless of whether they meet the other program criteria.

• Construction of new buildings (wherein GHG emissions reductions are obtained relative to a hypothetical alternative new building)
• District energy systems for new constructions
• Electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure
• Enhancing carbon sinks (e.g., carbon sequestration in forests or soils)
• Fuel transportation infrastructure
• Light emitting diode (LED) lighting retrofits
• Public transit infrastructure and vehicles and active transport (e.g., biking or pedestrian infrastructure)
• Purchase of new vehicles including Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) and ZEV infrastructure
• Reductions based solely on behavioural change
• Reductions based solely on products manufactured or sold by the applicant for market consumption).

Projects must be completed no later than March 2025 and cannot request less than $1 million.

Please note that the fund is also open to regional/local/municipal governments and not-for-profit organizations (40% funding), to provincial governments/bodies/boards (50% funding) and to territorial governments/bodies/boards, Indigenous communities and organizations (75% funding)

Expressions of Interest must be submitted by March 25, 2022. Invitation to submit Formal Proposal (or notification of ineligibility) will be given in May 2022 with the final decision on approved projects by the Fall of 2022.

Funding Covers Cost Incurred Since January 2021.

Ontario’s Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection Program  Workplace Covid-19 Prevention program is offering 60% support up to $50,000 towards prevention and mitigation measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among agri-food workers/employees. Primary food processors (i.e., cutting, cleaning, packaging, storage and refrigeration of fruit and vegetables), farmers, on-farm service providers, (e.g., truckers, barn cleaners, etc.), as well as food and beverage processors are eligible for support as are agri-food organizations. Regrettably pet food processors and restaurants are not eligible. Eligible expenses must have been order on or after January 1, 2021, and paid for no later than February 15, 2022, and include:

1. Physical distancing measures including equipment, property upgrades, renovations, temporary and transportable accommodations including beds, stoves, shielding, etc.
   • Agriculture/agri-food equipment/machinery that would enable physical distancing.
   • Retrofits or adjustments to employee housing or workplace modifications (e.g., renovations, shielding, barriers, roofs, additional refrigerators, stoves, beds, mattresses, bedding, winterization), and rental of temporary structures.
2. Air circulation and filtration in enclosed work environments
   • New/upgraded COVID-19 related air circulation and air filtration systems, HVAC modifications or upgrades required for enclosed work environments
3. WIFI Equipment directly related to expanding worker/employee access to WIFI within employer-provided housing/accommodations or worker/employee common areas. Maximum funding is $10,000.

4. Preventing disease spread
   • Third-party services to help to prevent disease spread (e.g., COVID-19 testing outside of the quarantine period, COVID-19 related medical checks, third-party cleaning service,and security)
5. Medical equipment (e.g., body temperature remote sensors, thermometers and cameras; COVID-related testing equipment).
   • Personal protective equipment (PPE) – maximum funding is $7,500
   • Cleaning/disinfection equipment and supplies
   • Vaccination costs not covered by the Government of Canada or the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)
   • Wearable technology specifically designed to promote social/physical distancing, as well as contact tracing for COVID-19 cases (communication and entertainment devices are not eligible).
6. Accommodations
   • Short-term accommodations (e.g., hotel room rentals, dorm rentals, house rental/lease, trailer purchases) to enable/employ physical distancing best practices, allow workers/employees to attend workplaces (up to $80/day/worker/employee)
7. 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 (e.g., car rental/bus rental/taxi services).
8. Innovative sanitization and disinfection techniques and technologies (e.g., UV sterilization technologies) to help prevent the spread of COVID-19
9. Translation services for training, testing and vaccinations

Ineligible expenses include but not limited to ongoing costs of business, communication devices (including wearable technology, smart phones and computers), the purchase and/or construction of permanent portable buildings, on and off-road vehicles, etc.

Eligible applications are received and assessed on a “first-come-first-serve” basis, while funding is available or until February 15, 2022