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

Support to Sustain Canada’s Supply Management System  

Canada’s Supply Management Processing Investment Fund will contribute up to 50% to a maximum of $5 million in non-repayable (i.e., grant) funding to assist “supply-managed commodities adapt to market changes resulting from the implementation of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)”. Eligible applicants are federally or provincially registered/licensed, who have been in operation and have generated financial statements/income for at least 2 years during which time they have purchased raw supply-managed commodities (e.g., poultry further processors transform raw chicken and/or turkey into meat or meat products), and include:

• • Dairy processors
  • Poultry Primary processors (chicken and turkey)
  • Poultry Further processors (chicken and turkey)
  • Hatcheries (broiler, egg-type or turkey)
  • Egg graders
  • Egg processors

Program contribution is 50% for companies with 499 (i.e., SMEs) or fewer employees and 25% for processors with 500 or more employees. Eligible expenses are limited to the cost of new technology and equipment as well as third-party consulting/service fees. Building retrofits and expansions costs are not supported.

Funding priority is given to SMEs, first-time applicants and projects that improve productivity. The total program budget is $292.5 million, and the program will support expenses up to March 31, 2028.

Application Intake Closes in 2 Weeks!

The Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) program offers grants of up to $5 million for the advancement of CCUS technologies that significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The program supports projects related to:

1. CO₂ capture process/technology development (including novel cryogenic and hybrid processes)
2. Materials development and CO₂ capture chemistry (e.g. advances solvents, adsorbents)
3. Membrane-based separation technologies
4. CO₂ purification and treatment (including compression)
5. Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, or other computational methods for CO₂ capture
6. Design improvements to enhance input flexibility and system operability (e.g. quicker start-ups)

Eligible expenses include:

• Employee training, salaries and benefits;
• Contracted professional, scientific and technical services;
• Travel, meals and accommodations;
• Capital expenditures (e.g., purchase, installation, testing and commissioning of equipment)
• Data collection (e.g., processing, analysis and management);
• Facility rentals, license and permit fees;
• Diagnostic/testing tools, materials and supplies
• Project-related overhead (up to 15% of eligible expenditures)

Funding supports the research, development and demonstration of early-stage or pre-commercial technologies at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 2-7. New technologies must have the potential to improve system performance, reduce costs, as well as facilitate technology transfer, scale-up and commercialization.

R&D projects may receive up to 75% funding to a maximum of $2.5 million; applicants must request at least $500,000. Eligible R&D activities include:

• Development, assessment, testing and integration of new/innovative equipment, software and methods, such as:
  • Proof of concept of new technologies (e.g., pilot plants, prototypes)
  • Analytical tools and modelling software
• Field trials to identify R&D needs before pre-commercial technology demonstration
• Capacity building and training
• Assessments or characterization studies (e.g., data compilations and syntheses)

Demonstration projects may receive up to 50% funding to a maximum of $5 million; applicants must request a minimum of $1 million from the program. Demonstration activities include:

• Installation and demonstration of a pre-commercial technology in its operational environment
• Modifications to accommodate an innovative technology or process
• Installation of equipment and infrastructure to support technology demonstration
• Testing and analysis of pre-commercial technology to assess operational performance
• Engineering and designs for technology demonstrations

Eligible applicants are Canadian incorporated businesses, not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous and community groups, academic institutions, provincial/territorial/regional/municipal governments and agencies. The deadline to apply is October 3, 2022.