CAAIN Offers Up to $3 Million To Meat Processors  Adopting Automation and Robotics

The Beef and Pork Primary Processing Automation and Robotics Program was developed to support research and development projects that help accelerate the adoption of automation and robotics in Canada’s primary meat processing industries (beef and pork). The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) has dedicated $5M to this program.

In 2020, around 2.3 million metric tons of pork and 1.28 million metric tons of beef were produced in Canada.

Canadian beef provides an export value of approximately $2.33 billion CAD each year, with pork not far behind at $1.25 and $1.4 billion CAD each year on average. As the demand for global beef and pork becomes more and more competitive, the Canadian government knows they need to modernize these industries by lowering the cost of adopting these new technologies. This is where the Beef and Pork Primary Processing Automation and Robotics Program comes into play.

Program Snapshot: Beef and Pork Primary Processing Automation and Robotics Program

The Beef and Pork Primary Processing Automation and Robotics program supports the R&D to accelerate automation and robotics for Canada’s primary meat processors. This will enhance global competitiveness and mitigate challenges to work safety and productivity due to COVID-19.

Read on to know how much funding your business could receive through this program, who is eligible to apply, what kind of projects are eligible, and when your application needs to be submitted.

If you’re looking to apply to the Beef and Pork Primary Processing Automation and Robotics Program, consider using the professional government grant application writers at Mentor Works, a Ryan Company. Our team has a proven track record when applying for government funding programs. We can also find other programs that your business may be eligible for.

Amount:

The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) will reimburse projects up to 40% of the total eligible supported expenses, to a maximum of $3 million per applicant through this program.

Eligibility: 

To be eligible for the Beef and Pork Primary Processing Automation and Robotics Program, your business must meet each of the following eligibility criteria:

• Must include at least two small or medium enterprises (SME) incorporated in Canada. SMEs are defined by Statistics Canada as businesses with 499 or fewer employees;
• Must have a committed financial (cash) contribution from at least two SMEs in the project team. Financial contributions may also come from MNEs (multinational enterprise) or not-for-profit organizations in order to achieve the minimum 60% industry cash contribution; and
• All funded projects are required to pay CAAIN administration fee equal to 4% of the total eligible supported expenses. These fees will be deducted from each approved claim prior to reimbursement to the Project Lead.

Eligible Projects:

Eligible applicants can submit an application for funding towards a project that encourages partnerships between small, medium, and enterprise level businesses (SMEs), post-secondaries, and not-for-profits that have the goal of accelerating research and innovation in the following areas: 

• Automated Technologies Ecosystem (automation and robotics);
• Data Driven Decision Frameworks; and
• Smart Farm Platforms.

Program Timelines: 

For your business to be eligible for the Beef and Pork Primary Processing Automation and Robotics Program, you must submit your project registrations form on or before May 2, 2022. Those that have submitted their project registrations form must then submit their expression of Interest (EOI) on or before June 6, 2022. Your full proposal will be due in the summer of 2022, with the deadline to submit being announced at a later date.

Apply for the Beef and Pork Primary Processing Automation and Robotics Program

With this program having a shorter application deadline of May 2, 2022, we strongly encourage your business to apply for this program sooner rather than later. If you believe your business may be eligible for funding through this program, the government funding application writing team at Mentor Works, a Ryan company, can write and submit an application on behalf of your business. Please get in contact with our team to learn more.

With government grant, loan, and tax credit programs having short application windows, it’s important to know when these programs will typically be announced so your business can be prepared. Download our free When to Apply for Canadian Government Funding slide deck to get to know when these opportunities become available.