Alberta’s agriculture industry is thriving. Recent reports indicate the province’s food and beverage industry earned more than $14.6 billion in sales and accounted for 21.5% of Alberta’s total manufactured goods. To support the sector’s continued growth and development, the Government of Alberta is providing funding to help food and beverage businesses to demonstrate innovation, keep pace with consumer trends, and address regulatory changes.
Alberta Innovates’ Accelerating Food Innovation (AFI) program supports the advanced research and development of new food and beverage products. Alberta government funding can be used to accelerate the creation or improvement of food ingredients/products, beverages, bioactives, supplements, and natural health products (NHPs).
The AFI program provides eligible applicants with up to $100,000 in Alberta agriculture grants to cover project expenses.
Agri-food businesses can leverage Alberta government grants to support projects that lead to new sources of revenue, increased competitiveness, and new job opportunities.
Accelerating Food Innovation (AFI): Research Grants for Technology Development Projects
The Accelerating Food Innovation (AFI) program supports projects that focus on the application of research and technologies for the development of competitive food and beverage products. Alberta small business grants will be provided to projects that promote lasting health benefits for consumers through the creation of nourishing ingredients, food and beverage products, and NHPs.
Eligible projects may receive up to $100,000 in Alberta small business grants to accelerate the research and development of innovative food and beverage projects.
The AFI program supports advanced research and development projects that:
- Address domestic and international consumer demands;
- Demonstrate global competitiveness;
- Add value to Alberta livestock and crop commodities;
- Promote wellness and healthy diets; and
- Prevent or treat chronic illnesses.
Do You Qualify for AFI Small Business Grants?
To access Alberta agriculture grants through the Accelerating Food Innovation program, applicants must be a(n):
- Alberta-based food, beverage, or Natural Health Products (NHP) company;
- Academic institution, and/or a research centre;
- Registered legal entity within Alberta or Canada (must have established operations within Alberta);
- Have a qualified researcher as a member of the project team; and
- Demonstrate the ability to commercialize the new food and beverage products within two years of completing the research project.
Please Note: Industry applicants are not required to have an academic partner and can leverage internal talent to facilitate the project’s research activities.
Projects Eligible for Accelerating Food Innovation Funding
To be eligible for the Accelerating Food Innovation program, projects must:
- Focus on the research, development, and commercialization of new food and beverage products;
- Benefit the provincial economy through social and environmental impacts;
- Provide value to key livestock and crop commodities within Alberta’s agriculture industry;
- Clearly indicate the uniqueness of the proposed product(s) (Eg.: higher nutritive content, improved processing technologies, functional ingredients, etc.);
- Include prototyping, feasibility, and optimization activities to improve new products;
- Include product evaluation and quality assurance; and
- Be completed within 12 to 18 months.
How to Apply for Accelerating Food Innovation Agriculture Grants
To apply for the Accelerating Food Innovation program, applicants must complete an 8-10 page online application package. All submissions must include company financial statements, project budgets, letters of support, and information about the project’s research team.
Get Started
Interested businesses are encouraged to start preparing their applications in order to meet the program’s upcoming submission deadline. Mentor Works’ team of Government Funding Planners can help business owners and executives determine whether they are eligible to apply, in addition to providing support throughout the application process.
Contact Mentor Works to learn more about the Accelerating Food Innovation program and start optimizing a government funding plan for your business.