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Canadian Agricultural Partnership Alberta: Grants for Agriculture

by Myra

The Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) is a federal-provincial-territorial suite of government funding programs. While some programs are available to businesses across Canada, others only provide support to specific provinces.

The Canadian Agricultural Partnership: Alberta program is a provincial variant of the federal CAP program. It offers multiple streams of Alberta government funding to businesses and organizations that produce, modify, manufacture, or advocate for Alberta-made agricultural products. Through the program, agriculture and agri-food sector companies may offset a portion of costs for a wide range of competitiveness-boosting projects.

The amount of funding awarded to organizations through CAP Alberta depends on the types of projects undertaken. Consult the list of project types in this article to discover how much your project may receive.

To receive CAP Alberta government funding, businesses must be deemed an eligible applicant and submit a comprehensive application by one of the program’s deadlines. Deadlines vary by project focus; it’s important to pay close attention to these dates to ensure your application is processed on time. Upon approval, applicants may begin to incur funding-eligible expenses. There are certain programs that have an upcoming May 29, 2020 deadline.

Canadian Agricultural Partnership: Alberta Government Funding

Alberta’s provincial streams of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) provide a range of supports for agricultural producers, processors, and support organizations. This includes funding for producers and processors to expand production and drive competitiveness, and funding for agricultural advocacy groups and municipalities to drive greater demand for Alberta-based agricultural products.

Each stream of funding offered through CAP Alberta provides support for specific project types. The amount that can be awarded to a business largely depends on the type of project performed.

Project Eligibility for Canadian Agricultural Partnership Alberta

At the time of this blog’s posting, there are twelve types of projects that can receive Canadian Agricultural Partnership Alberta government funding. These include:

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Agriculture and Food Sustainability Assurance Initiatives

  • Amount: Up to 50% of eligible expenses to a maximum $250,000 in Alberta agriculture grants per government fiscal year. Projects can last up to three government fiscal years.
  • Project Focus: Promotion of label and certification standard associated with the sustainability assurance initiative, benchmarking studies including life cycle analyses, environmental footprinting and gap analyses, and more.
  • Eligibility: Industry-led non-profit assurance initiatives, agricultural groups registered under the Societies Act, commodity groups, and incorporated non-profit organizations.
  • Timeline: Ongoing intake period.

Efficient Grain Dryer

  • Amount: Up to a maximum $250,000 in grant funding per applicant; cost-share amounts will be based on funding availability.
  • Project Focus: This is an energy efficiency program intended to assist producers with reducing the overall energy use on their operations. The program will only fund equipment that shows a significant energy efficiency improvement over standard practice.
  • Eligibility: Has a current Alberta Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) certificate or letter of completion from an EFP technician, is currently working on an EFP and will receive an EFP certificate from an EFP technician before the end of the project term, and is an active producer operating in Alberta that submitted an application under FEAP for grain dryer components, but did not receive funding under FEAP for those grain dryer components.
  • Timeline: Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Emergency Preparedness

  • Amount: Up to 50% for eligible project expenses up to a maximum of $100,000 in grant funding.
  • Project Focus: Feasibility studies and risk assessments to investigate the likelihood of an emergency occurring and to determine the degree of the applicant’s preparedness for that emergency.
  • Eligibility: Industry associations, municipalities, irrigation districts, registered associations representing Irrigation Districts (including the Alberta Irrigation Projects Association (AIPA) or other similar associations), registered associations representing groups of Irrigators who share access to and use of Irrigation Conveyance Works and whose purpose is the development or improvement of these works, Indian bands, and Métis Settlements.
  • Timeline: Application deadline is May 29, 2020.

Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change – Groups

  • Amount: Up to 20-50% of eligible expenses to a maximum $500,000 in Alberta government grants per project.
  • Project Focus: Minimizing wasted resources and optimizing efficiencies, implementing strategies around risks and opportunities associated with greenhouse gas emissions, developing standards and strategies in relation to regional and international sustainability initiatives, protecting or improving market access through environmental practices.
  • Eligibility: Applied research associations, forage associations, agricultural commodity groups, rural municipalities, and agricultural watershed groups.
  • Timeline: Ongoing intake period.

Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change – Producer

  • Amount: Up to 30-50% of eligible expenses to a maximum $100,000 in Alberta agriculture grants per project. Highly innovative projects can receive an additional $100,000 in funding to support project deliverables.
  • Project Focus: Reduce the risks to agricultural contaminants entering water, enhance sustainable production while mitigating carbon emissions that impact air and soil quality, and help producers manage and adapt to climate change.
  • Eligibility: An active producer operating in Alberta that has a current EFP certificate or letter of completion from an EFP technician, or is currently working on an EFP and is in a position to receive an EFP certificate or letter of completion from an EFP technician before the end of the project term; a Commercial Manure Applicator that has completed a manure management training event or course after January 1, 2019, or will complete a manure management training event or course before the end of the Project Term.
  • Timeline: Ongoing intake period.

Farm Water Supply

  • Amount: Up to 33% of eligible expenses to a maximum $5,000 in Alberta farm grants per project.
  • Project Focus: Water supply and development projects, water protection projects, well pit conversions, water level measurement devices and wetland assessments for the purpose of properly planning and siting a water source, and well decommissioning and water use meters.
  • Eligibility: Agricultural producers, corporations, and non-profits with an active agricultural business in Alberta that generate a minimum $10,000 of farm commodity production income annually. Must have an approved Long-Term Water Management Plan (LTWMP).
  • Timeline: Application forms can be accessed by an Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF) Water Specialist after LTWMPs are approved. Applicants then perform projects and maintain a record of eligible expenses. Upon project completion, application and expenses sent to AF for approval and reimbursement.

Irrigation Efficiency

  • Amount: Up to 40% of eligible expenses to a maximum $5,000 to $15,000 in Alberta farm grants per project.
  • Project Focus: Increasing water savings and reducing energy use in irrigated agriculture through purchasing more efficient irrigation equipment and systems.
  • Eligibility: Must operate as an agricultural producer in Alberta, own an irrigated agricultural operation in Alberta, have a Long-Term Irrigation Management Plan, and have not previously been approved for payment from the program for the parcel described in the application.
  • Timeline: Ongoing intake period.

Products to Markets

  • Amount: Up to 25-50% of eligible expenses to a maximum $50,000 in Alberta government funding per applicant per fiscal year. The program will currently consider any expenses incurred back to April 1, 2019.
  • Project Focus: Product and process development, processing capacity expansion, market development, product demonstration, label and package development, activities to support aggregation and distribution of food, etc.
  • Eligibility: Bio-industrial processors, food processors, processor organizations, producer organizations, new entrants, and producers who are adding value past primary agricultural production or involved in international market development activities.
  • Timeline: Funding is limited in each fiscal year of the program; applications are collected and reviewed regularly. Upon receiving program approval, applicants can incur funding-eligible expenses

Public Agriculture Literacy

  • Amount: Up to 50% of eligible expenses to a maximum $200,000 in Alberta government funding per fiscal year. Projects can span up to three government fiscal years for a maximum $600,000 in funding.
  • Project Focus: Building industry communication capacity to increase public and consumer awareness and understanding of agriculture and the food production system.
  • Eligibility: Agricultural groups registered under the Societies Act, commodity groups, incorporated non-profits, and recognized forms of rural municipal government in Alberta.
  • Timeline: Ongoing intake period.

Risk Mitigation

  • Amount: Up to 50% of funding for eligible project expenses to a maximum of $100,000 in grant funding.
  • Project Focus: Feasibility studies and risk assessments to investigate the likelihood of a particular emergency occurring and to determine the degree of the applicant’s preparedness for that emergency, environmental assessments of potential disposal sites for the mass burial of livestock carcasses, the mass disposal of plant matter, or the mass disposal of condemned food products, and more.
  • Eligibility: Industry associations, municipalities, irrigation districts, registered associations representing Irrigation Districts (including the Alberta Irrigation Projects Association (AIPA) or other similar associations), registered associations representing groups of Irrigators who share access to and use of Irrigation Conveyance Works and whose purpose is the development or improvement of these works, Indian bands, and Métis Settlements.
  • Timeline: Application deadline is May 29, 2020.

Science and Research Theme

  • Amount: Non-capital eligible expenses 50% grant/50% applicant. Capital eligible expenses 20% grant/80% applicant. Maximum $250,000 grant per applicant in a fiscal year (April-March). Maximum $500,000 per applicant during the program term.
  • Project Focus: Accelerate the advancement of agricultural innovation and adapting innovative solutions in agriculture.
  • Eligibility: Industry-led non-profit assurance initiatives, agricultural groups registered under the Societies Act, commodity groups, and incorporated not-for-profit organizations or post-secondary institutions.
  • Timeline: Ongoing intake period.

Youth Agriculture Education

  • Amount: Up to 50% of eligible expenses to a maximum $200,000 in Alberta agriculture funding per applicant per government fiscal year. Projects can span up to three years for a maximum $600,000 in agriculture grants.
  • Project Focus: Developing and delivering agriculture education programs that are science-based, topic-driven, and/or curricular-linked. These should help students use critical thinking to engage in meaningful and informed conversations about issues that affect public trust in agriculture.
  • Eligibility: Agricultural groups registered under the Societies Act, commodity groups, colleges and universities, school districts, incorporated non-profits, and recognized forms of rural municipal governments in Alberta.
  • Timeline: Ongoing intake period.

Please Note: The timeline/availability of each CAP Alberta funding stream may change without notice. Consult the program’s website to see the most current funding opportunities.

Apply for the Canadian Agricultural Partnership Alberta

Each program included in Alberta’s suite of Canadian Agricultural Partnership incentives maintains a unique application process. Potential applicants should consider their project stream’s specific details to learn more about what’s required in an application and when it needs to be submitted for consideration.

Most programs require a comprehensive application package that reviews the project plan and the applicant’s capacity to perform the project. This includes a review of the applicant, their financial performance, and intended project outcomes.

To explore your business’ eligibility for CAP Alberta funding and learn how to optimize the application process, please contact Mentor Works.

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