The Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) is a federal-provincial-territorial initiative that provides funding from all levels of government to support a growing, investment-driven agriculture and agri-food sector. It provides some funding supports on a national level, while other supports are provided on a province-by-province basis.
Ontario’s suite of grants and incentives, CAP Ontario, is specifically designed with the province’s regional needs and growth opportunities in mind and are available to producers, processors, and organizations/collaborations. For organizations/collaborations, the Place to Grow: Agri-Food Innovation Initiative has unveiled a new funding intake to agriculture and food value-chain partners for projects that encourage collaboration and address sector challenges.
Ontario agricultural organizations and businesses can apply for Place to Grow: Agri-Food Innovation Initiative funding from January 6 – January 27, 2020.
To prepare for the next Place to Grow: Agri-food Innovation Initiative intake deadline and ensure your organization submits a competitive application, now is the ideal time to evaluate upcoming projects and select those with the greatest funding potential based on historical CAP Ontario support.
Canadian Agricultural Partnership: Ontario Funding Programs
Established in 2018 as a five-year program, the Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a government funding mechanism used to administer cost-share funding (grants) to farmers, agri-food companies, and other industry stakeholders. It’s already had a profound impact on Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food industry, supporting hundreds of projects from across the province. Outside of CAP’s federal, country-wide programs, CAP Ontario provides a suite of funding directed exclusively at the province’s producers, processors, and organizations/collaborations.
CAP Ontario typically provides non-repayable cost-sharing contributions (government grants) to cover up to 25% to 75% of project costs, to a set maximum, depending on the type of project proposed.
Although the federal streams of funding offer an open intake where eligible applicants can request project funding throughout the year, CAP Ontario requires applicants to submit a project proposal for consideration during scheduled intake periods. There are typically two intake periods per year; during these times, qualified applicants can submit an application that provides an overview and budget for their project.
CAP Funding for Ontario Agri-Food Organizations and Collaborations
Next Application Intake: January 6, 2020 – January 27, 2020.
The Place to Grow: Agri-Food Innovation Initiative provides funding to innovative, collaborative projects that lead to large-scale benefits across the province’s agriculture and agri-food industry.
Applicant Eligibility
Projects can be led by any type of applicant (including non-profits and industry associations) but should be collaborative in nature and combine two or more entities to work on the same project. The program encourages interest from outside the agri-food sector to participate in broad-impact agri-food projects that will drive innovation in advanced manufacturing and data-driven solutions. Vendors and/or suppliers are ineligible partners.
There are two grant funding options within the Place to Grow: Agri-Food Innovation Initiative:
- Sector Funding Stream: One-Phase Application Process
- Up to 50% funding toward project costs up to a maximum of $100,000 to $400,000 (dependant on the Stream).
- Food Safety and Traceability
- Animal Health
- Plant Health
- Soil Health and Water Quality
- Market Development
- Technology Solutions
- Labour Supply and Training
- Up to 50% funding toward project costs up to a maximum of $100,000 to $400,000 (dependant on the Stream).
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- Capital costs are limited to $100,000 reimbursement per project.
- Strategic Solutions Stream: Two-Phase Application Process
- Up to 75% funding toward project costs from a minimum of $250,000 to a maximum of $1,000,000 per applicant over the five years of the program.
- Capital costs are limited to $500,000 reimbursement per project.
Eligible Initiatives
Projects proposed through this stream should focus on one of four target areas, including:
- Economic Development: Business analysis, market development, and technology solutions for productivity.
- Environmental Stewardship: Assessment and planning; outreach, education and advisory services; innovation projects and applied research.
- Labour Supply: Training challenges (new category from previous intake).
- Protection and Assurance: Skills development and training, applied research, pilot projects and training; group food safety programs; traceability solutions adoption; information management and sharing; animal health education; plant health education and best practices.
Apply: Place to Grow: Agri-Food Innovation Initiative Deadline
To access Canadian Agricultural Partnership funding via the Place to Grow: Agri-Food Innovation Initiative, potential applicants should determine which streams of funding would have the greatest impact on their operations, then develop a project plan that speaks to the financial and competitive implications of performing that type of project.
Agricultural businesses and organizations must apply by January 27, 2020 to be considered for funding through the upcoming Place to Grow: Agri-Food Innovation Initiative.
Submissions typically include a comprehensive online application document, a marketing and/or business plan, and further documentation as required by the chosen project/funding stream. These must collectively speak to the strength of a project and show its financial and operational benefit. Applicants should take care to prepare and submit an application that is compelling to government reviewers.
To explore if the Place to Grow: Agri-Food Innovation Initiative is a good fit for your project, please contact Mentor Works’ team of Canadian Government Funding Planners.