CARDF Awards Province Brands of Canada $300k in Innovation Grants

Ontario is awarding research and development grants to the Toronto-based company, Province Brands of Canada (PBC), who are developing the world’s first beer brewed from cannabis. The company is working with Loyalist College’s Applied Research Centre for Natural Products and Medical Cannabis during this year-long research project.

$300k in Ontario government funding will be invested into Province Brands of Canada and Loyalist College’s project from the Colleges Applied Research and Development Fund (CARDF).  

The Colleges Applied Research and Development Fund (CARDF) was a $20-million government funding program designed to support the collaboration of college researchers with industry partners. PBC and Loyalist College plan to use not just the flower and the bud of the cannabis plant for the beer, but the stems and other traditionally wasted parts as well. For the time being, hemp is being used in the research and development process, and the beverage should be ready to sell once edible marijuana products are legalized, which is predicted to happen by 2019.

Innovators Receive $300k in Funding from the Colleges Applied Research and Development Fund

Province Brands of Canada (PBC) is an early stage premium beer and spirits company located in Toronto, Ontario. The business has extensive experience in the premium alcohol and legal medical and recreational cannabis industries and is in the process of developing the world’s first beer made entirely from cannabis.

Loyalist College’s Applied Research and Development Department works with local industries and businesses who are committed to conducting research and facilitating student research experiences. Their capacity and support through the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) continues to stimulate innovative product development and job creation within the province.

The two organizations’ year-long collaboration will allow Province Brands of Canada to advance their existing prototypes of the beer and commercially scale up. The current beverages in the line of cannabis-brewed beer include an imperial pilsner and a blonde ale infused with cannabis oil.

PBC’s Cannabis Beer Changing Standards of Waste Reduction and Sustainability

Original methods of cannabis-infused beer involved adding extracted oil to the beverage, but PBC wants to use the entire plant, taking barley out completely. All parts of the plant will be used: stems, stocks, and roots, which will reduce waste during production.

Province Brands of Canada is receiving $300k in innovation grants for their commitment to waste reduction during the process of making cannabis beer.

Waste from unused cannabis products is heavily regulated by Health Canada, which is a costly and environmentally-unfriendly process. By using large amounts of the plant and repurposing byproducts from the brewing process, PBC is revolutionizing the standard for waste reduction.

R&D Funding: Colleges Applied Research and Development Fund

The Colleges Applied Research and Development Fund (CARDF) allowed Ontario-based businesses to submit their innovation challenges and work with college researchers and faculty to develop a market-ready solution.

There were three streams of the Ontario government funding program. In all the streams awarded, the research and development grants directly applied to performing research at an accredited Ontario college.

• College Strategic Sector/Cluster/Technology Platform (CSSCTP): Supported Ontario colleges and industry associations with R&D funding to collaborate and build capacity in strategic sectors and/or technology areas.
• College Voucher for Technology Adoption (CVTA): Supported increased industry-college collaborations while creating an efficient marketplace to access innovation, productivity, and commercialization services from Ontario colleges.
• College Voucher for Innovation and Productivity (VIP): Supported companies to develop, implement, and commercialize technical innovations through partnerships between Ontario industries and publicly-funded post-secondary institutions.

The program closed in the spring of 2017 and has not yet released plans for re-opening.

For more information about the collaborative research process and how to access government funding for it, please download the Business Guide to Industry-Academic Research Projects.

Posted: June 27, 2018 by Myra Bredin. Updated: June 27, 2018 by Myra Bredin.