For the past six years, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has awarded the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence to Ontario’s leading innovators in the agri-food sector. The award provides cash prizes ranging from $5k – $75k to 50 individual award winners as recognition for their accomplishments and to leverage funding for small business expansion and marketing efforts.
Canadian Cash Prizes for Agricultural Innovators
The Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence Program is designed to encourage and recognize innovators for their development of new technologies, processes, and practices that have positive impacts on the Ontario’s agri-food sector. The program awards cash prizes to 50 applicants, awards are to be allocated as follows:
- $5,000 each for 45 Provincial Award Winners
- $25,000 each for 3 Leader in Innovation Award Winners
- $50,000 for the Minister’s Award Winner
- $75,000 for the Premier’s Award Winner
Eligible Innovations & Contestants
In order to be eligible to apply, contestants must fall under one of the following criteria:
- Primary Producer/ Farmer that is located in Ontario and registered with a valid Farm Business Registration Number (FBRN)
- Ontario Food Processor with under 100 employees and at least 50% of their food ingredients sourced from Ontario producers/growers.
- Agri-Food Organization based out of Ontario with a direct relationship/ mandate to the provincial agri-food sector.
Innovations can be geared towards a number of areas as they relate to improving the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, the most popular innovations relate to:
- Improved business practices
- Consumer demand response
- Environmental stewardship
- Energy and Bio-economy
- Health and Safety
- Food Safety and Traceability
- Agricultural Programs and Marketing to Educate the Public
Application Deadline
Those who wish to submit their applications must do so before 5 p.m. on January 18, 2013.
Upcoming Small Business Funding Grants for Agriculture/Agri-Food Sector
Agri-related businesses may also want to get up to speed with the latest developments and program updates with regards to the New Growing Forward 2 Policy Framework. Businesses looking to receive additional information and updates regarding Canadian Government grants for small business can Contact Our Government Funding Experts or subscribe to our Weekly Ontario Business Funding E-Newsletter and follow our posts on LinkedIn – Twitter – Facebook – Google+.