FAQs: GF2 Ontario – Organizations and Collaborations – Capacity Building

Growing Forward 2 is a program jointly funding by the federal and provincial government to support the growth and development of agriculture and agriculture industries in Canada and Ontario.

What programs are offered by Growing Forward 2?

Growing Forward 2 offers the following programs through the federal government: AgriInnovation Program and Agri-Marketing Program. At the Provincial level in Ontario, there are two streams of funding: Capacity Building and Project Implementation. These streams of funding are open to Producers and Processors and Organizations and Collaborations.

Who is considered eligible for funding under the Organizations and Collaboration stream?

To be eligible for funding, an Organization must be a not-for-profit. Collaborations eligible for funding are defined as being made up of any 2 or more for-profit, not-for-profit or academic institutions.

In a Collaboration, what are the responsibilities of the Lead Applicant?

The Lead Applicant has the following responsibilities:

• Be an organization or business located in Ontario
• Be the primary point of contact with AAC
• Enter into a legal agreement with AAC on behalf of the other collaboration members
• Manage the project
• Cash flow all project expenditures
• Provide the required documentation to AAC for reimbursement funding
• Prepare progress and final reports
• Be in receipt of the GF2 funding for the collaboration and receive a T4A for the total funds issued
• Demonstrate the capacity to share project information with all collaboration members

In a Collaboration, what are the responsibilities of a Collaboration Member?

The Collaboration Member is responsible for:

• Having an arm’s length relationship from the lead applicant and from the other collaboration members
• Be actively and directly engaged in the project
• Have a vested interest (i.e. financial investment, resources, etc.) to the project
• Sign and submit an attestation form which is part of the application form

What projects are eligible for funding under the Capacity Building stream of funding?

The following projects are eligible for funding under the Capacity Building stream:

• Strategic planning
• Audits or assessments
• Skills development, training, education
• Environment and Climate Change
• Plant and Animal Health
• Market Development
• Assurance Systems (Food Safety, Traceability, Animal Welfare)
• Labour Productivity Enhancement
• Business and Leadership Development

All projects must fit with one of the 6 focus areas of Growing Forward 2:

• Environment and Climate Change
• Plant and Animal Health
• Market Development
• Assurance Systems (Food Safety, Traceability, Animal Welfare)
• Labour Productivity Enhancement
• Business and Leadership Development

What expenses are eligible for reimbursement under the Capacity Building stream?

Costs that are eligible for reimbursement through Growing Forward 2 Ontario must be associated specifically with the project and include: the costs of goods, services, supplies, and all related shipping or transportation costs; labour costs such as contract salaries, benefits, and specific per diem fees (this is not applicable for staff of the applicant); costs for rental of facilities; and costs of communication materials including design, printing, translation, etc.; meal, travel and hospitality costs that fit with the Government of Ontario’s guidelines.

What expenses are ineligible for reimbursement under the Capacity Building stream?

The following expenses are ineligible for funding:

• Normal operating costs
• Normal costs of establishing a commercial operation
• Minor assets and capital items (including computer equipment)
• Purchase or lease of land
• Direct income support related to direct payments to producers to offset their loss of income due to production fluctuations
• Any cost, including a tax that is eligible for a rebate, credit or refund
• Travel, meal and hospitality expenditures beyond Government of Ontario’s guidelines
• Financing charges and loan interest payments
• Gifts and incentives
• Costs incurred prior to April 1, 2013
• Expenses incurred for other approved GF2 projects

How much funding is available under the Capacity Building stream?

Funding under this stream covers up to 75% of eligible project costs. Priority is given to projects that demonstrate industry-contributed funds. Note the in-kind contributions are not eligible under this stream.

Is there a maximum amount of funding available to an Organization or Collaboration?

During the 5-year term of the Growing Forward 2 Ontario Program, a specific Organization or Collaboration can access a maximum of $3 million dollars total under the Growing Forward 2 Ontario programs.

What length can a project be under the Capacity Building stream?

Capacity Building projects must be completed within 18 months of the project start date.

What does the application process involve?

The application process for the Capacity Building stream has two stages. The first stage is a Pre-Proposal. The Pre-Proposal can be submitted on an on-going basis with an expected turnaround time of 5-10 business days. The second stage, upon acceptance of the pre-proposal, is the full proposal. Applications for projects costing under $20,000 are accepted on an on-going basis and will be evaluated in approximately 4 weeks. Applications for projects costing over $20,000 have the following due dates for 2013: September 5^th, October 24^th and December 12^th. Evaluation of these larger proposals will be 6-8 weeks.

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