GreenON Agriculture: CleanTech Grants for Food Producers

To become more productive and environmentally sustainable, food producers must invest in new, innovative technologies. Although it can be expensive to integrate new equipment and/or processes, these types of projects can drive long-term economic benefits while minimizing negative environmental impacts.

Fortunately, government incentives such as the GreenON Agriculture program can help food producers offset the cost of investing in new technologies. The program is specifically designed to support capital investments that help Ontario-based greenhouses, livestock facilities, and food producers with grain dryers reduce GHG emissions and improve productivity.

The GreenON Agriculture program offers up to 35% of eligible project expenses to a maximum $500k in Ontario government grants.

To apply for the GreenON Agriculture program, Ontario-based food producers must submit a comprehensive application package during one of the program’s scheduled intake periods. At the time of this article’s posting, there are no upcoming application intakes announced; however, it is likely the program will release a new intake in summer 2018.

GreenON Agriculture: Grants for Greenhouses, Livestock Facilities, and Grain Dryers

The GreenON Agriculture program provides government grants to install new or commercially-proven technologies that significantly reduce GHG emissions; this includes greenhouse grants, livestock facility grants, and grain dryer grants. The program has two streams of funding support:

GreenON Agriculture: Retrofit Stream

GreenON Agriculture’s Retrofit Stream provides Ontario government grants to adopt commercially-available clean technologies. These technologies must lead to verified GHG emission reductions from food production facilities.

Through the Retrofit Stream, Ontario food producers may receive up to 35% of eligible project expenses to a maximum $500,000 in cleantech grants.

Potential Greenhouse Retrofits Include:

• Installing new or upgraded energy curtains in greenhouse production facilities; and
• Upgrading greenhouse cover materials, including the addition of layers or installation of more energy-efficient options.

Potential Livestock Facility Retrofits Include:

• Upgrading insulation in walls and/or ceilings of existing livestock facilities to increase the R-value.

Potential Heating and Ventilation Retrofits Include:

• Upgrades to boiler systems or heating systems; and
• Installation or upgrades to ventilation heat exchangers.

Potential Grain Dryer Retrofits Include:

• Retrofits to grain dryers for improved heat reclamation.

GreenON Agriculture: Innovation Stream

GreenON Agriculture’s Innovation Stream provides Ontario government funding to demonstrate new or lesser-known technologies that have the potential to reduce GHG emissions from food production facilities.

At the time of this blog’s posting, further details of GreenON Agriculture’s Innovation Stream have not been released. It is expected that these details will become publicly available prior to the stream’s first intake; this will likely happen in summer 2018.

GreenON Agriculture Cleantech Grants: Business Eligibility

To be considered eligible for the GreenON Agriculture program, applicants must:

• Be an Ontario-based food producer;
• File taxes under a Farm Business Registration Number (FBRN) unless exempt;
• Produce agricultural commodities in permanent, climate-controlled buildings (e.g., swine or poultry barns, greenhouses) or using grain dryers for at least one year; and
• Have completed a 3rd or 4th Edition Environmental Farm Plan and have a verified Action Plan from within the last five years.

Project Eligibility: GreenON Agriculture Grants Ontario

Projects considered for GreenON Agriculture grants must:

• Take place at an Ontario-based greenhouse, livestock facility, or grain dryer;
• Lead to measurable reductions in GHG emissions; and
• Support productivity and competitiveness through factors such as lower input costs.

How to Apply for GreenON Agriculture Funding

To participate in the GreenON Agriculture program, food producers must develop a comprehensive application package that includes the facility’s baseline fuel consumption and waste metrics (both in cost and volume) from the previous operating year. Greenhouse growers, livestock businesses, and companies with grain dryers must also develop a case for their project, stating (with post-project estimates, if possible) how productivity and GHG emissions will be impacted with new clean technologies.

The GreenON Agriculture program accepts funding applications during defined intake periods. While there are no scheduled intakes currently, one is expected in summer 2018.

Food producers interested in applying for funding should begin planning their projects and building budgets in anticipation of the intake period becoming available. The window for applications is expected to be brief, so planning ahead of its launch can help accelerate the application process.

To explore your business’ eligibility for the GreenON Agriculture program and discover how to optimize the application process, please contact Mentor Works.

Posted: April 26, 2018 by Jeff Shepherd. Updated: April 26, 2018 by Jeff Shepherd