Growing Forward 2 Ontario Business Grants for Processors: Project Implementation

After much anticipation, Monday, September 9, 2013 marked the much-awaited Project Implementation release of information regarding Ontario business grants for processors available through Growing Forward 2 Ontario.

Growing Forward 2 Ontario Small Business Grants –Overview

With an allocation of funding exceeding $400 million, The Growing Forward 2 Ontario Program is dedicated to helping improve the economic capabilities and sustainability of the agriculture and agri-food industries in Ontario. The Project Implementation stream of funding for Processors is focused on projects in the following areas:

• Environment and climate change adaptation
• Animal and plant health
• Market development
• Labour productivity enhancements
• Assurance systems (food safety, traceability, animal welfare)
• Business and leadership development
• Investing in Innovation

Ontario Business Grants for Processors –Company Eligibility

Projects in each focus area must meet specific criteria in order to be eligible. General criteria for a project to be eligible includes the following:

• Project fits with one of the focus areas of GF2 Ontario and meets one or more of the desired outcomes of the program.
• The project must be separate from provincial government programs such as Foodland Ontario and Ontario Fresh.
• The project is not a research project.
• Budget is reasonable and well explained.
• The work plan and budget activities are stated and explained clearly.
• All required approvals and permits related to the project are in place.

The GF2 Project Implementation Ontario business grants program is open to Processors based in Ontario. The Processor can be established or new to the industry. For established Processors, income tax claims had to be filed last year for farm or business. For new processors, individual income tax claims had to be filed. All applicants must have or obtain a premises identification number.

Business Grants Ontario for Processors –Eligible Expenses

Expenses directly related to the project are eligible for Ontario small business grants offered by the GF2 Ontario program. The expenses that are eligible include:

• Cost of goods, services and supplies for the project
• Contracted labour for the project is eligible; salaries of employees are not eligible.
• Incremental costs for land rental, equipment, machinery, facilities, communication materials and travel
• Capital expenses required for the project, including equipment, building construction costs, infrastructure and plant upgrades.

For capital equipment purchases to be included in the expenses, the applicant must provide a minimum of 25% of the cost in cash and the total amount of capital expenses cannot exceed $100,000

Growing Forward 2 Business Grants in Ontario –Funding Amount

Small business grants Ontario offered through the GF2 Ontario Project Implementation stream supports up to 35% of project costs; innovative projects may receive up to 50% of project costs. Over the 5-year time-span of the program, a Processor can receive up to $350,000 in funding towards projects in the Capacity Building and Project Implementation streams.

Applications business grants in Ontario program are accepted at scheduled times during the year. One application per processor can be submitted for a given intake period. A maximum of 2 approved implementation projects can be occurring at the same time. While multi-year projects may be supported, projects are typically expected to be up to 2 years in length. Funding throughout the timeframe of the project is contingent on the applicant meeting agreed upon deadlines and milestones.

Growing Forward 2 Ontario Funding for Processors Timeline

Current 2013 intake periods for Project Implementation funding for Processors are as follows:

• September 9 – October 24, 2013
• December 16 – January 30, 2014

Find Out More about GF2 Small Business Grants Ontario for Processors

Learn more about Ontario small business grants for Processors through Growing Forward 2 by choosing from one of the options below:

Learn More about Ontario Small Business Grants and Loans Opportunities for Your Business

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