The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has launched its latest slate of new programs and initiatives for 2020 which includes funding for abattoirs, dairy plants, supply-chain improvements, and COVID-19 financial support for purchasing PPE and adapting to social distancing best practices.
Receive up to 70% of funding costs for the purchase of PPE equipment, social distancing measures, and sanitization.
If you have any questions about your business’ eligibility for these programs, contact a member of the Mentor Works team to find out what government funding programs you may be eligible for.
Provincially Licensed Abattoir Initiative
- Funding: Up to 50%, to a maximum of $100,000 in grant funding
- Eligibility: Must be a provincially licensed abattoir in Ontario (meat plants are not eligible to apply)
- Eligible Project Costs: Purchasing and installing equipment or making structural changes that will improve food safety, animal welfare and/or biosecurity in both slaughter and processing portions of business
- Timelines: June 30, 2020
Provincially Inspected Dairy Plants Initiative
- Funding: Up to 50% in grant funding, to a maximum of $20,000 over the life of the Initiative
- Eligibility: Applicants must be a provincially inspected dairy plant in Ontario
- Eligible Project Costs: Pasteurization equipment, pasteurization upgrades, and processes monitoring equipment
- Timelines: June 30, 2020
Place to Grow: Market Access Initiative
This funding program has been split into three streams:
Stream 1 – Assessment and Planning for Market Development:
- Funding: Up to 75% in grant funding, to a maximum of $20K
- Eligible Costs:
- Market analysis, research, and assessment for existing or expanding markets
- Development of business, marketing, strategic or export plans for developing a new and/or expanding market
- Investigation of regulatory requirements or standards for new markets
- Timeline: Ongoing intake
Stream 2 – Accessing Markets and Development of Products or Processes – Domestic:
- Funding: Up to 75% in grant funding, to a maximum of $30K
- Eligible Costs:
- Brand development, focus groups or consumer studies
- In-store product demonstration
- Planning, organizing and/or participating in trade shows (beyond normal business) and other marketing events in Canada
- Sales, marketing and promotional activities
- Travel and meals
- Translator
- Timeline: Ongoing intake
Stream 3 – Accessing Markets and Development of Products or Processes – International:
- Funding: Up to 75% in grant funding, to a maximum of $30K
- Eligible Costs:
- Brand development, focus groups or consumer studies
- In-store product demonstration
- Planning, organizing and/or participating in trade shows (beyond normal business) and other marketing events in Canada
- Sales, marketing and promotional activities
- Travel and meals
- Translator
- Timelines: Ongoing intake
Place to Grow Funding for Sectors
This program’s funding has been split into multiple industry streams:
- Funding: Capital costs may be funded to a maximum of $100,000 per project
- Eligibility:
- Two or more legally recognized entities that have an Arm’s Length relationship from each other
- Not-for-profits can apply on their own
- Partner cannot be a vendor
- Program Streams:
- Food Safety and Traceability
- Up to 50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $100K in cost-share funding
- Animal Health
- Up to 50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $100K in cost-share funding
- Plant Health
- Up to 50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $25K in cost-share funding
- Soil Health and Water Quality
- Assessment and Planning Stream:
- Up to 50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $400K per project/year
- Outreach, Education and Advisory Services Stream:
- Up to 50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $250K per project/year
- Innovation Pilots and Applied Research Stream:
- Up to 50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $200K per project/year
- Assessment and Planning Stream:
- Market Development
- Up to 50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $100K in cost-share funding
- Technology Solutions – Productivity Pilots and Demonstrations of New Technology
- Up to 50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $250K in cost-share funding
- Addressing Labour Supply and Training Challenges
- Up to 50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $100K in cost-share funding
- Food Safety and Traceability
- Timeline: Intake currently closed. Next intake is in September 2020
Place to Grow Funding for Strategic Solutions
- Funding: Up to 75% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $1M in funding (and with a minimum suggested ask of $250K). Capital costs limited to $500K
- Projects may involve but are not limited to:
- Investigating and developing new sector solutions to address emerging issues or seize opportunities
- Tests, pilots, demonstrations, or prototypes of new technologies and/or solutions that benefit the sector/sub-sector
- Implementing or scaling up validated solutions to support early and wide-scale sector adoption of innovative products, technologies, processes, or services in the sector/sub-sector
- Timeline: Intake currently closed, but there will be another intake in September 2020
Agri-Food Workplace Protection Program – Producers
This funding program has been split into two streams:
Stream 1: Purchasing PPE and implementing social distancing measures due to COVID-19
- Funding: Up to 70% in grant funding, to a maximum of $7,500 per project
- Eligible Expenses:
- Minor capital (physical/infrastructure) and temporary or permanent modifications (e.g., reconfigurations, shielding, barriers) and rental of temporary structures to enable workers to practice social distancing
- Personal protective equipment for staff (e.g., masks, gloves and other protective gear)
- Medical equipment (e.g., body temperature remote sensors, thermometers and cameras; COVID-related testing equipment)
- Services (e.g., to perform medical checks)
- Cleaning/disinfection to increase frequency and extent of cleaning (e.g., equipment, cleaning supplies, and/or third-party cleaning services)
- Timeline: No deadline, continuous intake
Stream 2: Addressing an on-farm COVID-19 outbreak
- Funding: Up to 70% in grant funding, to a maximum of $7,500 per project
- Eligible Expenses:
- Activities to support worker accommodations, work-site mobility and transportation with new arrangements that are necessary to address a new and immediate health and safety issue that directly responds to an on-farm COVID-19 outbreak
- Short-term accommodations (e.g., hotel, dorm rentals, cleaning and sanitation supplies) to enable social distancing best practices and allow workers to attend workplaces to the limit of $80.00 per day per employee
- Work-site mobility and transportation to enable employees to access the work site while practicing social distancing best practices to the limit of $60.00 per day per employee
- To be eligible, costs must be to procure goods and services through a transaction with a third-party that is at arm’s length
- Timeline: No deadline, continuous intake
Read more about the Agri-Food Workplace Protection Program in our dedicated blog.
Agri-Food Workplace Protection Program – Provincially Licensed Meat Processors
- Funding: Up to 75% in grant funding, up to a maximum of $20,000 per business
- Eligibile Applicants: Provincially licensed meat processors (abattoir and/or freestanding meat plant)
- Eligible Costs:
- Minor capital (physical/infrastructure) and temporary or permanent modifications (e.g., reconfigurations, shielding, barriers) and rental of temporary structures suitable for use in a food establishment to enable workers to practice social distancing
- Personal protective equipment for staff (e.g., masks, gloves and other protective gear)
- Medical equipment (e.g., body temperature remote sensors, thermometers and cameras; COVID-related testing equipment)
- Services (e.g., to perform medical checks)
- Cleaning/disinfection to increase frequency and extent of cleaning (e.g., equipment, cleaning supplies and/or third-party cleaning services)
- Short-term accommodations (e.g., hotel, dorm rentals) to enable social distancing best practices and allow workers to attend workplaces, up to $80.00 per day per employee up to a maximum of 14 days
- Work-site mobility and transportation costs for essential employees to enable social distancing best practices, up to $60.00 per day per employee (e.g., mileage for travel, car rentals, taxi). In order to be eligible, the most economical accommodation and transportation option must be chosen.
- Timeline: Continuous intake, no deadline. Expenses can be incurred as of May 8, 2020
Read more about the Agri-Food Workplace Protection Program in our dedicated blog.
Read our in-depth blog covering both federal and provincial government funding programs for agribusiness including coronavirus support programs and ongoing funding programs. View our COVID-19 business support page for upcoming webinars, resources, and infographics related to the novel coronavirus.