Ontario Government Grants Assist the Growth of 24 Agricultural Businesses
As a continued push towards supporting one of Ontario’s pivotal industries, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) announced earlier this year that 24 small and mid-sized agricultural businesses from Barrie and Dufferin Country will receive Ontario government grants. Funding provided to these companies is being awarded from the Growing Forward 2 (GF2) Ontario business funding program.
Growing Forward 2 (GF2) is a federal-provincial initiative that offers government grants to growing agri-businesses. Growing Forward 2 Ontario, a provincial variant of the program, assists companies with a range of expansion projects, such as the 24 successful projects listed below. Most recipients of GF2 Ontario may be awarded 35-50% of project costs to a maximum $350,000 in grants.
Have you been considering if your agri-business’ project qualifies for Growing Forward 2 Ontario? Be sure to read Mentor Works’ GF2 Ontario eligibility blog and consider the successful projects, below, who have been approved for GF2 Ontario government grants.
Growing Forward 2 Ontario Government Grants: Successful Agricultural Projects
Here are some of the innovative projects being completed by agri-food businesses in the Barrie and Dufferin, Ontario regions. Nearly $1 million in GF2 Ontario government grants were awarded to:
| Company Name | GF2-Supported Project | GF2 Funding Amount |
| Reinhart Foods Limited | SAGE Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system implementation. | $162,388.45 |
| Reinhart Foods Limited | Automating their specialty vinegar line with a robotic case packer and case erector. | $100,000.00 |
| W.D. Potato Co Ltd. | Adopting cooling technologies to improve product quality during summer months. | $99,909.31 |
| Leadbetter Foods Inc. | Changing the current plant layout, adding a new line, and providing higher skilled positions that require training. | $91,082.70 |
| Cookstown Greens Inc. | Upgrading refrigeration systems and creating cold wash/pack areas to improve quality and extend their selling season. | $80,850.00 |
| Sheldon Creek Dairy | Installing new technologies that increase automation of yogurt making and packaging. | $68,754.16 |
| Premium Crisp Ltd. | Upgrading sediment removal equipment to reduce solids and sediment from pre-treated waste water. | $59,924.63 |
| Clear Valley Hops | Upgrading hop harvesting and processing through the purchase of a new harvester, conveyor, dryer and other building upgrades. | $57,444.30 |
| Reinhart Foods Limited | Assessing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system by using value stream maps to define requirements for making well-informed decisions and selecting the optimal software for business operations. | $54,881.26 |
| Nicholyn Farms Inc. | Upgrading the processing facility’s cooler in order to be more energy-efficient. | $42,287.69 |
| Gwillimdale Farms Limited | Installing a hydro-cooler, humidification, and fresh air system. | $38,259.28 |
| Huron Sun Foods | Purchasing new equipment to press, filter, and bottle an innovative sunflower oil product. | $38,000.00 |
| Clear Valley Hops | Designing a process centre, marketing development, and implementation process with aims to re-establish the hops industry in Ontario. | $34,177.61 |
| AlbaLisa Gourmet Food Corp. | Implementing recommendations from a technical assessment, including equipment upgrades to improve productivity. | $27,779.04 |
| Alliston Creamery & Dairy Ltd. | Achieving British Retail Consortium’s ‘Global Food Safety Standard’ certification to enable the company’s export market growth. | $19,999.98 |
| Pfalzgraf Patisserie | Installing an automated depositor and automatic cake icing equipment to increase production efficiency. | $17,810.67 |
| Breedon’s Maple Syrup | Replacing and upgrading three pieces of processing equipment, including a stainless steel raw sap storage tank, reverse osmosis machine, and a wood pellet evaporator to improve energy efficiency. | $17,640.00 |
| Not Yer Granny’s Granola | Developing business and leadership skills. | $10,950.00 |
| Village Fare Foods Inc. | Developing strategies/action plans regarding brands, sales, and promotional events for new market opportunities. | $8,500.00 |
| Sheldon Creek Dairy | Purchasing and installing a bottle labeler, and developing a direct invoicing system for delivery van use. | $4,781.07 |
| Village Fare Foods Inc. | Achieving Safe Quality Food Level 3 certification. | $3,500.00 |
| Village Fare Foods Inc. | Developing strategies for market opportunities. Focus will be on brands, sales, trade and promotion events, and new clients. | $3,150.00 |
| Ciboulette et Cie Inc. | Developing plans to increase the offering of frozen foods, and exploring other business lines to bring prepared local foods to market. | $2,812.50 |
| Say Cheese | Creating a market development plan to expand an existing manufacturing facility. | $615.00 |
Find Small Business Funding: Growing Forward 2 Ontario Government Grants
The Growing Forward 2 Ontario government funding program seeks to fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of Ontario’s agricultural producers and processors. Through the following three streams of funding, businesses may receive grants for a range of expansion projects.
1. GF2 Ontario Processors
Manufacturers within Ontario’s food and beverage industry may receive up to 35-50% of project assessment costs and up to 35% of project implementation costs for business expansion activities. Processors may receive up to a maximum $350,000 in GF2 Ontario government funding during the lifetime of the program.
2. GF2 Ontario Producers
Farmers and other agricultural producers may receive up to 35-50% of project assessment costs and up to 35% of implementation costs for business expansion projects. Producers may receive up to a maximum $350,000 in GF2 Ontario government grants during the lifetime of the program.
3. GF2 Organizations and Collaborations
Ontario-based non-profits (organizations) and partnerships of two or more businesses, non-profits, and academic institutions (collaborations) may receive up to 50-75% of eligible project costs to a lifetime GF2 Ontario maximum $350,000 in government grants.
Become a Growing Forward 2 Ontario Funding Success Story
Application deadlines are quickly approaching for Growing Forward 2 Ontario. To ensure that your business can capitalize on these small business grants, please apply by October 13, 2016 (Organizations and Collaborations stream) or November 3, 2016 (Processors and Producers streams).
To discover if your business qualifies for Growing Forward 2 Ontario business grants, please contact a Canadian Government Funding Planner. In addition to discussing your project’s fit for Growing Forward 2 Ontario, Mentor Works can assist your application’s preparation and submission to the government.
Recent Canadian Small Business Funding Successes:
- Unleashing Agri-Food Potential: Ontario’s $22M SCAP InvestmentÂ
- $89M in Agribusiness Grants: SMPIF Success Stories
- $3.5M in SWODF Funding for Sustainable Growth in OrilliaÂ
- New Investment Strengthens Ontario Electric Vehicle Supply ChainÂ
- 2023 Recap: Over $183 Million in Funding Won for Our ClientsÂ