AgriInnovate Program
The program provides repayable contributions to incent targeted commercialization, demonstration and/or adoption of commercial-ready innovative technologies and processes that increase agricultural and agri-food sector competitiveness and sustainability benefits.
Offered by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
Amount
Repayable contributions of normally up to 50% of eligible project costs, with a maximum AAFC contribution that will normally not exceed $5,000,000 per project. Organizations more than 50% owned or led by under-represented groups may get an extra 10% on the cost-share (AAFC 60% : you 40%).
Quick eligibility check
Who can apply
You must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible.
- You're a for-profit organization that is incorporated in Canada
Examples of for-profit organizations
- Businesses and/or corporations
- Cooperatives
- Indigenous businesses that are corporations (including economic development corporations) or cooperatives
- You're a legal entity capable of entering into legal binding agreements
You need to meet all the eligibility criteria to qualify for the program.
If you meet all the eligibility criteria, you may qualify for the program.
Only projects that have been demonstrated to meet the following assessment criteria will be invited to submit a full application. The innovation must:
- be new to the modern Canadian agricultural and agri-food sector and represent a significant improvement over other technologies/processes currently used elsewhere. Projects that involve cutting edge innovative technologies or processes will be given higher priority than those involving adoption of existing proven technologies or processes.
- be commercially ready with all technical aspects having been addressed with prototypes/pilot scale testing complete. For adoption projects, a significant level of adaptation or customization must be demonstrated.
- provide significant benefits to the agricultural or agri-food sector that extend beyond those that primarily benefit the applicant (for example, solving your internal operational efficiencies).
Also, you will need to demonstrate that you have the managerial/technical/financial capacity to complete the project and deliver the expected benefits.
About the funding
The program provides repayable contributions to incent targeted commercialization, demonstration and/or adoption of commercial-ready innovative technologies and processes that increase agricultural and agri-food sector competitiveness and sustainability benefits.
The maximum Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) contribution toward a project will normally not exceed $5,000,000.
Cost-sharing
The program may provide an additional 10% on the cost-share ratio (AAFC — 60% : You — 40%) where the majority of the organization (more than 50%) is owned or led by one or more under-represented groups.
Show all funding details
Your portion of the cost-share must be cash contributions.note 1 In-kind contributions are ineligible.
Repayable contributions
The program will provide contributions to for-profit businesses on a repayable basis.
The maximum level of total government funding (federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal funding) normally cannot exceed 75% of eligible costs per project.
For Indigenous applicants, the maximum amount permitted from Canadian governments combined (including municipal, provincial and territorial) is 100% of eligible costs.
Repayment of repayable contributions
Repayable contributions will be repaid over a period of up to 10 years following project completion. The amount to be repaid and repayment schedule will be set out in the contribution agreement and will normally begin 1 year following the completion of the project.
Repayment is expected to be unconditional, however, under certain circumstances, the program may offer conditional repayment to help mitigate the risk with small enterprises, start-ups, and emerging innovators undertaking projects to commercialize or demonstrate significant innovations. Conditional repayment is based on a model where repayment is triggered when the Recipient’s Gross Business Revenue exceeds a minimum threshold linked to the contribution value disbursed. If the repayment trigger is not met, the amount scheduled for repayment in that year is not usually reprofiled/deferred into later years.
Interest is not charged on the contribution funding, with the exception of late payments and debts owed to the Crown, should such situations arise.
The program normally funds up to 50% of the project costs that have been deemed eligible.
Similar programs
| Program | Type | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program | Grant, Loan | AAFC contribution normally not exceeding $1 million per project, generally not more than $5 million over 5 years for each applicant | Open |
| BDC Small business loan | Loan | Up to $350,000 per BDC Small Business Loan: up to $100K (up to 6 months interest-only payments, 5-year amortization) or over $100K and up to $350K (up to 12 months interest-only payments, up to 8-year amortization) | Open |
| BDC Loan for tech companies | Loan | No fixed amount | Open |
| BDC Start-up financing | Loan | Up to $150,000 | Open |
