Food Safety and Growth Initiative

Who can apply

Projects

Projects must:

1. support small agri-food businesses
2. modernize food safety systems
3. adopt new food safety and traceability equipment, technologies and standards
4. stimulate growth in the agriculture and food sector

Facilities

Projects must take place at facilities that produce, process or service the following food products. It is not a requirement for facilities to exclusively handle these products.

Foods of plant origin:

1. ready-to-eat minimally-processed fruit and vegetables
2. ready-to-eat bagged salads, greens or herbs
3. sprouted seeds
4. frozen fruit and vegetables
5. unpasteurized fruit or vegetable juice (such as apple cider)
6. peanuts and tree nuts (such as hazelnuts, walnuts)

Meat/dairy:

1. poultry, beef, or swine slaughter or processing
2. ready-to-eat meat products (such as pate, meat spreads, frankfurters, deli meats, jerky, fermented sausages)
3. fresh or soft white cheese, soft cheese, semi-soft cheese and unpasteurized/raw milk cheese
4. sheep and water buffalo milk
5. ice cream and other frozen dairy

Other:

1. ready-to-eat spreads and dips (such as hummus)

To be eligible to participate in the Initiative, an Applicant will meet the following

requirements:

1. Be a Person that is a Primary Producer, Processor or Service Provider;
2. For the purposes of this Initiative, an eligible Primary Producer is a

crop or livestock producer including one engaged in production in controlled environment agriculture (such as indoor agriculture, greenhouse, vertical farm), propagator (agricultural activities), or owner of fruit tree nursery; and excludes persons engaged solely in role as an agricultural landowner and/or renter, or an employer that provides housing to international agricultural workers;

1. For the purposes of this Initiative, an eligible Processor is

specifically a slaughterhouse/abattoir, agri-food-processor (such as food, beverage), or packing house (such as washing, packing, chopping or other changes to product); and excludes commissaries (such as ready-to-eat counters), brewpubs, brand owners, pet food manufacturers, fertilizer manufacturers, bio-processing company (such as food, industrial), and food/agricultural commodity/bioprocessor waste company;

1. For the purposes of this Initiative, an eligible Service Provider is a

business providing cold storage service, distributor service (i.e., of food product), direct food contact packaging manufacturer, or laboratory services to an eligible Primary Producer and/or Processor;

1. Have fewer than 100 employees at the Project location;
2. Produce, process, or provide services for food products listed in Appendix

C at their Project location, but it is not required to exclusively handle eligible food products; d) Provide its:

1. CRA BN, or
2. SIN, but only if the Applicant has been found eligible to participate

in the Initiative and is also eligible to receive an Initiative Payment;

1. Submit a completed Ministry-approved Application Form to the Ministry in

accordance with what is set out under section 4.4 of the Guidelines;

1. Is undertaking an activity set out in section 4.1.1 of the Guidelines;
2. If a Primary Producer or Processor, have a valid and up to date Premises

ID Number for the business location(s) where the Project is to take place.

(To register for or update a Premises ID Number, visit the Provincial Premises Registry at www.ontariopid.com);

h) If applying as a Primary Producer, have a:

1. Have a valid Farm Business Registration Number (FBRN);

ii. an Order from the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal exempting the Person from having to have a FBRN;

1. a letter from the First Nations Agriculture & Finance Ontario

(formerly known as Indian Agriculture Program of Ontario), or

1. an exemption from the income eligibility requirement of the Farm

Property Class Tax Rate Program, received from AgriCorp;

1. Be in compliance with the following for its business operations at the time

of applying to the Initiative:

1. Environmental-related Requirements Of Law,
2. Labour-related Requirements Of Law,

(iii) Tax-related Requirements Of Law, and

1. Material compliance with all other Requirements Of Law;
2. Is not, nor is any officer, director or employee of the Applicant (if any), a

current or former federal public office holder or federal public servant, or if the Applicant is, or any officer, director or employee of the Applicant (if any) is, the Applicant, or that officer, director or employee of the Applicant (if any) is in compliance with the Conflict of Interest Act (Canada), the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons (Canada), the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector (Canada) and the Policy on Conflict of Interest and Post-employment (Canada), as applicable;

1. Is not, nor is any officer, director or employee of the Applicant (if any), a

member of the House of Commons on the Senate, or, if the Applicant is, or any officer, director or employee of the Applicant (if any) is, the Applicant, or the officer, director or employee of the Applicant (if any), is permitted under the Parliament of Canada Act (Canada) to receive funding from Canada under the Sustainable CAP;

1. Agrees that any intellectual property rights arising from their Project, should

the Applicant be found to be eligible to participate in the Initiative as well as receive an Initiative Payment, belongs to the Applicant;

1. Agrees that Canada and Ontario may, should the Applicant be found to be

eligible to participate in the Initiative as well as receive an Initiativ e Payment, publish information about the Applicant, including:

1. Project-related information,
2. The Name of the Applicant,
3. The amount of funding Canada and Ontario provided, and

iv. The outcome of the Project; and

1. Agrees to be bound by the terms, conditions and requirements of the

Initiative, as set out in the Minister’s Order, the Guidelines and the Approval Letter.