Agricultural Climate Solutions - Living Labs Program: Step 1. What this program offers

Step 1. What this program offers

The goal of the Agricultural Climate Solutions Program (ACS) – Living Labs Program is to accelerate co-development, testing, adoption, dissemination and monitoring of technologies and practices, including beneficial management practices (BMPs), that sequester carbon and/or mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Through a collaborative approach, projects will focus on the on-farm co-development, testing, adoption and monitoring of new BMPs and technologies. Projects funded under ACS will follow the living lab innovation approach. A living lab is an integrated approach to agricultural innovation that brings together farmers, scientists, and other participants to co-develop, test, and monitor new BMPs and technologies in a real-life context where they will be used: on Canadian farms. More information about the living lab model and its core principles can be found in the About the Living Laboratories Initiative.

The program will consider projects within the following 2 priority areas:

• Carbon sequestration (for example, cover crops, intercropping, conversion of marginal land to permanent cover, shelterbelts, inclusion of pulses in rotations)
• Greenhouse gas mitigation (for example, nutrient management, feeding strategies)

Please note that the program’s emphasis will be on supporting proposals that include the advancement of carbon sequestration as an important part of their project activities.

In addition, projects should indicate if and how activities could support the achievement of relevant socio-economic as well as other environmental benefits, such as:

• improving soil health and water quality
• water conservation
• increasing biodiversity
• maximizing habitat capacity

The following funding opportunities are available:

• Phase 1: Grant Funding (2022 application process closed on June 30, 2022) - to support organizations in building capacity, developing networks of participants, and drafting comprehensive project proposals that will be submitted for Phase 2 contribution funding and collaborative research and development support
  • Phase 1 is optional support that can be requested by eligible recipients who wish to apply for Phase 2 funding and support
  • Applicants may apply for an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) grant of up to $100,000

• Phase 2: Contribution Funding (closed on January 27, 2023) - to implement approved comprehensive project proposals, following the living lab approach
  • Applicants may also request collaborative research and development support from AAFC
  • It is expected that approved comprehensive projects will start project activities in spring 2023

For more information on participating, visit Who is eligible and How to apply.

What you could receive

Program contribution funding may include collaborative research and development support from AAFC, to implement approved comprehensive project proposals, following the living lab approach.

The maximum AAFC support for each project in Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec will normally not exceed $10,000,000, with contribution funding normally not exceeding $6,800,000. For Prince Edward Island, support will normally not exceed $4,500,000, with contribution funding not exceeding $3,150,000. It is anticipated that that no more than one living lab will be approved for each province.

The number of projects and the amount of project funding will vary and will be based on, among other criteria, funding and research support availability, the quality of the proposal and opportunity to sequester carbon and mitigate GHG emissions in each province.

Please note that having received grant funding is not required to be considered for this application process. All applications will be evaluated according to the same criteria.