Local Food Infrastructure Fund – Large Scale Projects: Step 1. What this program offers

Step 1. What this program offers
Step 2. Eligibility
Step 3. Before you apply
Step 4. How to apply
Step 5. Complete the application and apply
Step 6. After you apply
Contact information

Step 1. What this program offers

Intake period: Open

Applications will be accepted from January 13, 2025 to February 28, 2025 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time. However, the application intake period may close sooner if funding has been fully committed or if otherwise announced here.

If you’re an Indigenous applicant, you can contact the Indigenous Pathfinder Service for additional support by email at aafc.indigenouspathfinder-explorateurautochtone.aac@agr.gc.ca or telephone: 1-866-367-8506.

The program ends on March 31, 2027.

The Local Food Infrastructure Fund (LFIF) supports projects that strengthen community food security and increase the availability and accessibility of local, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food through food production-focused activities for equity-deserving groups, particularly Indigenous and Black communities.^{note 1}

Program objectives

The LFIF aims to support locally-driven projects that will help improve community food security through the purchase and installation of infrastructure/equipment that will increase access to local, nutritious and culturally appropriate food.

Priority will be given to projects that predominantly serve equity-deserving groups, particularly those that are led by or focus on Indigenous and Black communities.

The program has 2 components

1. Large Scale Projects

provides non-repayable contribution funding between $150,000 and $500,000
supports projects with multiple infrastructure/equipment needs and partnerships to address community food security in a more comprehensive manner
projects must include a production element^{note 2} and partnerships^{note 3} (minimum 2) to enhance community food security
application intake period: January 13, 2025 to February 28, 2025
total funding of $19.2 million over 2 years starting in 2025-26

2. Small Scale Projects

provides grant funding between $25,000 and $100,000
supports projects that aim to address local food security priorities through the purchase and installation of one or a few pieces of infrastructure/equipment
- projects must include a production element^{note 2}
2 application intake periods:
- October 1, 2024 to October 31, 2024
- Fall 2025 (date to be confirmed)
total funding of $23.5 million over 3 years starting in 2024-25

Funding

The maximum Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) non-repayable contribution toward a project will normally not exceed $500,000. Applications under $150,000, after ineligible costs have been removed, will not be considered for funding.

Applicants who don't receive funding through the 2024-2025 intake may reapply to the 2025-2026 intake period.

Cost-sharing

Contributions toward eligible costs will normally be shared between AAFC and you as follows:

AAFC — a maximum of 75%
You — a minimum of 25%

Your portion of the cost-share can be a combination of both cash^{note 4} and in-kind^{note 5} contributions. In-kind contributions can only account for a maximum of 50% of your cost-share.

Notes

Note 1

The Government of Canada’s Interdepartmental Terminology Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, established to co-develop a guide on the key terms and concepts related to equity, diversity, accessibility and inclusion, express that equity-deserving groups refer to underrepresented or marginalized groups in society who, because of systemic discrimination, face barriers that prevent them from having the same access to the resources and opportunities that are available to other members of society, and that are necessary for them to attain just outcomes.

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Note 2

The mandatory production element may be managed either directly by the applicant or in collaboration with an eligible partner.

Food production elements-related eligible costs may include, but are not limited to:

Beekeeping equipment
Community gardens
Food forests
Garden boxes/beds/tools
Greenhouses
Hunting, fishing equipment (may include all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles and boats)
- Hunting equipment doesn’t include:
  - firearms and ammunition
  - archery equipment (including bows, crossbows, arrows, and bolts)
  - hunting slingshots and shot ammunition
  - spearguns and speargun spears
Irrigation systems, wells, solar panels, composting systems
Seeds, soil, compost (initial year only)
Tractors and other heavy farm equipment
Vertical and/or hydroponic gardens

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Note 3

Eligible partners may include:

for-profit organizations, academic institutions and other not-for-profit entities (individuals and suppliers of requested equipment are not eligible)
departments within the same Indigenous community and/or government (for example, health, education, economic development) (for Indigenous applicants only)
recipients and applicants of previous LFIF intakes, including the Large-Scale Projects

Key considerations for potential partners:

An eligible partner cannot be a supplier of requested equipment
The mandatory production element may be managed either directly by the applicant or in collaboration with an eligible partner
Funding from the program cannot be redistributed to partners
While equipment may be installed at various locations with permission from the landlord, ownership of equipment must be held solely by the applicant

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Note 4

A cash contribution means the monetary contributions provided by your organization or to your organization by a third party, and that are used during the life of the project to pay for eligible costs for goods and/or services required to complete project activities.

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Note 5

In-kind means non-monetary contributions of goods or services (resources) provided by your organization or to your organization by a third party for the project, to satisfy in whole or in part your organization’s Contribution, and for which Fair Market Value is assigned, but for which no payment occurs. If your organization does not pay for goods and/or services required for a project, the values must be shown as in-kind contributions. Any in-kind contributions must be made towards eligible costs, be essential to complete project activities, achieve project results, and would otherwise have to be purchased or paid for by your organization. In-kind contributions will not be reimbursed by AAFC.

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