AgriCompetitiveness Program: Step 3. Before you apply

Step 3. Before you apply

Review and consider the following information before you apply.

Application intake periods

Program years 2023-2026

Applications for funding in the first 3 years of the program (2023-2026) were accepted until December 11, 2023.

Program years 2026-2028

Information on the application intake period for the 2026-2028 program years will be available here by April 1, 2025.

Sources of funding

You must clearly indicate all sources of funding for the project, including your contribution and other industry and/or partner sources of funding:

• other federal government departments, agencies and crown corporations^{Endnote 1}
• provincial/territorial governments^{Endnote 1}
• municipal government^{Endnote 1}
• Industry and/or partners such as:
  • industry associations and networks
  • businesses
  • academic institutions

Program costs

Program costs can be eligible as of April 1, 2023; however, any costs incurred before Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada deems your application complete are ineligible for reimbursement, nor will those costs be considered part of your cost-share.

How we assess your application

Your application will be carefully reviewed for eligibility, appropriateness, and impact. For you to prove that the activity cost meets each of the following 3 elements, it is important that each activity and corresponding cost is provided in a manner that is required for an appropriate assessment by AAFC.

Project proposals must be related to delivering national services and/or products in one or more of the areas of developing entrepreneurial capacity, including:

• building skills, knowledge and best practices
• building sector leadership and knowledge transfer
• increasing business and risk management capacity
• promoting farm safety and mental health
• increasing agriculture awareness and public trust

1. 1. Your application will be reviewed against the following criteria:
   • the application is complete and the proposed project is eligible
   • the proposed activities, including expected results and outcomes, support program objectives and priorities
   • all sources of funding for the proposed project to be funded under this program are identified
2. 2. If the above criteria are met, a more thorough review of your application will be done. This review will assess the following criteria:
   • your organization's capacity to deliver the project, taking into consideration your resources, timelines, and previous history with AAFC programming
   • the degree to which the proposed project can demonstrate a current or potential opportunity or need
   • the proposed activities and expenditures are eligible, reasonable and required to meet the project objectives
   • the project's linkages to building sector capacity and leadership
   • the evaluation of the project's impact to stakeholders and how it benefits the sector
   • the technical merits of the proposal and its potential risks
   • the potential for the proposed project to achieve government priorities (for example, diversity and inclusiveness, sustainability, advancing economic growth and building public trust)
3. 3. The assessment process will determine an appropriate level of funding for approved projects. This will be based on:
   • scope and duration of project
   • reasonableness and fair market value of proposed eligible expenses
   • importance of proposed eligible activities for greater impact to the sector
   • reasonableness of the overall projected cost of eligible expenditures given the projected outcome(s)
   • other sources of funding
   • demonstrated due diligence in obtaining and reporting on performance results

Considerations

M-30 Act (Quebec organizations only)

The Province of Quebec's M-30 legislation may apply to Quebec-based applicants only. It is the Act Respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif (R.S.Q., c. M-30).

More information on the act is available online or by contacting the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation at dpci@mapaq.gouv.qc.ca.

All Quebec-based organizations will have to address this matter and demonstrate their compliance with the act during the application assessment process, and prior to entering into a contribution agreement.

Intellectual property

The contribution agreement will contain an intellectual property clause which will confirm that all title to the intellectual property in any materials created or developed by or for the applicant of contribution funding will vest in the applicant or in a third party, as may be negotiated by the applicant. However, AAFC may, at its sole discretion, include a provision in the contribution agreement requiring the applicant to grant, or ensure, a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free license to the Crown to such material, in whole or in part, in any form or medium, for internal government administration purposes.