AgriScience Program – Projects: 1. What this program offers

1. What this program offers

Intake period: Open

Apply now. Applications will be accepted until funding has been fully committed or until otherwise announced here.

The program ends March 31, 2028.

The AgriScience Program, under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), provides funding and support for pre-commercial applied science and research and development activities to find solutions to sector challenges and accelerate innovation in the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector.

Program objectives

The program has 2 components:

Clusters component — supports projects intended to mobilize industry, government and academia through partnerships, and address priority national themes and horizontal issues
Projects component — supports a single project or a smaller set of projects that would be less comprehensive than a Cluster.

The program focuses on 3 priority areas:

Climate change and environment
Economic growth and development
Sector resilience and societal challenges

Funding

Under the Projects Component, funding is available up to $5 million per project and $10 million per applicant over the program's duration (2023 to 2028).

You may apply for 1 of 3 funding options:

non-repayable contribution funding for research activities conducted by industry ^{note 1}
collaborative research and development support for research performed by AAFC scientists to support your organization^{note 2}
both

Total government funding (federal departments including AAFC, provincial/territorial, and municipal governments) cannot exceed 85% of total project funding (stacking limit).

Cost-sharing

Contributions^{note 3} toward eligible costs will normally be shared between AAFC and you, the approved applicant, as follows:

AAFC — a maximum of 50%
You — a minimum of 50%

Eligible not-for-profit organizations with a project focused on greenhouse gas emissions reduction or carbon sequestration may apply for funding of up to 70%.

Indigenous applicants may be eligible for increased cost-share ratios and more flexible terms. Please contact the program for more details.

Find out about funded projects

View the list of successful applicants and funded projects (Proactive Disclosure-Canada.ca).

You may work with an industry partner, including previously funded Projects and Clusters recipients, to develop a collaborative project application.

Learn how program funding supports producers

Read and download the Projects Component Factsheet.

Notes

Note 1

Non-repayable contribution funding

If your application is successful, you will enter into a non-repayable contribution agreement (CA) with AAFC that outlines the project, its workplan and activities, and how the costs will be shared between your organization and AAFC.

A CA also stipulates the responsibilities and obligations of both AAFC and your organization, as well as the reporting requirements, including reporting on expenses incurred for the purpose of reimbursement toward eligible project costs.

For more information, refer to this example of a Non-repayable Contribution Agreement.

Return to note 1 referrer

Note 2

Collaborative research and development support

AAFC Science and Technology Branch scientists can conduct research on your behalf. If your application is successful, your organization must enter into a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement (CRDA) with AAFC.

The CRDA outlines the milestones, licensing options and payment schedule for your organization's share of funding supporting the project activities. The approved financial allocation is not paid to your organization but provided within AAFC.

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Note 3

Contribution

A contribution is a transfer payment from AAFC to your organization that is subject to performance conditions specified in a CA. Contributions are different from grants; grants are unconditional transfer payments. A contribution is to be accounted for and is subject to an audit.

Cash contribution

A cash contribution is the cash provided by either your organization or from other funding sources secured by your organization for the project and used during the life of the project to pay for eligible project costs for goods or services required to complete project activities. To be considered a cash contribution to the project, the funds must be used to pay for eligible costs.

For non-repayable contribution activities, cash contributions may include salaries, wages, fees and benefits of employees or contractors in your organization or your partner organization.

In-kind contribution

An in-kind contribution is the fair market value attributed to eligible costs for goods or services that are contributed to the project and require no outlay of cash by your organization, by other governments, or by other organizations participating in or supporting the project.

Examples of in-kind contributions include:

An employee from a partner organization devotes time outside of their routine activities to work on the project and does not receive cash payment for this time (the in-kind contribution would be based on what it would cost to hire someone to perform the same activities)
An inspection or analysis required for the project is donated without charge by a partner
Equipment required for the project that is already owned by you or is donated or loaned by a partner
A partner donates construction materials needed for the project
Land, or a portion of land, owned by a partner is provided to support an activity without charge

Note: All contributions from academic organizations are considered in-kind.

In-kind contributions are limited to 10% of the total cost of a project in the case of non-repayable contributions and 10% of the applicant's contribution in the case of collaborative research and development support.

If neither your organization or a partner organization pays for goods or services required for a project, the values must be shown as in-kind contributions.

Any in-kind contributions must be made toward eligible costs, be essential to the project, and would otherwise have to be purchased or paid for by your organization or partner.

In-kind contributions won't be reimbursed by AAFC.

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