Local Food Infrastructure Fund: Step 2. Eligibility

Step 2. Eligibility

Check if you meet the criteria to apply.

Eligibility checklist

You must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible:

• You are one of the following organization types:
  • Not-for-profit: Organizations that have a mandate or mission to provide community food services. They may include:
    • associations
    • clubs
    • co-operatives
    • societies
    • local community, charitable or voluntary organization
  • Municipal and regional governments
  • Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, Inuit)^{Endnote 1}: A First Nation, Métis or Inuit organization. They may include:
    • First Nation, Métis or Inuit community and/or government^{Endnote 2}
    • First Nation, Métis or Inuit not-for-profit association
    • First Nation, Métis or Inuit not-for-profit organization
• You have been in operation for at least 2 years as a legal entity by the application submission date and you are capable of entering into a legally binding agreement^{Endnote 3}

Program priorities and eligible activities

Projects must be infrastructure specific, community-driven and dedicated to improving access to safe and healthy foods.

Eligible projects must be for infrastructure-specific requests. Some examples include:

• a walk-in refrigerator or other appliances
• a greenhouse or smokehouse
• irrigation systems or garden equipment

Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:

• production of food (for example, community kitchens, community gardens, urban farms, vertical gardens)
• preparation, refrigeration, distribution, and storage of food (for example, kitchen appliances, refrigerators, freezers, packaging equipment)
• transportation of food (for example, refrigerated vehicles, cargo vans)
• establishment of energy systems (for example, greenhouses, solar panels)
• establishment of water infrastructure (for example, irrigation systems, rainwater capture systems and wells)
• costs for the installation of infrastructure purchased through this project

Project activities must be completed by March 31, 2024.

Ineligible activities

• Passenger vehicles such as mini-vans and trucks will not be considered.
• Lease of equipment or vehicles will not be considered.
• Complex projects, such as projects that include renovations, construction, and multi-year projects will not be considered under this funding intake, as impacts must be targeted and immediate.
• No profits or commercial gain can be derived from the projects undertaken through this funding and any revenues generated must be reinvested into sustaining the project. Infrastructure should not be used for the commercial production or processing of food.

Eligible costs

Eligible costs are project expenses that fall within the set program cost categories and respect all program limitations.

To be considered eligible; all costs must be:

• included in the ‘project costs’ tab of the application form
• directly related to the activities included in the application
• incurred within the funding agreement timeframe

For more information and details on cost categories, a comprehensive list of eligible costs, limitations/instructions, refer to Project costs.

Quotes

A quote from a third-party supplier must be submitted for every cost item more than $5,000. These quotes or estimates must:

• provide an itemized breakdown for each capital asset or other direct project cost to be purchased and installed
• be issued no earlier than November 1, 2022
• be from an official vendor (for example, non-commercial vendors like Kijiji and Auto-trader are not eligible)
• be on company letterhead, or, be a screenshot of an online shopping cart with the company and URL clearly identified, or, if a quote is issued by email it must clearly identify the business via the email address, electronic signature or imbedded logo.

Quotes that do not comply will not be considered and costs will be adjusted accordingly.

Retroactive costs

Costs may be retroactively covered only to the date that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada sends an email confirming that the application has been deemed complete. However, incurring costs before a project decision has been made, and until an agreement is signed by both you and AAFC is a risk as these costs may be deemed ineligible under the agreement.

Expected results

Your application must show how your project’s activities support the specific outcomes and outputs listed below:

• Strengthen food systems to be resilient, integrated and sustainable, and to help access to safe and nutritious food for Canadians most at risk of food insecurity.
• Increase investments in local food infrastructure to increase capacity to distribute healthy and nutritious food within your community.
• Provide an improved or more efficient level of service, expanded services, or an increase in the number of service offerings.