Local Food Infrastructure Fund: Step 6. After you apply

Step 6. After you apply

1. We'll send you an acknowledgement notice

Once an application has been submitted, an acknowledgment notice will be sent.

An application should not be considered submitted to the program until the acknowledgment notice is received.

After your application is received, we’ll verify that all required forms and declarations have been completed and there is sufficient detail in the application for a full assessment.

Please be advised that even if a project meets all eligibility criteria, the submission of an application creates no obligation on the part of the Minister or of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada officials to approve and provide funding for the proposed project. The Minister retains discretion to determine, based on other public policy and public interest considerations, whether an application that meets the eligibility criteria will ultimately receive funding.

2. We'll assess your application

When the application has been deemed complete and ready for assessment, a notice will be sent to you. Service standards for assessments only begin once the application is deemed to be complete.

For an assessment to be done by the program, your application must contain the clarity and level of detail described in How to complete the application form and all required documents must be included.

Incomplete applications will not be assessed.

3. We'll send you a grant agreement

Once the assessment process is complete, an approval or a rejection notification letter will be sent. For approved projects, the letter will specify the level of funding awarded and outline any other conditions that may apply. A program representative will reach out to begin the grant agreement process.

Reports you must provide

Should your application be approved for funding, you must report on performance and results by September 30, 2024. The performance report will track progress against mutually agreed to performance measures outlined in the grant agreement as follows:

Performance measures are subject to changes at the discretion of the Minister.

Degree to which the Recipient has increased its capacity to distribute healthy and nutritious food as a result of the project. Note: increased capacity is defined as improved level of service, increased service efficiency, expanded / scale-up of services, increased number of service offerings, increased number of partnerships, etc.

The Recipient will be asked to provide an assessment on a numeric scale of the level of change regarding its capacity to provide healthy and nutritious food.

Percentage change in Recipient's capacity to provide healthy and nutritious food.

The Recipient will be asked to quantify some elements of capacity (for example, number of services offered, number of partnerships) both before and after the project.

Degree to which healthy and nutritious food availability has increased in communities as a result of the project.

The Recipient will be asked to provide an assessment on a numeric scale of the level of change regarding the availability of healthy and nutritious food in the targeted community(ies).

Percentage change in the amount of food produced/distributed by program recipients.

The Recipient will be asked to report on the quantities of food that it produces/ distributes to its clientele, both before and after the project.

Perceived increase in the level of food security in the communities served by the Recipient as a result of the project.

Recipient's perception of how the project has helped decrease the level of food insecurity in the communities served. The Recipient will be asked to provide an assessment on a numeric scale to support this, in addition to qualitative information.

Recipients may be required to administer a survey of their project's ultimate beneficiaries. A survey template will be provided by the Minister.

Other reports may be required at AAFC’s discretion.

Service standards

Our goal is to:

  • respond to general inquiries made to our phone number or email address before the end of the next business day
  • acknowledge receipt of applications within one (1) business day
  • assess applications and send approval or a rejection notification letter within 100 business days after the application has been deemed complete