Guidelines for submitting proposals - Appendices

Appendix A - Evaluation criteria

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is seeking the proposal that provides the overall best commercial value to Canada and will be evaluated for the following:

Company profile (10%)

experience in marketing the same crop type
well established pedigreed seed grower network (that is, list of seed growers)
specimen agreement between proponent and grower
disposal of unused seed stocks

Marketing and production strategy (35%)

market promotion and advertising plans
fit within product portfolio, competitive product lines
plans for variety protection (PBR, PVP)
projected sales area
creativity of marketing plan
winter nursery
seed increase and method of distribution
projected area of planting (acres by class)
seed production schedule
projected seed volumes (to be offered for sale)
protection against unlicensed sales and distribution

Financial offer (35%)

up-front fee
royalty rate (calculated as a percentage against the sale of pedigreed seed or on a per tonne basis)

Investment (20%)

Total investment/year including cash and in-kind to AAFC in the last two (2) years.

This may include:
- Support for replicated performance trials (at proponents expense)
- payment of entry fees for Provincial Variety Trials
- proponents investment in demonstration sites
- other innovative ways that increase the return to AAFC, reduce risk to AAFC
- any research and development support to AAFC

Appendix B - Annual variety request for proposal

Instructions for completing this form

Proponents must submit their proposal using the Proposal Submission Form (PDF Version, 88 KB), and a separate proposal must be submitted for each variety. Please refer to section 3 of the guidelines for further instructions.

This Web document is not a form. Its purpose is to display the information as found on the form for viewing purposes only.

If you cannot access the PDF form, please contact Stephen Capelle at stephen.capelle@agr.gc.ca.

Please mail to:

Stephen Capelle
Commercialization Officer
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
500-303 Main Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3G7
Email: stephen.capelle@agr.gc.ca

Proposal Submission Form

Privacy Statement: Any personal information provided will be protected under the provisions of the Privacy Act.

1. Company profile

Year of proposal
For the variety (number and crop type)
Company name
Business address
City
Province
Postal code
Telephone number
Fax number
Contact person
- Address (if different from stated above)
- City
- Province
- Postal code
- Telephone number
- Fax number
Email
Signature, company signing authority
Name and title
Company incorporated under the laws of (Province)
Company's registered office location (if different than stated above)

Certificate of Incorporation

Attached
Previously submitted

If you have not previously supplied Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) with a copy of the company's certificate of incorporation, you are required to attach a copy to your proposal. In the case of a registered limited partnership: the proposal must show the general partner's name and address (no box numbers), phone, fax, and email address.

Are you willing to keep this proposal valid and open for acceptance or further negotiation for one year following the closing date?

Proposed initial term of license

10 years
Other (specify)

Renewal period

Two 5-year
Other (specify)

Proposed territory

Canada
United States
Canada and the United States
other (specify)

AAFC aims to ensure a competitive advantage for Canadian growers and Canadian grain exporters which means that, where possible, AAFC will license varieties in Canada for a minimum of three (3) years before licensing in other countries. Company must provide justification below if requesting immediate market access to the United States or countries outside of Canada.

Please list any active licenses with AAFC and describe your Company's over-all record of performance in marketing varieties of the same crop type.

List of seed growers, attached?

Specimen agreement between company and seed grower attached?

How does your company dispose of unused seed stocks?

Pedigreed seed
Non-pedigreed seed

2. Marketing and production strategy

Describe how the variety will be promoted to seed growers and producers, and identify the advertising mediums to be used:

Please describe how this variety will fit into your current product portfolio. Be sure to list any competitive product lines and whether this variety will replace an existing product line.

Company acknowledges that they are required to cover the cost of Variety Registration.

Company agrees to support applying for, and covering the cost of, Plant Breeders' Rights?

If no, please explain justification.

If you are requesting immediate access to a territory outside of Canada, will you support applying for Plant Variety Protection?

If no, please explain justification.

Please identify the projected sales area.

Are there plans to sub-license?

If yes, please identify the parties and the nature of their involvement.

Propose up to three names for the variety:

Identify any risks or challenges with producing and/or marketing this variety.

Briefly describe any other details that reveal a deliberate, diligent and extensive marketing, sale and distribution of the variety, in sufficient detail to allow AAFC to assess the market strategy.

Will a winter nursery be utilized at the company's expense?

Please describe your plan for increasing the initial lot of breeder seed. Provide specifics about your distribution of the variety to pedigreed seed growers in your network (for example, number of growers involved, geographic distribution, timelines).

Please provide details about the timeline for the distribution of Certified seed to producers.

Please complete the following tables 1 to 3.

Table 1 - Estimated area planted by seed class - specify units

Units: ____ (hectares/acres)

Year of commercial release	Seed for pilot marketing	Select	Foundation	Registered	Certified
1^st year (20__)
2^nd year (20__)
3^rd year (20__)
4^th year (20__)

Table 2 - Estimated seed production by seed class - specify units

Units: ____ (either tonnes or tons)

Year of commercial release	Seed for pilot marketing	Select	Foundation	Registered	Certified
1^st year (20__)
2^nd year (20__)
3^rd year (20__)
4^th year (20__)

Table 3 - Estimated seed volumes to be offered for sale by seed class - specify units

Units: ____ (either tonnes or tons)

Year of commercial release	Foundation	Registered	Certified
1^st year (20__)
2^nd year (20__)
3^rd year (20__)
4^th year (20__)

How does your company protect against unlicensed sale and distribution?

3. Financial offer

The Company offers an up-front payment of:

Please identify any conditions or particular schedules regarding payments listed above.

The Company offers a royalty^{Footnote 1} payment of: % or dollars.

Please describe how the base price of seed will be used for royalty calculation and identify any conditions or particular schedules regarding royalty payment.

4. Investment

Will you support replicated adaptation and performance trials?

If yes, please describe your plans for this variety.

Will you supply seed for Provincial Variety Trials and pay the entry fees?

Do you plan to use demonstration sites?

If yes, please describe your plans for this variety and your history of using demo sites, specifically the number of plots highlighting AAFC varieties.

Describe any innovative ways your Company can increase the return to AAFC, or the efforts your Company employs to reduce risk to AAFC.

Please describe your Company's history of research support to AAFC in the last two (2) years. List any specific areas or projects and estimated value of support.