Agri-Business Innovation Grant Program – Canada

The Agri-Business Innovation Grant provides funding for agricultural operators to improve or implement new value-added and innovative technologies. The Municipality will fund 50% of the total project cost (excluding taxes) up to $5,000.

Usage of Funds 

• The applicant must be the tenant or owner of a property zoned for agricultural purposes. The project must comply with all necessary Municipal, Provincial, Federal, and local food and safety regulations, and have received appropriate permits and permissions.

Eligible Items for Agri-Business Innovation Application

New infrastructure related to the following:

• Agri-tourism experiences (e.g., corn maze, on-farm workshop, event)
• Direct consumer sales (e.g., pick-your-own, roadside stands)
• Organic or small-scale farming (e.g., free-range chickens)
• Small-scale Food & Beverage Processing (e.g., making cheese from milk produced on-site)
• Bioproduct farming (as defined by Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA))
• Specialty crops farming (as defined by OMAFRA)

Eligibility Criteria 

• Applicants must be a tenant or property owner of a property zoned for agricultural purposes within the Community Improvement Project Area.
• Applicants must complete a pre-consultation with the Community Improvement Program Administrator before submitting an application.
• Only grant applications that comply with municipal by-laws will be considered.
• Projects may require a Building and/or Sign Permit. Permits must be issued before the project commences. Applicants that have commenced work prior to obtaining a Building Permit, acknowledge that their project may be deemed ineligible for funding. Approval of a grant will not guarantee that a Building or Sign Permit will be issued.
• The subject property shall not be in a position of tax arrears and not have any outstanding orders or non-conformity with zoning.
• Projects should not have commenced prior to the awarding of the requested grant. Applicants that have commenced work prior to obtaining approval forthe requested grant, acknowledge that their project may be deemed ineligible for funding.
• Projects must be completed by the end of the year in which the funding was received. Extensions are not granted unless prior approval has been received. If money is not spent it will be deemed an incomplete project and you will need to reapply next year.
• Applicants must provide a minimum 50% cash contribution towards the total cost of the project for which they are applying for a grant.
• Taxes are the full responsibility of the applicants.
• Eligible project costs must be actual cash outlay to third parties acting at arms’ length and which can be documented through original invoices or proofs of payment. An exception may be granted for a property owner that wishes to do the work themselves; however, eligible project costs may only include material costs and not labour.

For more information, visit Municipality of Huron East.