Circular Food Innovators Fund – Canada

Funding Information

The City will consider grant funding requests starting at $5,000 and up to a maximum of $35,000. A maximum of $250,000 of total grant funding is available under Phase One of the Fund.

• For-profit applicants
  • For-profit applicants may be funded up to 75 per cent of the total costs of the proposed project to a maximum grant of $35,000. For-profit applicants must demonstrate an ability to contribute at least 25 per cent of the total project costs through a combination of financial and/or in-kind contributions.
• Not-for-profit applicants
  • Not-for-profit applicants may be funded up to 100 per cent of the total costs of the proposed project to a maximum grant of $35,000.

Eligible Projects

• Proposed projects must be completed within one year and either:
  • implement a new reuse system; or
  • demonstrably enhance an existing reuse system
• Projects are eligible if they deploy market-ready solutions, or solutions that are already in-market. The City will not be funding projects that involve research and development or prototyping, or that are primarily about education and outreach initiatives.
• Reuse systems that are exclusively for dine-in consumption are not eligible for funding. Eligible projects include reuse systems:
  • where food or beverages are being provided for takeaway consumption, which may include food distributed by vendors at public markets and events
  • where food or beverages are being provided for delivery, which may include catering services
• Priority will be given to projects that:
  • propose an innovative or unique solution
  • include multiple organizations that plan to work together to implement the project
  • deliver additional community benefits related to the food system
  • include sustainment plans to keep the project running after the grant term has finished
  • have a well-defined approach for promotion to encourage participation in the reuse system

Eligible Applicants

• The following applicants are eligible for funding:
  • For-profit businesses, including business-to-business and business-to-consumer models
  • Registered charitable and not-for-profit organizations, including Business Improvement Areas and academic institutions
• The applicant must be a business that provides at least one of the following services, or must be a Business Improvement Area or academic institution that is working with a business that provides at least one of the following services:
  • Food and beverage products for takeaway consumption, which may include food distributed by vendors at public markets and events; or
  • Food and beverage products for delivery, which may include catering services; or
  • Reuse system infrastructure for food businesses.
• Reuse systems involving dine-in consumption are not eligible for funding.
• The business must be a small business (i.e., less than 99 employees) (excluding academic institutions) and must be located within the boundaries of Toronto. Any services funded through the Fund must take place within the boundaries of Toronto, except for services being delivered by urban off-reserve Indigenous-led organizations which may provide culturally-based programming outside the boundaries of Toronto.
• The City encourages submissions from businesses owned by women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples and people with disabilities.

For more information, visit City of Toronto.