The AgriInnovation Program (AIP) was introduced by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 2013 as part of the five-year Growing Forward 2 Initiative. The program received $468 million to support companies in the agriculture industry that are participating in research and development activities. The AIP is divided into two application streams: industry-led Research and Development, and Enabling Commercialization and Adoption.
The Research and Development stream is looking to support innovative agriculture projects that are in the pre-commercialization stage. There are two types of projects that are eligible for this application stream: Agri-Science Clusters and Agri-Science Projects. An Agri-Science Cluster is defined as a project that involves the industry, academic institutions, and the government and is also national in reach. An Agri-Science Project is defined as a single project or a set of small projects that are less extensive than a cluster and can be local, regional, or national in reach. Companies engaged in either type of project in this stream can apply for non-repayable funding of up to 50% of eligible project costs to a maximum of $5 million. Eligible project costs include labour, contracted services, travel, capital assets, and administration.
Our NorthBridge team of business analysts and technical writers can assist with the identification of eligible projects, the completion of application information, the preparation of financial information, the creation of business plans, and the required reporting after application submission.