Funding Snapshot

  • Non-repayable and repayable cost-sharing
  • Focused on supporting agri-food-related cleantech innovation
  • Continuous intake

Fund Description

The Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program provides funding to enable the development and adoption of clean technology that will facilitate a low-carbon economy and promote sustainable growth in Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector. The program consists of a Research and Innovation (R&I) Stream, which supports pre-market innovation, including R&D and commercialization activities, and the Adoption Stream, which supports adoption of commercially available clean technologies and process, especially those that reduce GHG emissions. Prioritized areas include green energy and energy efficiency, precision agriculture, and bioeconomy.

Funding Details

Cost sharing up to 50% is available in ACT funding for the R&I stream and the for-profit Adoption stream. Not-for-profit recipients of the Adoption stream may receive up to 75% of project costs. Funding is typically limited to $2 million per project, and $5 million across multiple projects. Recipients receive non-repayable funding for R&D and demonstration activities, and repayable funding for activities involving commercialization and scale-up.

Eligible Expenditures

Eligible expenditures covered under ACT R&I include:

  • Administrative costs
  • Salaries and benefits directly related to the completion of project activities
  • Contracted services
  • Capital assets purchased for the execution of the project
  • Other direct project costs including translation or registration fees

Eligible expenditures covered under ACT Adoption include:

  • Energy efficient improvements that facilitate improved management of energy intensive agricultural processes
  • Precision agriculture that enables reduced input use
  • Bioeconomy solutions that use agricultural waste to generate energy or create bio-products
  • Other activities that improve environmental impact of agricultural activities

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants to either stream must be Canadian entities and may be:

  • For-profit organizations, including agri-food processors
  • Not-for-profit organizations, including co-operatives
  • Indigenous groups

Applicants to the Adoption stream may also be individuals or sole proprietors.

Project must identify sources of funding and provide information on the environmental benefits of the technology. R&I applications must also provide evidence to demonstrate that a technology has been tested and is prepared for commercial development, and that there is a market need for the technology.

Program Run

ACT received renewed funding in Budget 2022 and will accept applications on an ongoing basis until funding is entirely committed.