Sponsor

The initiative is jointly funded by the Governments of Canada and Ontario under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a five-year federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

Program

2023-2028 Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative [1]

Description

Overview

The Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) provides funding for agri-food research and innovation projects in Ontario, which is a key pillar of the Grow Ontario Strategy [2]. The OAFRI program strives to create an application process that adheres to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigenization. The goals of the initiative are to:

• fund demand-driven research and innovation activities in the agri-food sector
• support the sector’s resiliency and facilitate sustainable growth
• improve knowledge or technology to address business challenges
• expand market opportunities locally and globally

Funding Streams

OAFRI has four funding streams to support research and innovation projects aimed at providing solutions for Ontario’s agri-food sector (such as new knowledge, technologies, products or practices).

The four streams are categorized based on technology readiness levels [3] (TRLs). Use the TRL as a reference to determine the appropriate OAFRI stream for your application. The four streams are:

• applied research - Intake is open. The external deadline is January 11, 2024 (see deadlines below)
• pilot and demonstration -  Intake is open. The external deadline is January 11, 2024 (see deadlines below)
• commercialization -Intake is open. The external deadline is January 11, 2024 (see deadlines below)
• knowledge translation and transfer (KTT) - Intake is currently closed for the KTT stream. Please refer to upcoming intake dates [4] for more information.

For all streams, your application must align with at least one of the research priorities [5] outlined in the specific stream intake guidelines.

Review funding streams and how to apply [6] for more information on the four streams. 

Eligibility

To be eligible for funding, the lead applicant must:

• be located in Ontario
• demonstrate their capacity to perform quality research and innovation activities
• be part of:
  • a university or college
  • a research organization, institute or foundation
  • an industry organization or business
  • a non-government organization
  • a municipal or indigenous government or government agency

Indirect Costs

Up to 25% - please review eligible costs under each stream

Special Notes

Virtual information session

OMAFRA will hold a virtual information session (webinar) on November 14, 2023, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Staff from OMAFRA and Bioenterprise will:

• provide an overview of the program
• explain the streams and priorities
• answer your questions about the application process and research priorities

Register to attend this session [7] and get webinar details.

How to Apply

Visit the OAFRI website [9] for details on how to apply to each stream.