Smart Agriculture and Food Digitization and Automation Challenge
Sponsor
Alberta Innovates
Program
Smart Agriculture and Food Digitization and Automation Challenge
For More Information
Please visit https://albertainnovates.ca/programs/ [1] for program information.
Please contact Virginia Mulligan by e-mail at virginia.mulligan@albertainnovates.ca [2]
Webinar
An informational webinar with more details will be held on August 20, 2020. More details on how to register and attend the webinar will be available soon. The webinar will also be available for viewing on https://albertainnovates.ca/ [3] on or before August 24.
Description
The Smart Agriculture and Food Digitization and Automation Challenge supports projects to develop smart technology or generate knowledge to increase productivity, reduce production costs, or increase the value of Alberta’s agri-food commodities.
Smart technologies for this program include but are not limited to:
- Digital transformation of the agri-food sector
- Development of new applications for digitization of the agri-food sector;
- Prototype development and validation of new technologies.
- Automation throughout the agri-food value chain
- Research into autonomous systems and prototype development.
- Validation of new smart technologies and solutions
Projects must provide solutions to challenges faced by Alberta’s agri-food sector and that clearly demonstrate social, economic, and environmental benefits.
Eligibility
The lead applicant can be from within either the agri-food or technology industries. Examples include industrial associations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), research and development (R&D) organizations, post-secondary institutions, municipalities, not-for-profit organizations and government research labs.
Applicants are not required to be based in Alberta, but must demonstrate a clear value proposition for the province.
Applicants are encouraged to include additional funding collaborators, but having collaborators is not mandatory.
Collaboration between multiple organizations is encouraged to enhance and leverage the value proposition by demonstrating opportunities for technology validation and sharing of results. Applicants are encouraged to engage and include Alberta’s post-secondary and research institutions in the project consortium where appropriate. It is desirable for projects to attract and train highly qualified personnel who can increase Alberta’s innovation capacity.
When the applicant is not based in Alberta, it is especially encouraged to have Alberta-based collaborators.
Funding Availability
Up to $2 million dollars will be made available to support projects that aim to deliver new smart technologies or generate new knowledge useful to Alberta’s agriculture and food producers.
Maximum Project Value
Funding for individual projects will be a maximum of $500,000.
Indirect Costs
40%.
Project Duration
Three years. Projects must be complete by December 31, 2023.
Special Notes
Please note that research activities carried out in the context of COVID-19 need to adhere to the University of Guelph COVID-19 research principles, policies, guidelines and processes as they may be updated from time to time and communicated on the Office of Research web-page [4].
Deadlines
If College-level review is required, your College will communicate its earlier internal deadlines.
| Type | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Internal Deadline | Please submit a PDF copy of your application, along with an OR-5 Form to the Office of Research Services (research.services@uoguelph.ca [5]) a minimum of one week prior to the external deadline. | |
External Deadline | Expression of Interest | |
External Deadline | Full Project Proposal - by invitation only. |
How to Apply
Please refer to the Program Guide for further instructions on how to apply at (https://albertainnovates.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SAFDA-program-guide-2020.pdf [6]).
Step 1. Expression of Interest
Applications must be submitted electronically using the Alberta Innovates online Grants Management System (https://albertainnovates.smartsimple.ca/s_Login.jsp [7]).
Step 2. Full Proposal
Applicants whose Expression of Interest are approved will be invited to submit a Full Proposal. The review process at this phase is highly competitive and only the highest-quality projects will be considered for funding.
Step 3. Project Management
For approved Full Proposals, applicants will execute an investment agreement with Alberta Innovates to proceed with the activities of the project.
Project payments are based on milestone achievement and progress reporting.