Sponsor

George Weston Limited and Loblaw Companies Limited 

Program

Seeding Food Innovation Grants Program

For More Information

Please refer to the Funding Guidelines [1] or visit http://www.weston.ca/en/Funding-Guidelines.aspx for more detailed information about this grant program.

Description

Seed funding will be provided for trans-disciplinary research proposals that address food and health challenges that will impact Canadians and are of global concern OR offer debt/equity investments to business-focused projects that have a real social impact both in Canada and globally.

Eligibility

• Funding will only be awarded to institutions that are Canada Revenue Agency registered
• Principal Applicants must be at the level of Postdoctoral Fellow or higher OR have an Administrative Supervisor that has a permanent post at recognised Canadian post-secondary institution
• To be most effective, projects should involve teams of partners to provide a trans-disciplinary approach. Partnerships could be with university-based researchers, the private sector, civil society organizations, or community organizations.

Funding Availability

• Funding of up to $150,000 per project is available for up to two years within the field of food innovation

Indirect Costs

0%

Special Notes

• Funding available for both research as well as early-stage ventures. After the LOI stage, research proposals will follow a different evaluation stream than applications seeking a debt/equity investment.
• Funds are provided contingent on meeting milestones. If your project is selected, funds are provided in tranches as experimental milestones are successfully completed.
• The application process is interactive. You will likely receive feedback on your application and may be asked to consider making modifications.
• Many projects are declined at the Letter of Intent (LOI) stage. Only ~15% of LOIs are invited to the Proposal phase, so that applicants and reviewers spend their time on Proposals that have an excellent chance of being funded.
• Weston provides more than funding. Our grantees may also benefit from expert advice from our scientific advisors, suggestions from seasoned retail executives with deep experience into customers needs, and networking opportunities.

How to Apply

The application process consists of two stages: Letters of Intent (LOI) and Proposal. Only applicants who submit an LOI may be invited to submit a full proposal to enter the second stage.

To submit an Application, go to the online application system [2].