Government of Canada is seeking applications for its AgriCompetitiveness Program that aims to help the agricultural sector to leverage, coordinate and build on existing capacity, enhance safety, adapt to changing commercial and regulatory environments, seize new opportunities, share best practices, and provide mentorship opportunities.

It will accomplish these goals by supporting industry to build on existing capacity by facilitating the sharing and expansion of skills, knowledge, and best practices, and increase agricultural awareness. It will also provide for activities that allow agri-businesses to transition, adapt, and improve their profitability by nurturing the entrepreneurial capacity of new and established farmers, delivering farm safety initiatives, and cultivating individual and industry leadership.

In addition, the program will support activities undertaken by important domestic agricultural fairs which have strong international and domestic components, as well as generic agriculture awareness activities which will help strengthen public trust about the origin of the food they eat and how it is produced.

Funding Information

• The maximum AAFC contribution for an applicant will normally not exceed $1,000,000 per year or a maximum of $5,000,000 over five years.

Program Objectives

The objectives of the AgriCompetitiveness Program are to:

• help the industry further develop capacity throughout the sector and facilitating the sharing and expansion of:
• skills, knowledge, and best practices among industry members
• business management and planning capacity in the sector as it relates to production practices, business and financial management practices, and environmental practices, which builds resilience and adaptability
• assistance for producers to learn how to develop and implement business and strategic plans to help them capitalize on opportunities and manage a wide range of risks
• platforms to help the sector build leadership and facilitate knowledge transfer, which will assist the sector to be better able to respond to market demands and promote agricultural awareness to build public trust

Eligibility Criteria

• The following organization types are eligible under this program:
  • Not-for-profit:
    • organizations that operate solely for social welfare, civic improvement, pleasure or recreation, any other purpose except profit. They may include:
  • associations
  • Indigenous groups
• Eligible applicants must be legal entities capable of entering into legally binding agreements.
• Associations should operate on a national basis. Consideration may be given to regional not-for-profit associations if there is no representation at the national level, and the applicant can demonstrate the ability to deliver a project that is national, and/or agriculture and agri-food sector wide in scope.
• Commodity organizations, academic institutions, for-profit organizations, and individuals are not eligible to receive funding under this program.

How to Apply

Applicants can apply via given website.

For further information, please visit Government of Canada.