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Agri-Food Innovation Grant
The Agri-Food Innovation grant provides funding for agricultural operators to improve or implement new value-added and innovative technologies, software, and hardware.
Eligibility Criteria
To be considered for the grant:
The applicant must be the tenant or the property owner. A letter of support from the property owner is required if the applicant is the tenant.
The agriculture property must be located within the Community Improvement Project Area (CIPA) of one of the following municipalities: Arran-Elderslie, Brockton, Kincardine, Northern Bruce Peninsula or South Bruce.
The project must comply with all necessary Municipal, Provincial, Federal, and local food and safety regulations, and have received appropriate permits and permissions.
Project work must not have started (including purchasing any materials) until the application has been approved.
This grant cannot be combined with any other Spruce the Bruce grants.
Properties previously awarded grants are not eligible for additional funding under the same grant category unless:
- The grant was provided more than five years ago; or
- Either the tenant and/or property owner changed since the last grant was provided; or
- The application is clearly for different physical elements of the building/property (as determined by County Staff)
Max Funding:
50% of total project cost (excluding taxes) up to $5,000.
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects may include, but are not limited to:
- Infrastructure related to the following:
- Agri-tourism experiences (e.g., adding a corn maze)
- Bioproduct farming (as defined by OMAFRA)
- Direct consumer sales (e.g., pick-your-own, roadside stands)
- Organic farming (e.g., free-range chickens)
- Small-scale Food & Beverage Processing (e.g., making jam on-site from grown raspberries)
- Specialty crops farming (as defined by Ontario's Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)
- Other projects approved by Bruce County that include value-added or innovative purchases or implementation
Ineligible Projects
Ineligible projects include, but are not limited to:
- Temporary, 'removable', or consumable project materials or elements
- New building construction
- General maintenance repairs
Community Improvement Plan (CIP) Areas
A Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is a tool that allows a municipality to direct funds and implement policy initiatives toward a specifically defined project area and are intended to encourage rehabilitation initiatives and/or stimulate development.
Eligible Communities with Community Improvement Project Areas (CIPAs) applicable for this grant include: Municipal-wide for Arran-Elderslie (communities of Chesley, Paisley and Tara); Municipal-wide for Brockton (communities of Cargill, Chepstow, Elmwood, Pinkerton, and Walkerton); Municipal-wide for Kincardine (communities of Kincardine and Tiverton); Municipal-wide for Northern Bruce Peninsula (communities of Ferndale, Lion's Head, and Tobermory); and Municipal-wide for South Bruce (communities of Formosa, Mildmay, and Teeswater).
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