Logo
Agri-Food Innovation Grant
Agriculture is one of Bruce County’s key sectors. To support our agriculture businesses growing and adapting the Agri-Food Innovation Grant supports infrastructure related to innovation. The grant provides funding directly to agricultural operators to support infrastructure investment to improve efficiencies, expand markets or try new products or services.
Spruce the Bruce Agri-Food Innovation Grants have now been fully allocated. However, funding remains available for the following municipalities:
- Huron-Kinloss
- Northern Bruce Peninsula
Spruce the Bruce Agri-Food Innovation Grants are available to businesses and property owners located within these municipalities. Applications from outside these areas will be added to the waitlist.
Do you have what you need to submit a complete application?
Do you have what you need to submit a complete application?
*Note: all necessary quotes, project plans, and designs must be provided before an application can be approved.
- Confirm your agriculture business / property is with an eligible CIPA (see below)
- Confirm your planned project meets the eligible project components (see below)
- Obtain all necessary municipal and / or County permits
- Obtain quotes from contractors for materials and / or labour
- Obtain designs / renderings / inspirations of the project for a visual scope
- Ensure project work can be completed by October 31 of the calendar year
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).
- 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 ineligible for funding under the same grant category unless the grant was provided more than five years ago, the property owner changed, or the application is for different physical elements of the building/property.
Max Funding:
50% of total project cost (excluding taxes) up to $5,000.
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects include infrastructure related to the following:
- Agri-tourism experiences (e.g., adding a corn maze).
- Bioproduct farming (as defined by Ontario's Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Agribusiness (OMAFA)).
- 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 OMAFA).
- 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.
Eligible Municipalities
Below are the municipalities eligible for this grant, permitting the agriculture property is within the municipal-wide Community Improvement Project Areas (CIPA).
- Arran-Elderslie
- Brockton
- Huron-Kinloss
- Kincardine
- Northern Bruce Peninsula
- Saugeen Shores
- South Bruce
- South Bruce Peninsula