Ontario Agri-food Research Initiative

Ontario Agri-food Research Initiative is sponsored by Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). This initiative provides funding for open research programs that help create innovative products to support the agri-food industry in Ontario. The initiative is managed by OMAFRA and funded under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

Ontario Agri-food Research Initiative | ontario. ca Ontario Agri-food Research Initiative Learn how you could get money for agri-food research and innovation projects, and browse past funding recipients.

Skip this page navigation The Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative ( OAFRI ) is now accepting applications for the following streams: Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub (continuous intake) The Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative ( OAFRI ) provides funding for agri-food research and innovation projects in Ontario, which is a key pillar of the Grow Ontario Strategy .

OAFRI strives to create an application process that adheres to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigenization.

The goals of the initiative are to: fund demand-driven research and innovation activities in the agri-food sector support the sector’s resiliency and facilitate sustainable growth improve knowledge or technology to address business challenges expand market opportunities locally and globally OAFRI is jointly funded by the Governments of Canada and Ontario under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership ( Sustainable CAP ), a five-year federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

OAFRI has a number of funding streams to support research and innovation projects aimed at providing solutions for Ontario’s agri-food sector (such as new knowledge, technologies, products or practices). The streams are categorized based on technology readiness levels ( TRL ). Use the TRL as a reference to determine the appropriate OAFRI stream for your application.

The streams are: knowledge translation and transfer ( KTT ) For all streams, your application must align with at least one of the research priorities outlined in the specific stream intake guidelines. Applied research projects use the process of scientific investigation (including lab work and experiments) to find solutions to existing problems. In the TRL , these projects are in the research and development stage.

They focus on generating new knowledge and experimental proof-of-concept in a laboratory or simulated environment (early stage TRL up to level 5). Read the 2024 applied research guidelines ( PDF ) and the 2023 applied research guidelines for specific information on the previous intakes. Pilot and demonstration projects are undertaken after lab work or theoretical applied research on proof-of-concept has been completed.

The goal of the pilot and demonstration stream is to fund projects that focus on the development of a model or prototype of new technology (complete TRL 6). The pilot project is the step between applied research and full-scale commercial application. The latter allows researchers to assess if their findings are generalizable to the real world.

These projects aim to complete TRL 6 (prototype development). Read the 2024 pilot and demonstration guidelines ( PDF ) for more details on this initiative. You can access the 2023 pilot and demonstration guidelines for information on the previous intake.

Knowledge translation and transfer The knowledge translation and transfer ( KTT ) stream is focused on activities designed to drive the transformation of research knowledge into use faster, including: brokering between researchers and research users These projects go beyond typical communication activities and include an array of knowledge mobilizing activities. Read the 2024 KTT guidelines ( PDF ) for more details on this initiative.

Commercialization stream funding is focused on scaling innovative technologies, products and services to the real world or commercial environment. It ensures technologies and best practices are suitable for commercial use and ready to be widely used.

This stream will fund activities which may include: market validation — conducting market research to determine the size and quality of market opportunity for a new and promising technology, product or service product development — creating prototypes, performing field trials, removing any barriers to a market launch or private sector adoption and optimizing a minimum viable product that best meets the needs of customers (will advance technologies through TRL 7-9) For more information on this initiative, visit the Bioenterprise website .

Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub In addition to the OAFRI funding streams, the Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub provides agri-food business supports that enable more solutions and technologies to be brought to market by providing: mentoring and advisory services Supports are also provided to businesses across the agri-food supply chain for innovation adoption. Intake for the Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub is open on a continuous basis .

Learn more and submit an application through Bioenterprise .

To be eligible for funding, the lead applicant must: demonstrate their capacity to perform quality research and innovation activities a research organization, institute or foundation an industry organization or business a non-government organization a municipal or indigenous government or government agency Ineligible applicants include: Federal and provincial government researchers.

These researchers may collaborate on a research project with another eligible lead applicant. Researchers outside the province of Ontario. Researchers from other provinces may collaborate on a research project if the lead applicant for the project is in Ontario.

Researchers with an outstanding progress report for another research project funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness ( OMAFA ). Outstanding reports must be submitted to be eligible to receive funding under this initiative.

Stream Intake open and close dates Applied research Intake 2: October 15, 2024 to January 13, 2025 Intake 1: November 2, 2023 to January 11, 2024 Pilot and demonstration Intake 2: October 15, 2024 to January 13, 2025 Intake 1: November 2, 2023 to January 11, 2024 Commercialization Intake 3: September 4, 2025 to October 30, 2025 Intake 2: October 2, 2024 to December 4, 2024 Intake 1: November 2, 2023 to January 11, 2024 Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub Intake 3: Date to be determined Intake 2: February 1, 2025 to May 31, 2025 Intake 1: January 15, 2024 to October 31, 2025 Knowledge translation and transfer Intake 1: October 15, 2024 to January 13, 2025 Past recipients Browse a list of past project recipients .

For more information about this initiative, email us at research. omafra@ontario. ca .

Published: October 29, 2020