Funding Opportunities under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership

Replacing the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) is a $3.5 billion, 5-year agreement (April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2028) between the federal, provincial and territorial governments.

The funding opportunities under the Sustainable CAP are cost-share intakes. Cost-share funding is where the governments of Ontario and Canada contribute a portion of the total project cost, and the applicant contributes the remaining amount. Available opportunities include:

Labour Force Management Strategies Initiative: The purpose of this initiative is to help primary producers and processors address local labour force challenges in the agri-food sector with pilot projects that implement innovative attraction strategies, recruitment strategies, and retention strategies.

Promoting Agriculture and Food Careers Initiative: This initiative is aimed at helping agricultural societies to promote careers in the agriculture and food industry.

Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI): OAFRI provides funding for agri-food research and innovation projects in Ontario, which is a key pillar of the Grow Ontario Strategy. OAFRI includes various funding streams to support research and innovation projects aimed at providing solutions for Ontario’s agri-food sector. OAFRI is currently accepting applications for the following stream(s): Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub (continuous intake).

Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP): As part of the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Initiative, the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP), provides funding to support Ontario farmers in making their agricultural lands more productive and resilient. The program provides funding to support projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, store carbon, and enhance other ecological goods and services.

Special Provisions for Financial Difficulties: Under the Sustainable CAP, Ontario farmers who are experiencing financial difficulty may qualify to access financial advisory services to complete a Farm Financial Analysis.